Napa Valley isn’t just about food and wine, it’s also about the arts.  In Downtown Napa, one can have it all, and without a car.  Napa’s music and arts history is not new either, it began in 1880 with the opening of the Napa Opera House on Main Street, which still stands today as an historic landmark and as a performance venue.  In Downtown Napa, one can enjoy music at several classic venues as well as enjoy art from the street or the gallery.
The Music Scene
The art deco Uptown Theatre …

Downtown Napa has a range of accommodations ranging from international resort chains to boutique hotels to historic inns in landmarked districts, so you are bound to find something that suits your interests.
On Main Street at the Historic Napa Mill is the jewel of Downtown Napa hotels, the Napa River Inn.  It is made up of three buildings, each with its own character, with the Embarcadero and Plaza Buildings right on the river.  The restoration of the historic landmark and surrounding properties in 2000 by Harry Price marked the beginning of …

Downtown Napa, as the Gateway to the Napa Valley, has a wide range of casual and fine dining to meet every palate and occasion.  There is also a variety of specialty food purveyors, farmers’ markets, bakery/cafes and even take-out that feature what Napa Valley does best, serve up local, fresh and sustainably grown food that is vibrant with flavor.
Reservations Recommended
For serious dining, you don’t need to go up-valley to experience a range of world-class cuisine from French at Michelin star La Toque in the Oxbow District to southern Italian at …

There are few grapes around the world that can be said to be a country’s ‘signature’ grape – those grapes that do so well and are so identified with a region they are rarely cultivated elsewhere on such a large scale.  For example, malbec from Argentina, carmenere from Chile or Pinotage from South Africa.  In the U.S., that grape is indisputably zinfandel whose full-bodied and fruity wines are so beloved.  In 2009, zinfandel accounted for 10.9% of the California crush by volume, making it the 2nd leading grape variety after chardonnay …

The inaugural Wine Entre Femme trade tasting of over 50 international wines by female winemakers/owners will take place on February 2nd  at the Metropolitan Club, 640 Sutter Street, San Francisco from 1 – 4 pm.  Founder Sharon Harris calls the trade tasting “the most beautiful wine tasting in the world” tongue-in-cheek, but there is no question that it is the most beautiful if measured by quality.  The trade seems to recognize this as the rsvps are already more than three times larger than expected.  According to Carissa Chappellet, only winemakers and/or …

Wine Entre Femme, a consortium of quality-minded female winemakers and winery owners from around the world will be meeting next week in the Napa Valley to share best practices and learn the latest in viticulture, winemaking and marketing techniques.
Wine Entre Femme has grown organically from its inception in 2007, with the first official meeting between Napa Valley and Bordeaux winemakers in January 2008.  The group was organized by founder Sharon Harris, owner with her husband of Amici Cellars in Napa Valley.  Having a second home in Bordeaux and knowing many …

The first stage of the larger ‘farmstead’ conceived by Ted, Laddie and Chris Hall of Long Meadow Ranch has been completed with the opening of the wine and olive oil tasting room in Saint Helena on December 28th.  The tasting room is located in the historic Logan Ives House, a gothic revival farmhouse originally built in 1874 which has been faithfully restored by the Halls preserving over 90% of the original materials of the site.  Nearing completion are the adjacent open-air market featuring LMR’s organically grown fruits, vegetables, eggs and …

The Napa Valley is about 30 miles long with four distinct towns and surrounding areas to stay. Each has its own character and conveniences so figuring out where to stay depends on what you’re looking for.
The southernmost town of Napa is a good size city with all the major supermarkets and drug stores and the greatest choice of accommodations from major hotel chains to boutique hotels to bed & breakfast inns. It is closest to San Francisco, the airports and the town of Sonoma and the wineries nearby. It has a National Register …

Many wineries in the Napa Valley embrace wine and art but in name and in venue, Clos Pegase Winery in Calistoga embodies the concept, which was recently recognized by the Great Wine Capitals Global Network (GWC) international jury in Bordeaux last week. GWC is a consortium of official civic and trade organizations representing the great wine regions who believe that regional culture is an integral part of the wine experience. Current members include Napa Valley/San Francisco, Bordeaux, Porto, Bilbao/Rioja, Cape Town South Africa, Mainz/Rheinhessen in Germany, Mendoza Argentina and Florence …

 It is said that in 1867, founder Samuel Brannan was to proclaim that the town previously called Hot Springs or Agua Caliente would be known as the “Saratoga of California” for its mineral rich hot springs.  But under the influence of medicinal waters, he reportedly burst out instead the infamous words, “Calistoga of Sarafornia,” which in some ways characterizes the colorfulness of Calistoga today.  Calistoga is so unlike the Napa Valley that the world thinks of – it does not have the big city feel of Napa, the sophistication of Yountville, …