Napa Valley Uncorked
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A shared ight provides the classic outing. For additional privacy, reserve a private balloon for two. Either choice produces a splendid morning, although the private version eliminates the possibility of sharing the basket with someone who narrates the entire ight into a phone. A er landing and returning to Yountville, spend several quiet hours at the inn. A nap is sensible. So is a bath. Trying to schedule another winery before lunch is the behavior of someone who has mistaken leisure for competitive sport.
railcars, including early-20th-century Pullman cars and glass- roofed Super Domes.
Book the Vista Dome Lunch for a three-hour ride through the valley with a multi-course meal served beneath a curved glass ceiling. e landscape moves past at a civilized pace while servers manage the food and the train handles the driving. e eect is glamorous without becoming sti. It also gives tired feet a persuasive reason to remain seated. e Wine Train oers longer excursions with winery stops, a seven- course Tasting on the Rails program and evening dinner trips. e Vista Dome Lunch works especially well a er a balloon ight because it delivers scenery, food and a sense of occasion without adding another tasting-room appointment. Once back in Napa, dinner can be as small as cheese, fruit and bread in the room. A er a multi-course train lunch, declaring an emergency need for another large meal may be enthusiasm speaking rather than hunger. Day Four: Cabernet With a Place in History Check out of e Setting Inn a er breakfast and drive north while everyone is completely sober. e next address is Inn St. Helena, an eight-room historic bed-and-breakfast on Main Street.
In the a ernoon, arrange transportation to downtown Napa and board the Napa Valley Wine Train. e train operates restored
“God made cabernet sauvignon whereas the devil made pinot noir.” — André Tchelistche , the in uential Napa Valley winemaker
Stags’ Leap Merlot
is is the charming counterpoint to Napa’s larger resorts. e inn has a breakfast chef, a residential scale and a location within walking distance of downtown shops and restaurants. It also sits less than a mile from the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. Leave the car at the inn and meet the private driver for a day focused on Cabernet. e rst reservation is Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, where the FAY and S.L.V. vineyards spread beneath the Stags Leap Palisades. In 1976, the estate’s 1973 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon received the highest red-wine score at the Judgment of Paris, the blind
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14 Coastal Pearl Living - TOGETHER
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