C3 CPL-TOGETHER 653

Napa Valley Uncorked

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Plan a casual dinner at Oxbow Public Market in downtown Napa. e 40,000-square-foot market gathers independently operated food businesses beneath one roof, including Hog Island Oyster Bar, e Fatted Calf, Ritual Coee, Model Bakery, an artisan cheese shop, chocolate, empanadas and gelato. is is an excellent rst-night arrangement because no one has to agree on a single cuisine. One traveler can pursue oysters, another can investigate charcuterie, and a third can announce that gelato is a reasonable entrée aer a long ight. Napa does not judge. Napa simply oers another spoon.

with cheese, charcuterie or caviar. Guests with theatrical instincts can reserve the Art of Sabrage, which introduces the ceremonial opening of a sparkling-wine bottle with a saber. It is an unusually rened way to handle a cork. Do not hurry away aer the nal pour. e broad staircase, château façade and vineyard terraces provide much of the visual grandeur people associate with Napa. Morning light also tends to be kinder to both the landscape and the photographer. e driver then heads north toward Oakville and Far Niente, a 19th-century stone winery surrounded by gardens, cork trees and hillside caves. Visits are by appointment, and the private Legacy Tour provides a thoughtful introduction to the estate. e route moves through the historic winery and caves before a seated tasting of Far Niente Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, paired with local cheeses. For a larger splurge, the Cave Collection tasting draws from rare library wines and adds seasonal food pairings prepared by the estate chef.

Return to the inn early. e serious appointments begin tomorrow.

Day Two: Bubbles, Caviar and Old Stone e private driver arrives aer breakfast, which is when the rental car receives its rst full day of rest. e opening appointment belongs at Domaine Carneros, where a château overlooks the rolling hills of the Carneros region. e southern end of Napa is cooled by air moving inland from San Pablo Bay, creating favorable conditions for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Tastings at Domaine Carneros are seated and hosted. A ight of sparkling wine on the terrace oers an elegant start, particularly

Far Niente’s Italian name translates to “the sweetness of doing nothing,” although someone has clearly done a great deal of work

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8 Coastal Pearl Living - TOGETHER

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