This post goes out to friends Carolyn & Martin who live in South Africa and will be making their first trip to California’s premier wine region, not to mention one of the premier travel destinations in the world. They asked for recommendations based on several trips I’ve made to Napa. Plus we all enjoy a nice glass now & again…okay now and NOW.
Grgich Hills Estate Wines
Napa Valley – breathtaking views abound at every turn, picturesque rolling hills planted with vineyards year-round and wineries of every stature. Whether you are wine tasting, dining at renowned restaurants like Market or the French Laundry, pampering yourself with a mud bath in Calistoga, or just enjoying your stay at quaint bed & breakfasts, hotels or resorts … Napa Valley is worth the visit. My personalfavourite area to stay and shop in Napa is St. Helena. It’s a walkable town with excellent restaurants (try “Market” – 1347 Main St. You can bring your own wine with no corkage fee but their own wines are very reasonably priced). For in between wine tastings visit Woodhouse Chocolates – 1367 Main St for scrumptious creative varieties and St. Helena Olive Oil Company – 1351 Main St. Dean & Deluca for gourmet food & gifts – 607 St Helena Hwy. & Sunshine Foods – 1115 Main St. for amazing specialty foods & wine. I always end up bringing stuff back from this store. For shoe shopping make sure to visit FootCandy – 1239 Main St. They have Charlotte Olympia & other divine brands. I stayed at El Bonita – 195 Main St. which was very comfortable and reasonable with friendly staff. More $$ to spend on shoes and wine. Wine suggestions: Grgich HillsEstate – 1829 St Helena Hwy., Orin Swift Cellars – 1325 Main St. If you want to visit Artesa (a beautiful location) you could also visit Domaine Carneros. The Rubicon Estate Winery (formerly Niebaum-Coppola Estate Winery) is located at 1991 St Helena Hwy. Hollywoodmeets Napa Valley at Francis Ford Coppola’s spectacular 1880s ivy-draped historic stone winery and grounds. A must-see although I can’t recommend their wines. I do enjoy Sofia Coppola blanc de blanc sparkly on occasion….occasions that call for bubbly…in a can. Poolside, Picnics & Purse – for places that don’t allow you to BYOB (bring your own bubbly) – shame on them!
Rubicon winery
Here is a NAPA VALLEY GUIDE from Michele and her mother Melinda, the makers of Lorenzo Rose.
Photo – Garance Dore
Garance Doré says “Napa Valley is such a special place to visit, and I wouldn’t trust anyone else more than these two for recommendations!” Here is an interview from her blog:
How would you describe Napa?
Napa Valley is heaven on Earth! And also where Michele’s from… Saint Helena to be exact! One of the things we love the most about Napa is that there is a balance between luxury and country. The wine business and Napa Valley itself can be quite posh, but at the same time its a farming industry at the end of the day. We love how low key the locals are here. They make the most delicious and fabulous wine in the world, but you will find them driving around in an old truck, spending their days in the vineyards surrounded by nature.
What are the best times to visit Napa Valley?
Yes, harvest just wrapped up, 2013 will be a stellar vintage! There really is no bad time to visit, but each season offers something different to experience. My favorite time in Napa is Summer because it gets HOT and I love to swim. The Calistoga fair and 4th of July parade are not to be missed! Spring is beautiful and also not as touristy as summer. The energy surrounding harvest in Fall is really exciting and the leaves change colors which is STUNNING! We were there together just last week and it blew us away with the beauty! Winter time is very mild in Napa. It does rain, but there are usually clear blue skies to follow, plus the wild mustard blooms making the entire valley bright yellow! So cool.
What should you pack?
Dress is very informal, its definitely a function over form situation! “Napa Valley Casual” is basically jeans, a nice t-shirt/button/down/sweater and flat boots. That will get you anywhere but, you may want to bring a nice dress for dinner out should you score reservations at The French Laundry where a jacket for men is required! If you’re lucky, your winery hosts will take you into the vineyards, so leave your heels at home! The weather year round is nice, but the evenings get pretty chilly even in the summer! Bring your Barbour jacket and you’ll fit right in.
What hotel do you recommend for friends visiting from out of town?
Some of our favorites are Carneros Inn, Calistoga Ranch, Solage, and Bardessono. El Bonita will be easy on your budget and will leave more to buy wine!
How should you get around Napa? Is it easy to take a cab? (We don’t want to wine taste and drive!)
It is important to have wheels in Napa! Rent a car at the airport, but if you’re going to do a full day of tastings, we suggest hiring a driver who can also help arrange your visits. Two of the best are Jarrar Tours and Napa Tours and Transportation. Ask your concierge to book your taxi back from dinner in advance.
Where should they eat and what should they order?
Model Bakery for english muffins and pizza slices. La Luna for authentic burritos. Bouchon for oysters, champagne and truffle fries. Oxbow Market in Napa is a fabulous place with about 30 food and drink vendors. Highlights include C Casa for tacos, The Kitchen Door and Oxbow Wine Merchants for a glass of wine and cheese!
Your favorite spots for…
A coffee: Ritual at Oxbow Market
Brunch with friends: French Blue or SolBar
Dessert: Get a “mundae” at Cook
A night on the town: The Thomas in Napa is a great new restaurant which has a rooftop bar! FUN!
*Wine shop: 750 Wines in St. Helena for rare and eclectic wines and private tastings. We adore David and Monica! 750wines.com/
Five wineries to visit (including Lorenza!):
Schramsberg for delicious sparkling wine and some of the oldest wine caves in the valley.
Frog’s Leap for fabulous gardens and organic wines.
Forman Vineyard a super special experience and insane Chardonnay!
Continuum which is Tim Mondavi’s winery on Pritchard Hill. The real deal!
Lorenza Rosé call us ahead for a taste of our wine 707 287 4113 http://www.lorenzawine.com
Any wine tasting tips? How do you avoid purple lips, sound like you know you’re talking about and not get too… well tipsy?
Make sure you eat… a lot! Pick up sandwiches at Dean & Deluca or Bouchon Bakery for the car for a snack between tastings. Visiting 2-4 wineries a day is plenty. I highly suggest spitting! Its not rude or weird or gross, but a necessity! Listen to your guide and ask questions…no one is expecting you to be an expert! Have fun and learn a lot! Also come prepared to buy wine! Its customary to make a purchase when visiting. Its super easy to ship home and the best way to remember your fun time in Napa. Unfortunately, there is no known cure for purple lips!
When you’ve had your fix of wine, where can you go for a good beer or cocktail?
Goose & Gander or The Thomas for a cocktail. Panchas in Yountville for a dive bar experience and dollar PBRs.
Where can you find the best views of Napa?
On the deck at Auberge du Soleil! Chic!
The best Napa hike? And how about a beautiful drive through Napa?
Bale Mill State Park, Robert Louis Stevenson State Park, Las Posadas in Angwin.
There are two main roads running parallel through Napa Valley. Highway 29 and the Silverado Trail. Both are gorgeous and surrounded by vineyards and wineries!
Nothing pairs better with wine than a some time at the spa. What is your favorite spot for pampering?
The spa at Solage or Indian Springs. Calistoga is famous for its hot springs. Try out a mud bath if you’re adventurous! Mindy’s fave!
How is the art scene in Napa? What galleries are worth seeing?
Maisonry is a cool tasting room and gallery in Yountville. I also love popping into Martin Design which is an awesome gallery and store on Main St in St. Helena.
And if you want to catch some good live music, any favorite spots?
The Uptown theater in Napa! Its not necessarily good live music, but there’s Karaoke on Thursday nights at Ana’s Cantina!
TIP: If you plan to visit SONOMA you must go to ClineCellars,Gloria Ferrer,JacuzziFamily Vineyards (ask for the chocolate shot) & Chateau St. Jean – more recommendations from The Girl Who Would be KING. You won’t be disappointed! All of these are at the South end of the Sonoma Valley – just off the highway on route from San Francisco. Be sure to take the Golden Gate Bridge North from San Francisco to get there. You can do this before going to St. Helena. Don’t do this in between – only at the start or finish when driving from or to San Francisco.
It’s easy to get jaded fast in VEGAS and not only that but it can be overly tacky at the same time. Two completely different contradictions. The best and the worst of everything. But how can you ever get tired of seeing the spectacular waterfall display at the Bellagio hotel that’s on every hour & set to music? This one was set to “singing in the rain.”
It gets even more dramatic in the evening. Every 15 minutes with an additional light show.
One of my favorite Vegas past times is to sit at the outdoor “Mon Ami Gabi” cafe at the Paris hotel with a glass of wine and just relax and watch the show. That’s before hitting the casinos of course.
Where ART meets ARchitecTure! These images will speak for themselves. All the art pieces with the exception of woman wearing turquoise are from the “Acuarelas Studio Gallery by Leandro M. Rodriguez – painter/scupter.
One of the many talented artists of New Mexico located in Taos.
by RodriquezTypical Adobe Structureby the artist known as Rodriguez.Frida Kahlo by Rodriquez.Beautiful Woman – seen in the lobby of La Fonda Hotel.Mural on Building.Sculpture outside a Gallery.Half of a Horse Mural on Building.Other half of a horse mural on building.
This is my second visit to Santa Fe, New Mexico. It has a very serene and spiritual nature.
This city is a mecca for arts and culture. I love the rich history which melds Hispanic, Anglo and Native American influences which are apparent in everything from the architecture to the food & the art.
Beautiful Beaded Bangles + way more
Today we spent the whole day wandering around the old Santa Fe Plaza with the outdoor art market and countless little art galleries, shops and restaurants.This is also considered a foodieparadise.
For exercise you can bike and hike all year round and also there’s skiing a short distance away from Thanksgiving through Easter.
We’re here in Scottsdale where it’s professional baseball spring camp training – busy time. We’ve decided to head off to Picacho Peak State Park for a few nights of desert camping – gorgeous area. In the meantime we love visiting the old town of Scottsdale for a fix of old fashioned cowboy history. More…
Downtown Scottsdale offers some of the finest galleries, specialty retail, culturalattractions and dining in the Valley of the Sun. Downtown Scottsdale is at the heart of the
bronze cowboys – pony express.
city’s art scene, with Contemporary and Western Art, Theatre and a wide variety of outdoor sculptures set amid the lush green lawns and sparklingfountains of Civic Center Mall.
Free stagecoach rides.
Scottsdale’s Arts District is home to a high concentration of galleries showcasing some of the best Western and Southwestern art in the country. Throughout “Old Town”, shopkeepers sell quality Native American crafts, offering everything from hand-woven Navajo rugs to Zuni silver jewelry.
Plazacowboy chop houseCanalSomething for us Cowgirls – “Garage” a place to fill up on clothes.Boots a plentysomething else for cowgirls – still in style here.
For me no visit to Los Angeles is complete without a little side jaunt to Venice (muscle) beach if just for the local flavour.
It’s always sunny, friendly (sometimes overly), good food and anything goes. We won’t see any red carpet styles here. Maybe the pictures will speak for themselves.
I like to start my day with a nice fresh juice with lotsa veggies and a bit of vodka.
Here’s what is unique about Venice Beach: Hundreds of street vendors and performers, everything from break-dancing to broken glass walking, mimes to musicians, jugglers to jesters and everything in between will make up the human landscape. You can have your fortune read, get a temporary tattoo or have your name written on a grain of rice. If souvenirs is what you are after then the boardwalk is the place to go. The Westside offers unique arts and crafts, odds and ends and one of kinds only obtainable here. Paintings, photos, rocks of various sorts and sculptures are among the popular offerings. On the Eastside are the store fronts of the boardwalk. Here you will find every sort of t-shirt under the sun. From the politically motivated to sexually charged to the plain old Venice Beach t-shirt there is sure to be one for everybody. In addition, there are tattoo and piercing stores, skate and surf shops, medical marijuana dispensaries and more. You can buy sun glasses, vaporizers, beer and shoes. This is all in addition to the large selection of restaurants, juice spots and bars. In summary, packed into its one and a half mile, the boardwalk has more diversity in demographics and retail then probably anywhere else in the world. There is reason it so famous. These pictures are only the beginning.
MARFA, Texas: An Unlikely Art Oasis In A Desert Town. Ever heard of it?
This tiny town perched on the high plains of the Chihuahua desert is nothing less than a deceiving world class art station like Art Basel in Miami, or Documenta in Germany. It’s a blue-chip arts destination for the sort of glamorous scenesters who visit Amsterdam for the Rijksmuseum ( & let’s not kid ourselves – the drugs too).
Although the locals have mixed feelings about being an art mecca, Kaki Aufdengarten-Scott, Marfa’s one-woman chamber of commerce, says without art tourism, “this town would have dried up and blown away.”
This town has one bank, one pizza place, one coffee shop, one laundry, one radio station, one bookshop — basically one of everything, except for the things of which it has none: billboards, pet stores, chain stores, clothing stores, bowling alleys or traffic lights.
What in the DEVIL? Just off U.S. Highway 90. See our Eurovan in reflection?
Was this someones idea of a cruel joke? A shopping mirage?Guess the joke was on me when I tried to open the door and it just would not open. Believe me I tried. Hope there was no camera! My husband laughed at my expense because he knew it would have been at HIS expense had the shop actually been open.
Prada, Marfais a faux boutique displaying luxury bags and shoes in the middle of the sparse Texas landscape. It was created in 2005 by artist duo Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset.
When Hollywood needs Western desolation, it comes to Marfa.
Hotel Paisano – an oasis in itself.
With Hollywood types, it doesn’t hurt that Marfa is, well, a different sort of Texas town, with just one blinking traffic light but 14 art galleries, an independent bookstore and an organic grocery. Are you getting the picture?
“No Country for Old Men” and “There Will Be Blood” were filmed here, which made actor Daniel Day-Lewis (of the latter film) a regular jogger up and down the main drag, Highland Avenue, for a while.
Inside hotel paisano
Also, more than 50 years ago, famed filmmaker George Stevens also settled on this area for his epic Texas oil tale “Giant,” which starred Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean. (Stevens won a best director Oscar for “Giant” in 1957, the only win of that film’s 10 nominations).
Hey, I’ve been to the hotel where they stayed at (Paisano) which was a beautiful little find and even saw the rooms they stayed in which made my imagination run wild at the thought of all sorts of shenanigans going on – who was with who, etc. Well we now know who Rock wasn’t with! Above Photos: d. king
Okay, back to 2012. I don’t want to blow Marfa’s cover too much because who knows.. they might even consider opening up a Starbucks? Oops.. maybe they already have.
The Scandinavian-born, Berlin-based artist collaborators Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset with their permanently installed sculpture aptly entitled Prada Marfa, which actually stands some 30 miles outside of Marfa. The boutique’s resemblance to its major-city counterparts, however, is purely external; visitors are not invited to enter the installation. Yeah I know that! And how does designer Miuccia Prada feel about the work of art, which features pieces from her fall collection in the windows? The answer is easy: she picked the shoes herself.
Hayes Valley girl that is! A district of San Francisco discovered last year while staying at a quaint boutique hotel (Inn at the Opera) in town to run the Nike Women’s half marathon. Located a short walking distance to the Opera House, City Hall and about a 20 minute walk to Union Square.
Cool furnishings
A place that surprised me to find out that only twenty years ago was considered a haven for the city’s homeless, drug addicts and prostitutes. In other words quite a seedy location which they cleaned up pretty good. Something reminiscent of New York City’s Meat Packing District.
The most delicious macaroons from FranceFurniture for thought
Since then it has developed into a haven for haute couture. Where the crack houses and tenements once stood, there are now trendy fashion boutiques, SoHo-style funkyart galleries, high-end interior-decorating shops, top-notch restaurants and hip nightspots.
You light up my lifeSake wall display
Now, tourists also head here specifically for the shopping, for one-of-a-kinds like a buffalo-leather chair or an exclusive SueWong Art Deco gown.
Great vintage shops with amazing finds – things like slightly used Louis Vuitton luggage and crocodile handbags for only $350. It was hard to tell if I was in a really great second hand shop or that of a local designer.
In any event it was fun to even window shop, have a bite to eat and just walk around this interesting combination of “old meets trendy” district which reminded me of Palermo in Buenos Aires or Knightsbridgein London.
Wall display – local bakerylovely lingerie – jesusfernandez would go perfectly amongst Eres and La Perla.Plants a plenty – not used to seeing outdoor Jade plantsI had the best turkey club at “Grove”. Short of growing their own vegetables and raising their own turkeys – all dishes are made in house with a diverse selection.Zen window display clothing boutiquePeople become “Absinthe” minded at times at Absinthe bar and restaurant. Tried it?No matter how fashionable you are shopping can get tiring!
The urbanemporium is a non-profit store for new start up retail businesses located in the heart of downtown Mobile, Alabama. Basically it’s a great shop filled with all kinds of fun stuff and the feel of an upscale flea market.
What really got my attention was the window with the funny but very practical & colourful waffle robes monogrammed with “property of the Betty Ford clinic.”
Well I needed one anyway and might end up there one day. Don’t they have a BYOB policy? (bring your own bathrobe).
Doesn’t everyone need a sock monkey backpack?A wall full of funny tile quotes – mostly true.
What’s really neat about this store is that there is an art wall with marine murals done by young artists from the Southwest Alabama Regional School for the Deaf and Blind in Mobile. They paintings are made on black tar paper. Words aren’t necessary as paintbrushes illustrate the fanciful aquatic images swimming in their imaginations.
Annabelle. She gave me a pamphlet on the Dauphin street historic district walking tour of interesting places. The school is selling the paintings to the public to raise money for a new multi-sensory room that will provide deeper therapy for multi-disabled students.Overhanging Cypress trees line the streets in Mobile
Interesting tidbit: Did you know that Mardi Gras originated in Mobile in 1702 before New Orleans. Now New Orleans hosts the biggest Mardi Gras but they still celebrate big time in Mobile.
This tiny town perched on the high plains of the Chihuahua desert is nothing less than a deceiving world class art station like Art Basel in Miami, or Documenta in Germany. It’s a blue-chip arts destination for the sort of glamorous scenesters who visit Amsterdam for the Rijksmuseum ( & let’s not kid ourselves – the drugs too).
Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION. 
You must be logged in to post a comment.