Napa Valley, California

October 2016.

Day One – Napa Valley

Dinner at leisure – Recommend dinner on property at The Restaurant at Meadowood.

 

3 Michelin Stars 2010 – The Restaurant at Meadowood offers a fine dining experience in the country where the best traditions of Napa Valley are wedded with a modern, enlightened approach to cuisine which is based on the innate goodness of regional ingredients. The chef’s philosophy of stewarding flavors can be likened to Napa Valley winemakers allowing the grapes to express themselves in finished wines, resulting in dishes that are flavorful, fresh and healthy, offering intensity of flavor without heaviness. The interior showcases Meadowood’s natural, tranquil setting with rows of windows bringing the beautiful surroundings into full view. Wine pairings are available for each course.

Day Two – Napa Valley

9:30 a.m. Our driver/guide will greet you at Meadowood for a day in the Napa Valley.

 

10:00 a.m. Caldwell Vineyards

 

Hollywood has already taken note of John Caldwell’s story: how he single-handedly, (legal or not), became the first Californian to discover and import rootstocks and grapevine clones from France. In 1984, after stumbling upon the clonal research program at Château Haut Brion, Caldwell eventually brought back over 60 clones of different varietals. Soon after, at a time when phylloxera was decimating Napa Valley’s vineyards, these clones captured the attention of emerging wineries such as Harlan, Spottswoode, and Abreu. They are now refferred to as the “Caldwell Clones” and today, – in a Bordeaux-style vineyard – clones are industry standard. Caldwell produces estate-grown, hillside fruit for its signature wines: Gold, Silver, and Rocket Science. The new varietal collection culminates Caldwell’s work over the last twenty-five years with pure clonal varietial wines. Tastings with John Caldwell in his 20,000- square-foot cave will immerse you in his informative, intriguing stories.

 

Enjoy a private tour and tasting with the Owner.

 

12:30 p.m. Palmaz Family Vineyards

 

Palmaz Vineyards’ winemaking and aging takes place within the living rock of Mount George, in a flawlessly engineered maze of tunnels and lofty domes. The height of the wine cave is equivalent to an 18-storey building, providing the vertical range needed for true gravity-flow winemaking. Thus, the wine is never subjected to the violent agitation of pumping, which can change the wine’s intra-molecular structure. This gentle treatment allows the finest nuances of flavor to develop naturally—the result is a complex, elegant wine.

 

This tour includes a tour of several levels of the cave where we explain how our wines are made using gravity-flow winemaking methods. Then guests are invited to the terrace for a taste of the 2007 Chardonnay and the 2005 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and assorted handmade Argentine empanadas. Afterwards we invite the guests to settle in for an Argentine-style tasting of our wines paired with traditional Argentine Asado meats prepared on our custom built “Parilla”. The wines served will be an assortment of library releases, paired with traditional chorizo, sweetbreads, blood sausage, strip loin steak. Three different types of salads and fresh baked bread will be available to serve family style on each table. Finally we will serve the 2007 Muscat “Florencia” with a light fruit paring as the finale. Alternate wine pairing menus are available upon requests.

 

3:30 p.m. Porter Family Vineyards – Their story starts five million years ago when a small sandpiper wandered along the shore, seeing a world we will never know. The tiny tracks the sandpiper left behind were covered with sediment and fossilized by the geological forces that created what is now the Porter Family Vineyards in the Coombsville region of Napa Valley. From their hillside vineyards and underground winery, the Family makes small amounts of beautifully hand-crafted wines—each one carrying the unique signature of this place. They retained the fossilized footprints of the sandpiper found the our property as a reminder of the incredible history of their winegrowing site, as they turn our heads to the future and the latest in winemaking arts to craft their special wines.

 

Dinner at leisure – Recommend Bottega. This is a hot, new wine country cuisine restaurant located in Yountville.

 

Chef Michael Chiarello steps back into his clogs at Bottega Restaurant in Yountville, California, in the heart of the Napa Valley. Bottega, “artist’s workshop,” will serve as Chiarello’s own craftsman’s kitchen, from which he celebrates deep culinary roots.

 

Chef Chiarello is acclaimed chef, Emmy-winning host of Food Network’s Easy Entertaining, tastemaker behind NapaStyle, and proprietor of Chiarello Family Vineyards, as well as a longtime Napa Valley resident. Bottega showcases Chiarello’s signature bold Italian flavors with a refined twist. Bottega’s menu highlights the bounty of artisanal and house made ingredients, as well as local produce.

Day Three – Napa Valley

9:45 a.m. Our driver/guide will greet guests, party of two at Meadowood for a day in the Napa Valley.

10:00 a.m. Stagecoach Vineyards

 

The Krupp family started developing Stagecoach Vineyard in 1995 with the help of a few longtime friends. With over 500 acres planted, it is the largest contiguous mountain planting in the Napa Valley. Stretching from the westernmost regions of Atlas Peak all the way to the east overlooking Oakville, this 1,200+ acres of rocky, volcanic terroir graces the southern edge of Pritchard Hill.

 

Dr. Jan Krupp’s task was labeled initially by local experts as insurmountable but soon after planting began many of Napa’s most successful wineries and winemakers lined up to buy fruit from Stagecoach. Today over 50 wineries craft incredible wines from the doctor’s endeavors. These vintners are continually impressed with the character and complexity found in our mountain grapes.

 

Settlers in the 1800s were the first to learn about the well-drained soils and perfect growing conditions found on our hill. Each harvest they would haul their crop by horse and wagon down into Oakville fetching the highest prices in the valley. By the early 1900s the increased deer population resulted in extensive crop loss leading to the abandonment of all viticulture on the hill by Prohibition.

 

Reclaimed from chaparral and sagebrush, over a half million tons of rock excavated, and water found where no geologist could divine, modern day Stagecoach Vineyard is truly a gem in the rough. Enjoy a private tour and tasting.

 

12:30 p.m. arrival at Meteor Vineyards

 

Meteor Vineyard is the confluence of an extraordinary Cabernet vineyard in the southeast corner of Napa Valley, the entrepreneurial vision of internet pioneer Barry Schuler and wife Tracy, and the consummate winemaking talents of Bill and Dawnine Dyer.

 

Meteor started as a dream 35 years ago when Barry Schuler, a college student with an emerging passion for wine, first visited Napa Valley. After roaming the valley and tasting, he was struck by the burning desire to someday live in Napa, grow grapes and make wine that could take its place among the World’s greats. At that time Napa itself was emerging as a truly World Class wine making region and winemakers Bill and Dawnine Dyer were launching their careers as the history of Napa wine was being written. Little did they know that more than three decades later they would all come together in a project centered on the fruit grown in one of Napa’s most unique pieces of land – Meteor Vineyard.

 

Barry and his wife Tracy bought the property that is now Meteor Vineyard about 10 years ago and planted a 22-acre Cabernet Sauvignon estate that has produced truly distinguished fruit. With its 500-foot elevation, cool microclimate and pre-historic volcanic soils peppered with cobblestone and clay, the vineyard proved to be an optimal site. The highly sought after Meteor fruit is acquired by such prestigious names as Etude, Vineyard 29, Arietta, Favia and Lail Vineyards. In 2003 the Dyers and the Schulers decided to produce a very small quantity of 100% Meteor Vineyard wine, to discover what a singular expression of the vineyard would be. Incredible!

 

Enjoy a private tour and tasting, ending with lunch.

 

3:00 p.m. -Keever Vineyards

 

Keever Vineyards is a small production, family-owned and operated winery located in the western hills just south of Yountville. The consulting winemaker, Celia Masyczek and the Keever family make an exquisite and elegant wine of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon fruit from t he estate’s five acre vineyard.

 

On July 14th of 2006, Keever Vineyards celebrated the completion of the winery with an open-house party. Since then, visitors have been going to the winery to sample the incredibly elegant Cabernet Sauvignon and to experience a private tour of the winery and cave and the beautiful site. The tasting room is designed to feel like an extension of the Keever’s home. It provides visitors with an attractive, welcoming environment where they can enjoy the Keever Vineyards wines. Breath-taking views from the tasting room’s two-story window include Wappo Hill, the Stag’s Leap rock formation and palisades and the valley from Yountville to the Silverado Country Club.

 

Enjoy a private tour and tasting from one of the family members.

 

Dinner at leisure – Recommend dinner at Terra.

 

Hero Sine’s quiet, St. Helena oasis of fine dining, proffering restrained service, excellent wines, and innovative, eclectic, New American fare that blends classic European country food with an exotic Asian touch. Looks and feels like a grown-up restaurant, not a trendy, flash-in-the-pan spot du jour; the amazing dishes aren’t overdone and the intimate, romantic, century-old fieldstone foundry is just the place to enjoy it all; little wonder local foodies maintain its impeccable in every way.

Day Four – Napa Valley and San Francisco

9:30 a.m. You will be greeted at the hotel, and transferred to the Napa Valley Airport, where you will embark on a helicopter ride.

 

10:00 a.m. Take an hour-long private helicopter ride to a mountain top estate to feast on gourmet food and breath-taking views. Gourmet boxed luncheon at a to be determined, private location.

 

Transfer to San Francisco to check into their hotel.

 

Dinner at leisure – Recommend dinner at Waterbar.

 

Waterbar is a seafood-centric restaurant located on the waterfront with spectacular panoramic views of the bay and city skyline, exceptional design, and a menu of the freshest sustainable fish and seafood. Featuring stunning outdoor (dog-friendly) dining on the waterfront patio, a relaxed atmosphere and floor-to-ceiling circular aquariums filled with an eye-catching array of fish and marine life from the Pacific Ocean Waterbar is not to be missed.

Day Five – San Francisco

San Francisco Full Day Tour

 

You will depart your hotel at 10:30 a.m., via private transportation for a driving tour of the City by the Bay. Our professional guide will stay with you throughout the day, providing fascinating narratives on the rich history of Northern California & San Francisco.

 

This tour may include visits to San Francisco neighborhoods, Lombard Street, Lincoln Park—home of The Palace of The Legion of Honor, the Cliff House, Ocean Beach, Golden Gate Park, China Town, North Beach and end at Fisherman’s Wharf.

 

11:00 a.m. – to Fisherman’s Wharf where the group will purchase tickets for the Golden Gate Ferry to Sausalito at 11:35am. We’ll arrive in Sausalito at 12:05pm. Sausalito offers more than 30 unique boutiques for every taste and fancy. Strolling along Bridgeway, Princess or Caledonia Street, you’ll be enchanted by the local shops and the wide range of retail merchandise. No big chain stores; stress-free shopping as it’s meant to be. Sausalito is also known for its fabulous cuisine and waterfront restaurants. Your driver will meet guests in Sausalito and show them around.

 

1:00 p.m. – We will arrange a fabulous traditional seafood lunch at The Spinnaker and is within walking distance to the Ferry Terminal.

 

Dinner at leisure – Recommend dinner at Michael Mina.

 

A 2008 Michelin two star winner and San Francisco Chronicle’s Four Star recipient, Michael Mina takes simple yet striking flavor combinations to an unexpected level at this 2005 Bon Appétit Chef of the Year’s eponymous restaurant. A Wine Spectator Grand Award of Excellence winner in 2006 and 2005 makes Michael Mina the first restaurant to be honored with this award within its first year of opening. The 2,500 plus selection of wines assembled by the wine director Rajat Parr completes the dining experience. Stunning décor and the restaurant’s proximity to theatres makes it an excellent choice for dinner before or after a show.

 

Day Six – San Francisco

Day is at leisure – Enjoy shopping on Union Square.

Dinner at leisure – Recommend dinner at Gary Danko.

 

Danko combines classical training with focuses on French, Mediterranean, and regional American cooking. He incorporates influential culinary traditions from around the world into his own work, adding seasonings and techniques drawn from Asia and India. He infuses precise technique with creative flair and adventuresome spirit to create a cuisine of great finesse and balanced flavors. Danko is dedicated to using seasonal, locally grown and raised foods. The well-trained staff has been chosen from the city’s most dedicated and professional servers. Their elegant suits complement the restaurant’s décor, a mélange of relaxed California modern and Upper East Side chic. This mix is also reflected in the restaurant’s style of service, a graceful blend of polished professionalism and straightforward friendliness.

Day Seven – San Francisco

Transfer via sedan to SFO.