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We Recommend
We have many wonderful recommendations to offer you. While we use this page to recommend certain establishments for our guests, we can best help you by speaking with you directly regarding your needs and desires.
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Hotels & Inns
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From the ultimate in detail & service to the quaint & affordable.... |
Milliken Creek Inn & Spa
1815 Silverado Trail
Napa, CA 94558 Map It!
Phone: 888-622-5775
connieg@millikencreekinn.com
This private and mellow retreat on the Silverado Trail is one to go to hideout and indulge. Milliken Creek Inn & Spa is set on three acres on the idyllic Napa River and has only 12 suites, each individually styled and many with river views. The suites are designed around pampering and romance—canopy beds with crisp linens; bathrooms with rain showers, sink-into tubs, green tea bath salts and votive candles; a warm palette of khaki, chocolate and cream; and thoughtful touches like bedside flowers. A delicious breakfast is included, which can be enjoyed in your room or out on the Waterfall Terrace, and at day's end guests gather on the terrace for Milliken's Magic Hour, a complimentary wine and cheese reception where you can meet local vintners, other guests and the staff. Head out for a round of Napa attractions by day or retire to the Milliken Creek Spa, set beside the river, where you can enjoy signature treatments like the grapeseed body polish, finished off with an aromatherapy oil massage. There's no restaurant, but the staff will point you in the right direction.
Courtesy Suzanne (http://www.spire.com/s-file/poetry-inn)
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Poetry Inn
6380 Silverado Trail
Stags Leap District
Napa, CA 94558 Map It!
Phone: 707-944-0646
visitus@poetryinn.com
I hate to swoon about Napa Valley, but when you're staying at the tiny and exclusive Poetry Inn, the superlatives just seem to tumble out—heavenly setting, divine accommodations, mesmerizing views—and, as New York Magazine reviews it: "Obsessive attention to detail is standard operating procedure." Set on a hillside along the Silverado Trail, in Stags Leap District, Poetry Inn has just three super-private guest rooms with king-size beds draped in Italian linens, marble bathrooms, wood-burning fireplaces, large balconies, flat-screen TVs, iPod docking stations, Wifi, fresh flowers and original Napa artwork. You can kick start the day with a three-course gourmet breakfast, then head off for some local wine-tasting, golf, spa treatment, cycling or hot-air balloon flight, or simply laze poolside and drink in those breathtaking valley views. Guests also have the chance to live like a vintner, with a spectacular wine cellar to explore and choose a wine for dinner. There's a spa but no restaurant or resort facilities. Visits to Poetry Inn are by appointment only—so expect the most peaceful and private experience. Believe the hype.
Courtesy Suzanne (http://www.spire.com/s-file/poetry-inn)
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Auberge du Soleil
180 Rutherford Hill Road
Rutherford, CA 94573 Map It!
Phone: +1 800-348-5406
info@aubergedusoleil.com
California style meets South of France chic. But shhh—quiet and relaxed are the buzzwords here, even though this is a well-known denizen of lovely. The 52 guest rooms and suites are cozy and rustic with fireplaces, wooden beams, soft fabrics and gorgeous terraces with views to the surrounding vineyards and hills covered with olive trees. You can completely forget about the world as you pamper yourself in the Spa du Soleil, or lounge by the newly renovated swimming pool with its Egyptian and Moroccan limestone tiles on the decks, and eco-smart ozone-and-salt filtration system. After all that effortless cleansing in the spa, treat yourself to a gourmet meal at Auberge du Soleil's contemporary Mediterranean restaurant, boasting one of the Napa Valley's most comprehensive wine lists featuring more than 1,300 choices.
75 miles from San Francisco International Airport; 1/2 hour drive from the Golden Gate Bridge.
Courtesy Suzanne (http://www.spire.com/s-file/poetry-inn)
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Calistoga Ranch
580 Lommel Road
Calistoga, CA 94515 Map It!
Phone: 707-254-2800
info@calistogaranch.com
Tucked into a private canyon in the Upper Napa Valley, just outside the historic town of Calistoga, the 46-room resort is located on a 157-acre site marked by ancient oaks, majestic hills, a rock-hewn stream and private lake. The resort captures the rich culture of wine, food and nature inherent to the region, offering guests the ultimate experience with a collection of indoor and outdoor spaces that allow you to fully experience the pristine setting.
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The Wine Country Inn
1152 Lodi Lane
St. Helena, CA 94574 Map It!
Phone: 888-465-4608
romance@winecountryinn.com
Our favorite up-valley Inn. The staff have been there for many years. Chef Guy is an icon for his breakfasts and afternoon appetizers. The GM Denise, is a consummate professional as are all her staff.
Mention that we sent you and they will give you a 15% reduction in their room rate . . . buys a few more bottles of wine OR more time with you wine tour with us!! Enjoy!
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Restaurants
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Ohhh.......There are so many! Here are a few of our favorites.
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Martini House
1245 Spring Street
St. Helena, CA 94574 Map It!
Phone: 707-963-2233
info@martinihouse.com/
(Pat Kuleto's fabulous design and great food!)
Pat Kuleto, renowned for his restaurants Boulevard, Farallon, and Jardinere and Todd Humphries, former Executive Chef of San Francisco's Campton Place ad more recently of the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant, have partnered to create the Martini House, reflecting Napa Valley's Native American and wine-making history.
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Bottega Ristorante
V Marketplace 6525 Washington Street, A9
Yountville,, CA 94599 Map It!
Phone: 707.945.1050
This place is packed . .. for good reason! Great prices on their wine list . . . reserve in time!!
Bottega is located on the historic Vintage Estates Property, in one of the oldest wineries in Napa Valley, the Groezinger Estate.
The interior reflects thefood: celebrating both the rustic and the refined. Olive greens, chocolate browns and deep reds create a warm palette. Design elements include distressed leathers in butter, Venetian plaster, imported Murano glass chandeliers and Donghia fabric.
Two indoor dining rooms with a private dining/wine room and bar, five communal tables made of forty year-old timbers, Calcutta d'Oro marble and recycled concrete. The outside covered Terrazzo has two wood-burning stone fireplaces, with both lounge and table seating.
Bar & covered outdoor Lounge is open for late service, weather permitting.
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Press
587 St. Helena Highway
St. Helena, CA 94574 Map It!
Phone: 707-967-0550
(The best steak in America!)
This May the perfect wine country dining experience comes to the Napa Valley, featuring the best ingredients prepared the best way – simply. PRESS will serve prime dry-aged beef, whole roasted chicken, and other naturally raised birds, leg of baby lamb, wild fish, heritage pork and hand-fed veal, all prepared on the kitchen’s centerpiece, a custom wood-burning grill and rotisserie.
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Meadowood Napa Valley
900 Meadowood Lane
St. helena, CA 94574 Map It!
Phone: 800.458.8080
info@meadowood.com
There is a new "must visit" in the Napa Valley.....The Restaurant at Meadowood. Opened in July '06, and with rave reviews in the Wine Spectator, this restaurant is both elegant and intimate. The cuisine is delectable, from the "first bite" to the dessert. The wine list is very deep, offering some of the best wines available in the valley. The staff are wonderfully professional and the ambiance is all-encompassing. In our humble opinion, it will easily stand up to the French Laundry or Cyrus. We highly recommend it!
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ZuZu
829 Main St
Napa, CA 94559 Map It!
Phone: 707-224-8555
info@zuzunapa.com
Rhoni & I love to have dinner here. Probably our favorite 'just around the corner' dinner spot.
Also open for lunch. First come first served . . . Spanish Tapas style . . . the essence of food!!
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Ken Frank's La Toque Restaurant, Napa Valley
1314 McKinstry St
Napa, CA 94559 Map It!
Phone: 707 257 5157
info@latoque.com
"A heightened wine sensibility informs this quintessential wine country restaurant, reminiscent of comfy lodges in Burgundy or the Loire."
America's Best Restaurants - Wine
Spectator March 31,2000
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Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen
1327 Railroad Avenue
St. Helena, CA 94574 Map It!
Phone: 707-963-1200
info@cindysbackstreetkitchen.com
(Cindy Paulson of Mustard's - great Eclectic fare!)
Cindy Pawlcyn, James Beard award-winning cookbook author, Chef and Owner of Napa’s beloved Mustards Grill, and co-creator of many renowned Bay Area restaurants, has done it again! Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen, located in charming downtown St. Helena in the Napa Valley, combines the sophistication of a dinner house with the flair of a jazz club to create the perfect upscale eatery and neighborhood hang-out.
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Terra
1345 Railroad Avenue
St. Helena, CA 94574 Map It!
Phone: 707-963-8931
info@terrarestaurant.com
(French/Asian fusion with flair!)
“Trust your culinary fortunes to Hiro Sone and his wife, Lissa Doumani”, who deliver “all the bang-for-big-bucks” with an “exquisite”, “flawlessly executed” New American (with Southern French and Northern Italian influences) menu at their Napa Valley “destination” housed in a “beautiful old” fieldstone building; the “wine list is more like a dictionary” and the “gracious” staff so “knowledgeable it was as if they were in the kitchen preparing the food.”
Zagat Survey, 2005
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Wineries
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| Most of the wineries we recommend are by appointment only. For the sake of
privacy, we ask that you discuss these wonderful, magical places with us
personally. We highly recommend two great mountain wineries that are open to the
public without an appointment. For sparkling wine, there is really only one
place in our book, but you'll need an appointment for this amazing tour! |
Robert Keenan Winery
3660 Spring Mountain Road
St. Helena, CA 94574 Map It!
Phone: 707-963-9177
rkw@keenanwinery.com
The winery is a superb example of the small ultra-premium wineries that fostered the California wine boom of the last quarter century. While words cannot adequately describe the wonderful taste, smell, and feel of Keenan wines, we hope to convey some of the characteristics of the current Keenan wines.
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Schramsberg
Schramsberg Road
Calistoga, CA 94515 Map It!
Phone: 707-942-2414
info@schramsberg.com
This is The preeminent champagne house in the U.S.. Producing the traditional "methode champenois" sparkling wine served in the White House since the days of the Nixon administration. Lots of history here! The great Scottish poet, Robert Louis Stevenson left his mark, as well as the Chinese laborers who hand dug the original caves. It is a beautiful and magical place indeed!
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Lava Vine
965 Silverado Trail
Phone: 707.942.9500
Superb wines and tasting room staff. One of our favorites.
Try their olive oil, the best in the region . . .
If you are buying a case or more, please schedule a private tasting.
Enjoy!!
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Tasting Rooms
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We highly recommend only one in the Napa Valley, The Vintners Collective. . . and Grange Sonoma when you are touring the Sonoma area. Both of these great places can set up private appointments for you!!
However if you are in the Birmingham, Alabama area OR Orange County, California, there are two other fabulous places to visit . . . Enjoy!
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Vintner's Collective
1245 Main St.
Napa, CA 94559 Map It!
Phone: 707-963-8931
info@vintnerscollective.com
This tasting room is located in downtown Napa at Vintner's Collective. Eighteen of the most celebrated vintners in Napa Valley are also available for tasting there.
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Grange Sonoma
23564 Arnold Drive (Hwy 121)
Sonoma, CA 95476 Map It!
Phone: 707.933.8980
john@grangesonoma.com
Grange Sonoma is a Multi-Winery Tasting Room made up of 8 of the finest Artisanal Winemakers. The limited production of these wines represents some of the best winemaking being practiced today. The wines poured at Grange Sonoma are unique not only because of their small production but also in the way they are produced; Single source, sustainably farmed vineyards combined with native fermentation producing wines with a true sense of place.
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Pleasure Is All Wine
200 Bowling Lane, Suite 210
Pelham, AL 35124 Map It!
Phone: 205-985-4760
info@pleasureisallwine.com
Pleasure Is All Wine is not only a haven for wine lovers, but also a phenomenal resource for Micro brewed beers, exotic cheeses, unique gourmet food items, and gift baskets. Our offerings to you include the following products and services:
The best place in the Birmingham, AL. region. Enjoy!!
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Amazing Grapes Wine Store
29911 Aventura Suites D, E & F
Rancho Santa Margarita , CA 92688 Map It!
Phone: 888-299-9463
If you can't find what you are looking for, maybe, it does not exist! Great selections from all over the World.
Their web site tells the tale. Enjoy!!
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Group Winery Tours of Napa & Sonoma
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If you would enjoy a group tour of the wineries of Napa & Sonoma, we thoroughly endorse Don of Platypus Tours.
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Platypus Tours
Phone: 707-253-2723
info@platypustours.com
We have known the owner Don for many years and highly recommend his services. Enjoy!
A day-long tour of various wineries in either the Sonoma Valley or the Napa Valley. Their emphasis is on smaller, family-owned wineries and historic wineries.
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Art Galleries
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| Only one recommended for Napa Valley.
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Quent Cordair Fine Art
1301 First St.
Napa, CA 94559 Map It!
Phone: 707-255-2242 / 1-866-267-3247
art@cordair.com
Quent Cordair Fine Art is located in downtown Napa at 1301 First St on the corner of Randolph St. , across from the Napa Town Center. The gallery features a beautiful collection of uplifting and inspirational paintings, sculpture and drawings. Subject matter includes figurative, narrative, allegorical, still lifes, seascapes and landscapes. Award-winning painters and sculptors of international renown are represented, as well as emerging artists of unique vision and accomplishment.
Gallery hours are 11:00am to 5:00pm daily except Tuesday and by private appointment. For more information please call 707-255-2242 or visit us online at http://www.cordair.com/
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Spas
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| Truly the very best that Northern California has to offer!
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Indian Springs
1712 Lincoln Avenue
Calistoga, CA 94515 Map It!
Phone: 707.942.4913
info@indianspringscalistoga.com
Having experienced this perfect healing oasis since 1981, one can say in all truth, that after taking the 'waters', a mud bath and a massage . . . you will feel better than you have in years! Authentic, calming and completely beneficial for the body, heart, mind and soul! A Truly Beautiful place to STAY! Enjoy . . .
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Artists
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| Artists from around the World that we have had the pleasure to meet during our travels.
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Lucy Dickens, Soul Expressions Art
4212 W. Cactus Suite 1110-125
Scottsdale, AZ 85029 Map It!
Phone: 602-653-7002
lucy@soulexpressionsart.com
Add the 'Serenity' of Lucy's work to your home or office! Enjoy . . .
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Armin Winter
A great painter, Saxophonist and friend!
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Color Me Napa Valley
Phone: 707-257-2606
“Color Me Napa Valley” is produced by local resident Victoria Aronson. Graphic Design/Illustrations created by Miss Frances Liddell, Bay Area Artist.
Call Vicki Aronson and she will be happy to mail you and your friends some copies. 707.257.2606
We hope that locals and tourist alike find our book fun to color as well as educational. It’s affordable, easy to pack and a great souvenir of your visit.
Available at the following locations:
Calistoga:
Copperfield’s Book Store, Cal-Mart, Pallisades
Napa:
Vallergas Market, Copperfield’s Book Store, Carneros Market, Wine Train: Wine Shop, Napa Valley Emporium, Classic Car Wash, (1st. St.), Soda Canyon,
Napa Valley Car Wash
Oakville:
Oakville Grocery
St.Helena:
Wine Country Inn, Sunshine Foods, Nature Select, St. Helena
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Vacation Rental Homes
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Why stay in a hotel with all those 'other' people!
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Harmony Vacation Rentals
Phone: 707-833-1322
lala50@mac.com
“Cypress House”
Your private wine country home-away-from-home for up to six guests in the famous “Valley of the Moon”, Sonoma Valley, Kenwood, California.
Swimming Pool, hot tub, complimentary WiFi, iPod dock and 6 CD/DVD changer with stereo and cable TV.
Fully-stocked kitchen including pantry and everyday cooking necessities.
During the long growing season, harvest from our garden; all the herbs, chilies, tomatoes, and fresh-cut flowers you need to make your home here.
Walk to the market, the post office, restaurants and coffee, as well as tasting rooms literally down the street.
Hiking, bicycling, kayaking, picnicking within 5-10 minutes – away from the hustle and bustle of congested roads.
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Wine Country Lodges
Po Box 2178
Healdsburg, CA 95448 Map It!
Phone: Toll Free: 866-786-2778 or 707-478-4152
info@winecountrylodges.com
Offering four distinctive, vacation homes with private beachfronts in Healdsburg, the heart of Sonoma Wine Country. Finish off your day relaxing on the riverside deck or in the hot tub watching the Russian River flow by. Kayaks, fishing & swimming, WI-FI, ping-pong. For groups of 4-12.
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Overseas
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| Here are some ideas when your are traveling outside the US . . . Enjoy!!
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Malta Food and Wine
Phone: +356 21342390
info@maltafoodandwine.com
Malta Food and Wine for what and where to eat and drink in Malta. Information on
Maltese restaurants, wine and wine bars to visit. Tours and trips to all of Malta's wineries.
Wine tastings and appreciation courses.
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Wedding photography
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| Hire our professional photographer for your 'once in a lifetime' ceremony! |
Bartone Photography
Phone: 707.539.9150
Laurence@bartone.com
Laurence has the vision to capture the inherent magic of the moment . . .
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Larry Scott Photography
http://www.larrysphotoblog.blogspot.com/
larry@larryscottphotography.com
We had the pleasure of working with Larry who was the principal photographer at our clients wedding. Larry is both professional and just as importantly, great fun to be around! We therefore unreservedly recommend his services.
You can see many fine examples of his work on the web site, and please check out Larry's blog . . . Enjoy!!
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Aviation
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Go on, spoil yourself! We will meet you at Napa or Santa Rosa FBO. and show you the hidden gems of our beautiful region . . . Bon Voyage!
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TWC Aviation
Phone: 818-441-0100
TWC will soar beyond your expectations!
TWC is a recognized leader in worldwide jet charter, aircraft management, acquisition and sales, and maintenance services.
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