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Dennis Begin
Napa Valley & the Wine Train
Alco FPR engine of Wine Train
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Dennis Begin
Napa Valley & the Wine Train
Dining car lounge
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Dennis Begin
Napa Valley & the Wine Train
Dome Vista dining car
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Dennis Begin
Napa Valley & the Wine Train
Napa Valley welcome sign
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Dennis Begin
Napa Valley & the Wine Train
Castellodi di Amorosa Winery
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Dennis Begin
Napa Valley & the Wine Train
Robert Mondavi Winery
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Dennis Begin
Napa Valley & the Wine Train
Chimney Rock Winery
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Courtesy of Robert Mondavi Winery
Napa Valley & the Wine Train
Wine cellar of Robert Mondavi Winery
Story & photos by Dennis Begin
The Napa Valley in California is the top American Viticultual Area [AVA] in the United States. The valley is five by thirty four miles long, facing northwest, with US-29 bisecting the valley. The small city of Napa is only 71 miles from San Francisco, with approximately 76,000 people, increasing to 142,000 in the metropolitan area. The Napa Valley consists of a series of small towns, including Yountville, Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena and Calistoga in the north. There are 144 wineries with 45,000 acres of grapes produced by over 400 growers - California produces 89% of all U.S. wines. It was Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island, who said after visiting the valley “….wine is bottled poetry”, which is now the slogan of the valley.
Napa or Napo is a Patwin Indian word, translated to mean ‘house’. It was the Spanish who first moved into the valley in 1776, establishing the San Francisco Solano de Sonoma Mission. The Franciscans initially planted grapevines for sacramental reasons, but by the mid 1830’s Mexico controlled the area and used the valley principally for ranching. Following the Bear Flag Revolt of 1846 and the California Gold Rush of 1849, the valley returned to agriculture, capitalizing on its rich soil and Mediterranean climate.
The first record of a vineyard was in 1836, when George Calvert Yount made wine for personal use. It was John Patchett, in 1859, who is given credit for producing the first wines for commercial use. Despite some setbacks, caused by Prohibition and the Great Depression, the wine industry continued to expand. Two events would secure the wine future of the Napa Valley. The first development occurred during the 1970’s, when major U.S. airlines served the wines of Robert Mondavi and the Gallo Brothers (from Modesto) on their flights, obtaining a huge market and providing excellent advertising. The second event took place in 1976 at a prestigious competition in France. During a blind tasting test in Paris, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and Chateau Montelena beat the best French wines from the Bordeaux Region of France. The Napa Valley, one-eighth the size of the famous French wine region, was put on the world map.
Wine Tasting
This is certainly one of the best parts of touring the valley. Be sure to stop at the Visitor Center in Napa, where two-for-one coupons on selected wineries are available. Within the city are twenty-one wine tasting rooms. Most people may be surprised to learn that wine tasting is not always complimentary and will cost from $3.00 to $4.00 a glass. ome wineries charge $18.00 to $20.00 just to enter their facility, but that would include four different wines to sample, as well as a tour of the winery.
Grapes grown in the valley include Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvington, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel, all producing a wide variety of excellent wines. Various wineries have tours of wine cellars, caves and even a gondola ride up to the winery. Most wineries are ‘No Appointment Needed’, while a few are closed to the general public. There is no standard rules for tours or wine tasting, so it is wise to do some research on Google.
Wine Train
There are three ways to visit the valley…. car, bike and train. We took the train. The wine train is advertised as ‘The Best of Your Wine Country Experience’. The train consists of two Alco FPR engines pulling nine antique 1917 Pullman cars. There are three types of rail cars, lounge, dining and observation dome cars. These rail cars have a connection with Canada, as they were once used by the Canadian National Railroad and Via Rail. Three kitchens can cater up to three hundred and fifteen people. The entire train trip takes three hours over a thirty-six mile journey from Napa to St. Helena and return. The train trip is done at a relaxing speed so that the passing scenery can be enjoyed and easily photographed. We found the day to be a step back in time when train travel was special and passengers were treated to first class service.
The Wine Train makes two trips a day. The choices include:
- Gourmet Lunch $146.00 U.S. per person
- Gourmet Dinner $166.00 U.S. per person
- Vista Dome Lunch $221.00 U.S. per person
- Vista Dome Dinner $241.00 U.S. per person
There are special wine tours with the Quattro Vino Tour Company, including four stops at wineries. There are also special events such as The Murder Mystery Tour and Romance on the Rails. Train travel can seem expensive, but the décor, service and food definitely make for a delightful experience.
If you tire of wine tasting, the neighboring Sonoma Valley provides other alternatives, such as visiting The Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa. This is the home of Charlie Brown, Snoopy and Friends. Back in the Napa Valley, if you a connoisseur of fine dining, try the French Laundry Restaurant in Yountville. Dinner will cost $310.00 U.S. a person plus wine. It should be noted that this restaurant was voted, ‘The Best Restaurant in the World’ in 2003, 2004 and 2006. Television food critic Anthony Bourdain endorsed this title when he stated “…this is the best restaurant in the world, period.”
For visitors with RV’s, there are two RV Parks in the valley. The Napa Valley Expo RV Park is located near the center of the city and is excellent for big rigs, - being an AAA and Good Sam Park as well as recommended by Trailer Life and Woodall’s. The second park is the Calistoga RV Park in the town of Calistoga. This town of five thousand people has excellent wine and restaurants, along with its famous natural hot springs.
In the end, however, the Napa Valley is about the wine with four and a half million visitors each year. Although the Napa Valley is far from British Columbia, their wines are found in our local liquor stores, including Beringer, Lohr, Mondavi, Sterling, Castello di Amorosa, Grgich Hills and Rosso Di Napa. As for my favorite wine, try the Robert Mondavi Private Selection, a Cabernet Sauvignon.
Salut!