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Date Night in St Helena: Where To Go, What To Do

blogger — Wed, 05 Apr 2017 08:00:40 +0000

Whether it’s a special occasion, a break from the kids or just long overdue, a date night with your special someone is always in order. The Napa Valley is chock-full of fantastic places to eat, shop, taste exquisite wines, and enjoy countless other amazing experiences. The charming town of St. Helena is no exception, affectionately known as the “Heart of Napa Valley.” St. Helena’s Main Street is always bustling with locals and visitors alike, exploring local art galleries and chic boutiques or savoring delicious cuisines and Napa Valley wines. With so much of St. Helena to explore, planning date night is a breeze. Here’s a little inspiration to get you in the mood!

Where to Stay:

Wine Country Inn
1152 Lodi Lane
St. Helena, CA 94574
(707) 963-7077
Trip Advisor Rating: 4.5 stars-#2 of 9 Hotels in St. Helena

Nothing says romance like a cozy, secluded bed and breakfast. Nestled among vineyards and surrounded by a picturesque hillside, the Wine Country Inn is the ultimate escape. It features 29 luxurious accommodations, including a pool and a Napa Valley spa. Fairy tale dreams do come true when you book a Wine Country Cottage. It features a large king-sized bed and lush soaking tub. Snuggle by the fire with a glass of wine, or take in the views of the valley from your porch. For a truly memorable experience, book an in-room couples massage. From aromatherapy and cleansing facials to deep tissue and steamed towel massages, the Wine Country Inn offers a variety of spa services to meet the needs of every type of guest.

Awake the next morning to a complimentary gourmet breakfast buffet in the Winery House. Savor your morning feast while taking in vineyard views.

Where to Have a Pre-Dinner Drink:

Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen
1327 Railroad Avenue
St. Helena, CA 94574
(707) 963-1200
Trip Advisor Rating: 4.5 Stars-#5 of 35 Restaurants in St. Helena

Nothing like a great cocktail and tantalizing conversation to kick-off your romantic night on the town. Renowned throughout the valley as a foodie favorite, Cindy’s is the perfect place to drop into for a delicious libation before your dinner date. Although their tasty California cuisine and cozy atmosphere keep customers coming back time and time again, the drink menu is one you won’t want to miss exploring. Whether you are looking for an Old Fashioned, an Irish coffee or the perfect Napa Valley bubbly, Cindy’s will not disappoint.

Insider Tip: Cindy’s offers alfresco dining on the brick patio, shaded by a 100 year old fig tree and kept warm by the kitchen’s wood-burning oven.

Where to Eat Dinner:

Charlie Palmer’s Harvest Table
1 Main St,
St Helena, CA 94574
(707) 967-4695
Trip Advisor Rating: 4 Stars- 155 Reviews

With so many world-class culinary options in the Napa Valley, it can be a daunting task to pick one place to suit your date night palate. Fear not, we’ve got the perfect mix of wine country chic and really, really good food.

Chef Charlie Palmer’s wine country kitchen features menus that highlight locally sourced ingredients and the best of the Napa Valley. An airy space flanked by alfresco dining terraces, Harvest Table offers a welcoming atmosphere for relaxed dining. A 12-seat U-shaped bar fronts the 110-seat restaurant, where smooth wood finishes are offset by the classic brickwork of an oversized fireplace under the glow of abundant natural light. Under the direction of Chef Levi Mezick, Harvest Table’s menu is rooted in a dynamic relationship with Northern California’s artisanal producers. The offerings are divided into three sections: Snacks, Starters, and Plates, each ranging from lighter to heartier dishes, as well as daily market specials, all highlighting the true flavors of Napa Valley’s agricultural heritage as well as ingredients sourced from extensive culinary gardens, adjacent to the restaurant.

Insider Tip: Don’t pass up the wine list. The list also incorporates a number of “Blind Vine” wines, which is a collection of non-Napa Valley and international wines denoted only with an asterisk (*) followed by hints and descriptions of what to expect, grape, and price point.

Where to Go Wine Tasting the Next Day

After a full evening of food, drinks and relaxation, you will be in no hurry to get back to real life. You will not want to leave St. Helena without indulging in some of its wonderful wine tasting experiences.

Beringer Vineyards
2000 Main Street
St. Helena, CA 94574
(707) 257-5771
Trip Advisor Rating: 4 Stars-#7 of 110 Food and Drink in St. Helena

With over 140 years of winemaking tradition, Beringer is highly revered as a “must-do” for wine country enthusiasts because of its rich history in the Napa Valley. Stop by the Old Winery Tasting Room for a selection of superb wines that are only available at the winery or book a reservation in the extraordinary Rhine House. This beautiful landmark is a 17-room mansion that showcases Belgian Art Nouveau stained glass and handcrafted woodwork. Guests can experience private, seated tastings of Beringer’s special reserve wines.

Insider Tip: We recommend The Taste of Beringer Tour: A one hour tour of Beringer Vineyard’s winemaking & culinary arts history. Includes a tour of the property & sensory gardens and a seated tasting in the historic Rhine House.

Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards
680 Rossi Road
St. Helena, CA 94574
(707) 963-8600
Trip Advisor Rating: 5 Stars-#3 of 110 Food and Drink in St. Helena

Just a short drive from downtown St. Helena, Anderson’s Conn Valley can feel worlds away. Known for crafting world-class fine wines, their Estate Cabernet and beautiful Bordeaux blends are top favorites in their portfolio. Enjoy an intimate and personalized educational experience with their Reserve Cave tasting, where you will sample current release wines as well as library wines from the Barrel Caves. You will find it very hard to resist leaving the winery without wanting to buy up everything you taste. Which is why it’s a great thing that they waive the tasting fee per each $100 purchase.

Insider Tip: Anderson’s Conn Valley offers custom tailoring of wine to visitors’ requests.

Pride Mountain Vineyards
4026 Spring Mountain Road
Saint Helena, CA 94574
(707) 963-4949
Trip Advisor Rating: 5 Stars-#1 of 110 Food and Drink in St. Helena

With one of the most breathtaking views in the valley, this stunning 235-acre estate sits atop the Mayacamas Mountains. Once recognized by Robert Parker, Jr. as one of the “World’s Greatest Wine Estates”, Pride is the home to of some of the finest wines in the world. The expansive property features mountainside caves and the ruins of its original winery from 1890, which can make for a quiet, romantic place to enjoy a picnic. You will want to book your reservations in advance to enjoy this spectacular tasting experience.

Insider Tip: Stop by Sunshine Foods Market to grab your lunch before heading up the mountain.

Bio: Shundria Reed is the blogger for Southern Girl in a Wine World and serves as the Media Lead for the Oakland Wine Festival. She spends most of her time exploring the ins and outs of California wine life.

Let Them Take Care of it All

Saint Helena Wine Tours
1485 Main Street, Ste. 202
Saint Helena, CA 94574
(707)963-9644
Yelp: 5 stars; 10 reviews

Tasting tour specialists, Saint Helena Wine Tours offer full service tasting experiences from start to finish. Partner with their professional concierges to craft a personalized package from a selection of 500 unique wineries and tasting rooms and let their seasoned and knowledgeable chauffeurs guide you on a memorable exploration of the sites and flavors of Napa Valley.

Insider tip: Use their professional services to ensure comfortable and stress-free airport transportation for arrival and departure.

The post Date Night in St Helena: Where To Go, What To Do first appeared on NapaValley.com.

St Helena’s Little Book Of Big Experiences

blogger — Mon, 14 Nov 2016 09:00:34 +0000

How is it already that time of year? The holiday season is coming up strong and we’d like to help you get your shopping list down to a manageable size. We’ve all learned our lesson with the dust buster and the “cool” new pots and pans and then that time we thought our partner would be totally excited about a new recliner. We could all use a little holiday gift giving inspiration. St Helena has got you covered, with the gift that keeps on giving all the way through March!

Give the Gift of Wine Country

St Helena’s Little Book of Big Experiences Gives the Gift of Wine Country. They’ve crafted 25 exclusive, “money can’t buy” experiences with their winery, lodging and restaurant partners. The Little Book is valued at over $1,000 dollars and you can get it for only $100. Put this little book under the tree, wrapped next to the Menorah or stuffed in a stocking for the ultimate holiday gift. Perfect for a week long excursion to the Napa Valley or multiple small weekend getaways, we’ve done all the planning for you. The best time to take advantage of the LBE, as we like to call it, is Sunday through Thursday. This is when the tasting rooms are less busy, you’ll always get a seat by the fire and the experiences are even more elevated. All you need to do is pack your bags. Now, let us introduce you to some of our incredible experiences.

Charles Krug Winery

The oldest winery in Napa Valley is also home to California’s first tasting room. Opened for public tastings in 1882 by Charles Krug, their tasting room has evolved into a world-class hospitality center, renowned for its exceptional wines, stunning design and storied heritage.

LBE Offering(Sunday-Thursday): Taste five Family Reserve and Limited Release wines and enjoy an exclusive barrel tasting of estate wines in the winery’s historic Redwood Cellar. Built in 1872 on an estate founded in 1861, the Charles Krug Tasting Room is a vibrant blend of old and new. Rustic, yet modern, the room pays tribute to the winery’s unique history.

Freemark Abbey

Freemark Abbey sources its grapes from select Napa Valley vineyards they’ve known for decades. Intimately familiar with the nuance, power and abundance of each specific site, their partnership with local vineyards is at the heart of all their wines. A trailblazer of Napa Valley winemaking, Freemark Abbey continues to evolve. Their property transformation is a sign of their inward commitment to crafting classic Napa Valley wines of superior pedigree and quality. Raise a glass to their 130th anniversary.

LBE Offering(Sunday-Thursday): They invite you to experience their recently restored historic stone winery. Guests will be greeted with a taste of their limited production wines to begin a historical walking tour of the estate highlighting the 130 year history. Your party will be seated in our courtyard for a tasting of limited release, single vineyard and library wines accompanied with artisan cheeses.

HALL Wines

HALL Wines represents critically acclaimed artisan Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from two Napa Valley tasting rooms and winery locations in both St. Helena and Rutherford. Owned by Craig & Kathryn Hall, its vineyard collection features five Certified Organic estates producing classic Bordeaux varietals. HALL’s highly rated wines include the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, selected as Wine Spectator’s #18 of the ‘Top 100’ in 2010, the HALL 2008 “Kathryn Hall” Cabernet Sauvignon that earned #2 Wine Spectator “Top 100” Wines, and its 2010 ‘Exzellenz’ earned 100 points by Robert Parker. Collectively, over 140 HALL Wines have been rated 90 points and above.

LBE Offering(Sunday-Thursday): Guests are invited to experience Hall St. Helena with a glass of HALL Sauvignon Blanc as your Wine Educator shares the background on Vintner’s Craig and Kathryn Hall, details about the modern art collection throughout the property, and HALL’s high tech winemaking practices. You will then be escorted to our historic Bergfeld Building, circa 1885, to enjoy a barrel sample of our flagship Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon with fruit sourced from the renowned Sacrashe Vineyard located in Rutherford. The experience concludes in the tasting room with beautiful views of the Bergfeld Vineyard and Mayacamas Mountains and a flight of award winning artisan wines.

Wydown Hotel

For many, arrival in wine country means relaxation is already in the air. Arrival at the Wydown Hotel takes that journey to tranquility one step further — because the Wydown already feels like home. Upon arriving from the bustling surroundings of St. Helena’s downtown Main Street, guests seem to love lingering in the Wydown’s welcoming lobby – also known as the Living Room – complete with comfortable couches, TV, games and books. Once they reach their spacious, beautifully-appointed rooms, guests often don’t want to leave. The attractions of St Helena are right outside — with Main Street’s world-class dining, art, tasting rooms and shopping — but inside the Wydown, reality is miles away. And relaxation is everywhere.

LBE Offering(Sunday-Thursday): When you purchase the Little Book of Big Experiences, you receive 15% off a one night stay or 25% off a two night weekday stay at the Wydown. Additionally, you receive 25% off any spa treatment at Health Spa Napa Valley, as well as complimentary room upgrades when available. Match this up with some of the other Experiences in this book and that’s very Big indeed!

This is just a small taste of what St Helena’s Little Book of Big Experiences has planned.

The post St Helena’s Little Book Of Big Experiences first appeared on NapaValley.com.