As we enter the midst of the busy holiday season, a corporate retreat may be on the horizon, if not now then in the coming year. But, transforming it into a delightful experience without the usual work stress is key.

Imagine bike tours, cooking classes, tastings, and hassle-free transport. These are essentials for a remarkable business journey disguised as a Wine Country tour. Below, we’ve curated our top selections for a corporate retreat in Napa Valley, offering the ideal opportunity to activate that ‘Out of Office’ notification.

Taste the Good Life in Napa Valley

For something outside the ordinary, explore A Wine & Dine Event. They have been providing exclusive itineraries for discerning corporate clients and luxury leisure travelers since 1990. The details are alluring, the seduction is rich, and the hospitality is cultured. Their unique services include private wine tours, one-of-a-kind special events and conference planning, superb team building, winery cave dinners, luxury lodging, and transportation logistics. Celebrate, explore, and rejuvenate in the Wine Country. Join them for a crash course in the good life.

Insider Tip: Think you’ve been there, done that in Napa? Think again! When was the last time you kayaked blindfolded racing to a wine tasting?

3240 Soda Canyon Road, Napa, CA 94558, (707) 963-8930

Explore Wine Country by Bike or Kayak

Have a corporate group on the adventurous side? Getaway Adventures is the perfect antidote! For groups large or small, Getaway Adventures specializes in creating the perfect team-building activity, including bike rides, kayak trips, and hiking adventures, along with scavenger hunts, wine blending, and more. It’s a great way for your group to bond while exploring the best of Wine Country.

Insider Tip: Getaway Adventures has been in business since 1991 and has excellent relationships with local wineries and hotels, plus all employees and guides are local to the area. Looking for tips? Just ask.

61 Front St, Healdsburg, CA 95448 (800) 499-2453

Hitch a Ride to Fantastic Wineries

Leaving your planning in the hands of MG Concierge means your winery dinners, tours, and transportation will be planned fully without any detail overlooked. Special tastings and tours are offered exclusively to MG Concierge clients and include Handwritten Wines, Frank Family Vineyards, Jessup Cellars, and many more.
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Insider Tip: Consider contacting MG Concierge before booking any accommodations. With local connections, they may be able to get an exclusive deal for you and your team.

1621 Pear Tree Lane, Napa, CA 94558, (707) 304-0721

Choose Your Own Adventure

Balloon rides, tours galore, AND transport to and from the airport make Beau Wine Tours something of a one-stop shop. For those in your group fresh to the Napa Valley scene, a two-day introductory tour that stops in your choice of Los Carneros or Oak Knoll plus Yountville, the Stags Leap District, and St Helena will appeal to visitors looking to dip their toes into the winemaking world. If your group is already well-versed in wines and wineries within this area, take the plunge with the Diamond Mountain District Wine Tours, immersing visitors in the making of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

Insider Tip: In addition to wine preferences, let your driver know of your culinary preferences—they know most of the hot spots in the area and can find the right fit for you and your team.

Sonoma Location: 21707 8th Street E, Suite A, Sonoma, CA 95476, (707) 938-8001
Napa Location: 1754 Second Street, Suite B, Napa, CA 94559, (707) 257-0887

Team Build in Style

Making sure you have room to transport everyone around Napa Valley is essential for a company outing. Aside from providing quality charter services, including luxury limos and coaches, Napa Valley Tours & Transportation can also arrange the perfect team building activity, from helping you find the perfect location to planning and executing fun activities to boost morale. Whether it’s a cooking class, a wine tour, or a custom experience tailored to your company, you’ll rest easy knowing you and your business are in good hands.

Insider Tip: Have corporate members arriving from multiple locations? The company can also coordinate airport transfer services to ensure everyone arrives to their destinations on time.

190 Camina Oruga #17, Napa, CA 94558, (707) 339-1108

A Touch of Glamour in Wine Country

Limos and wine tours are one way to wow your employees, but for something super unique, consider a ride aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train. Not only is the Napa Valley Wine Train a fun way to explore the region, but it’s one of the most elegant ways to savor the wine and food of Wine Country–all without leaving the comforts of the train. Depending on the size of your group, you’ll even get your own private train car.

Insider Tip: The Napa Valley Wine Train can accommodate groups of any size, from four people at a private table to full buy-outs of the train for 300 people.

1275 McKinstry Street, Napa, CA 94559, (707) 253-2111

‘Tis the season for twinkling lights, cozy nights, and bubbly. Sparkling wine can and should be enjoyed year-round (not just on New Year’s and other special occasions), but we can’t deny that it’s especially primed for the holiday season. So, as you start to plan your annual festivities, why not throw a sparkling wine-themed party?

Nobody does it better than Napa’s iconic chateau, Domaine Carneros, so we asked them for some tips on throwing the perfect sparkling soirée that’s equal parts elegant, easy, and fun. Channel your inner Audrey Hepburn and follow these six easy steps to a bubbly good time.

Step 1: Select the wines

The wine is obviously the most crucial component to your sparkling wine party and selecting a variety will not only ensure that you have something for everyone, but also encourage your guests to explore different styles of sparkling wine.

You don’t have to splurge on expensive French Champagnes. High quality sparkling wines can be found at a much more approachable price point from wineries like Domaine Carneros, which employ the same method traditionelle (meaning the wine undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle) as used by French Champagne houses.

Choose wines that are both dry (like an Ultra Brut) and sweet (like a Demi-sec), or sparklings made with different grape varieties. For example, Blanc de Blancs, like Domaine Carneros’ Le Rêve, are crafted with 100 percent chardonnay grapes, while Blanc De Noirs are made solely with pinot noir grapes. Others are blends. This Sparkling Classics trio is a great place to start, or opt for the Sumptuous Sparkling Sampler for something a little more special.

For a true party-pleaser, throw a late-disgorged sparkling wine into the mix. These wines spend more time aging on the lees (yeast) in the bottle, which results in an added complexity and rich, nutty flavors.

When considering how much wine to purchase for your party, keep in mind that each bottle of sparkling wine yields about eight glasses. Expect each guest to have at least one drink per hour, so multiply your guest count by the number of hours your get-together will run, then divide that number by eight. You can also use an online drink calculator, like this one from Evite.

It doesn’t hurt to add a few extra bottles. Nothing stops a good time quicker than a wine shortage and if you have leftovers, you get to drink it.

Step 2: Prepare simple, light bites

Every good party needs food, but don’t feel the need to go overboard. The goal is to enjoy yourself and engage with your guests — not spend your entire soirée stuck in the kitchen — so keep it simple and choose small bites or appetizers that can be prepared quickly with little to no cooking time.

Luckily, sparkling wine is one of the easiest wines to pair food with. It truly goes well with almost anything, so you don’t need to stress over conflicting flavors. Cheese and charcuterie never fail, but popcorn is another foolproof option that’s affordable, quick and easy, fun, and as a bonus, on theme with the popping of corks. Serve with an array of seasonings so that party-goers can experiment with different pairings.

But if you really want to get creative, international spices and salty foods go surprisingly well with sparkling wine, including caviar, chips, and Asian and Moroccan flavors — so much so that Domaine Carneros even built some food and wine experiences around these, offered at their Carneros winery. Feel free to get inspired to cook up something fun at home, but if Moroccan food isn’t in your repertoire, just order takeout from your favorite, local spot, plate it, and no one will know that their host wasn’t busy in the kitchen all day.

Step 3: Choose your glassware

Some people think that you need a special shape of glass for each type of wine, but Domaine Carneros’ team doesn’t believe in taking things so seriously. While flutes or coupes (shallow bowls) are traditionally used for sparkling wine, a standard wine glass will work just fine. Or, mix and match your glassware to keep things light and fun.

Domaine Carneros sells a set of six stemless, gold-embossed flutes in a mix of patterns that come with a bottle of Brut Rosé. Or, you can check out this set of four elegantly etched flutes to go with your bubbly. You may also consider picking up some wine glass charms to help your guests keep track of their glasses. This will save you time on dishes later.

Step 4: Decorate

You can keep it simple when it comes to décor too. Fresh flowers and table confetti go a long way to making a party pop, as do gold, silver, and white ornaments and ribbon. For something unique that is sure to delight your guests, freeze fresh cut roses or your favorite flower into an ice tray and then place these flower ice cubes in your chiller or ice bucket. When your friends go to refresh their glass, they’ll be greeted by this beautiful, unexpected surprise. Here’s how to make your own floral ice cubes.

Step 5: Make it interactive

Place tasting score cards by the wine (with pens) and encourage your guests to fill them out. These are a great tool for sparking conversations, so feel free to get creative or find some to print online. Conveniently, Domaine Carneros offers bubbly tasting cards you can print at home. The tasting score cards will prompt your guests to sip thoughtfully — considering the colors, aromas, and flavors of each wine — and then discuss and debate their favorites with other party guests.

6. Be ready to serve

The second-most important ingredient to your wine party, after the sparkling wine, is ice. Buy a lot of it, so that you don’t risk running out. Bubbly simply doesn’t taste good warm.

Make sure you have multiple wine chillers or ice buckets on hand so that you can keep all of your wines cold at once. Check out this sleek and practical wine chiller from Domaine Carneros, which keeps your bottle cold for up to nine hours (not that it’ll last that long) and makes a statement in your home. For multiple bottles, a large galvanized tub works, but if you want to go the most affordable route, simply use your kitchen sink! Scrub it clean, fill it with ice, and slide the bottles in.

Put your wine on ice long before your guests arrive, but if you’re running late or forget, there is an easy hack for chilling your wine in half the time. Add a few tablespoons of salt to your ice bucket, stir it occasionally, and the bottle will be ready to pop in about 15 – 20 minutes.

Et voila! Now that you have all the essential tips for throwing the perfect sparkling wine party, it’s time to pop those corks and share your sparkling party experience by tagging @domainecarneros. Of course, you don’t need a lot of guests to throw a sparkling wine party this season. In fact, a party of two sipping bubbly in front of the fire is perfectly acceptable in our book.