A Dallas couple recently found their piece of wine country paradise.
Far from the throngs of Napa Valley tourists, Roby and Connie shared a bottle of Chianti in Yountville's pretty little Van De Leur Park. The flower-filled park, which incorporates an ancient pink climbing rose, is considered one of several “secret” spots on this hidden town in the center of Napa Valley.
Unlike its neighbors, Yountville's business district is hidden from Highway 29, making a tranquil place to walk or bike along the town's one-mile Washington Street, known for its world-class wines and Michelin-starred restaurants. In fact, Van De Leur Park is just across the corner from the famous French Laundry and its French Laundry Gardens, where a few third of Chef Thomas Keller's herbs and vegetables are grown.
In fact, in Yountville, the “culinary capital” of Napa Valley, the bar is about so high that even the local food truck and gas station stand out. Tacos Garcia sells a delicious taco for $4 and the Honor Market (and gas station) has a gourmet hot dog on a brioche bun that customers rave about on Yelp.
Boutiques are one other attraction on Washington Street, because of a resolution passed in 2009 that requires 1 / 4 of all wine stores to supply “secondary retail products.” Today, yow will discover every thing from clothing to furniture to high-quality cookware when you enjoy your favorite varietals.
RH Yountville, for instance, integrates food, wine, art and design into its five-building indoor/outdoor restaurant and exhibition space. Guests enjoy ingredient-driven dishes like sliced ribeye steak on toasted garlic bread in a fascinating setting of ancient olive trees, fountains and chandeliers.
Silver Trident Winery presents the Ralph Lauren Home Collection, which mixes the talent of winemaker Kari Auringer with premium home furnishings. Auringer can be the winemaker at Cornerstone Cellars, where the tasting room is complemented by a boutique clothing store.
The Priest Ranch Tasting Room offers handcrafted guitars and pottery, amongst other items. Visitors to the Hestan Vineyards tasting room should purchase high-quality cookware from Hestan and Ruffoni. And the town's oldest tasting room, Jessup Cellars, doubles as a gallery where the art on display is out there for purchase.
In fact, the whole walkable length of Washington Street is an open-air gallery with greater than 35 sculptures by artists who live here and all over the world. There is a free audio tour of the Yountville Art Walk you could access by scanning the QR code at each installation. A very popular piece is the bronze sculpture of a chef and his oversized fork, titled “The Chef,” by Napa artist Lorenzo Mills.
Yountville's art isn't the one playful nod to popular culture. The tasting menu on the aforementioned Silver Trident Winery pairs five varietals with select artisan potato chips. Another eclectic offering pairs wine with bouchon baguettes and artisan butter at nearby Handwritten Wines. And in the event you're a fan of charcuterie, try the bacon and wine pairings on the (also mentioned) Priest Ranch Tasting Room.
Craft cocktails are a specialty at Restaurant at North Block, where chefs Juan Cabrera and Jorge Veranza serve brick-oven-baked flatbreads or pinsas, fresh pastas and coastal favorites like roasted octopus and yellowfin tuna tartare. Around the corner, R+D Kitchen is popular for its sushi, salads, sandwiches and specialties like meatloaf with wild mushrooms. Bottega's rustic charm also draws diners craving authentic Italian cuisine.
No one would blame you in the event you spent all of your time on the town eating, drinking and shopping. It's just so hard to withstand; but when you should burn some calories, the Vine Trail is a paved, designated path for a scenic 45-minute bike ride between Yountville and Napa. There are also nine short mountain climbing trails on the town, marked on a map on the Yountville Welcome Center.
If you should soar over this idyllic landscape of gardens and grapevines, Yountville-based Napa Valley Aloft is considered one of the primary hot air balloon firms to supply agricultural tours over Napa Valley. Their colourful balloons are a logo of the magic that exists in a small town blessed with a lot abundance.
For your information
The Yountville Welcome Center at 6484 Washington St. can make it easier to plan your visit.
Also on Washington Street is the two-Michelin-key North Block Yountville, which offers well-appointed rooms in an enthralling courtyard. For more information, visit northblockyountville.com.
Napa Valley Lodge is a luxury boutique hotel just a brief walk from Yountville's many attractions. Check out the package deals at napavalleylodge.com.
image credit : www.mercurynews.com