Napa White House Inn

August 1 — Fine Wine & Artisan Cheese at Wineries of Napa Valley
Wine & Food Education: We are here to prove that pairing wine and food is easier than you think! Taste an array of Napa Valley wines paired with unique cheese from California and beyond. $10 for 5 wines & cheese. No reservations required. Comfortable outdoor patio, indoor seating, wine tasting, Wi-Fi access, wine bar. Wineries of Napa Valley, 1285 Napa Town Center, Napa
Fee: $10 Time: 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. Phone Number: (707) 253.9450

August 2 — Robert Mondavi Summer Music Festival
Live Music: Robert Mondavi Winery is planning an exciting line up for our 2008 concert season. Saturday, August 2: UB40. 7801 St. Helena Highway, Oakville
Fee: Call for information and ticketsTime: Gates open 5 p.m., Concert begins 7 p.m. Phone Number: (888) 769.5299

August 2 — ‘Blues Brothers’ at Sterling Vineyards
Recreation: Classic comedy from 1980 and the second show in this year’s Sterling Silver Screen Series of outdoor movies. Please note: ‘Blues Brothers’ is Rated R. Food and wine will be available for purchase before and during the show. All proceeds from movie tickets and 50% of proceeds from food and wine sales will benefit non-profits. 1111 Dunaweal Lane, Calistoga
Fee: $10 Adult/$5 Ages 16 and underTime: 7 p.m lawn opens, movies begin at dusk Phone Number: (707) 942.3345

August 2 — Other People’s Parties Screening @ COPIA
Performing Arts: New Independent Feature Film “Other People’s Parties” screening at COPIA with director and actors attending from Los Angeles. A hilarious buddy buddy comedy adventure about two woman sick and tired of living other people’s dreams! 500 First St., Napa
Fee: Call for informationTime: 6 p.m. Phone Number: (707) 935.3456

August 2 — STAVE Wine Lounge Artist Opening Reception
Reception: As well as being an artist, Patrick Allen owns Allen’s Hauling, Inc, a hauling and demolition business which has awarded him an unusual view of what our society terms as “junk”. He has used this view to create many different forms of assemblage art. Come on down, meet Patrick, and check out his work. Nibbles will be served! 1149 First Street, Napa
Fee: FreeTime: 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Phone Number: (707) 259.5411

August 3 — Peju Province Shrimp and Oyster Roast
Celebration: Join us in the Peju garden for a shrimp and oyster roast while celebrating the release of our 2005 limited production Rutherford Reserve Cabernet Franc. Guests will also be treated to the sounds of live Hawaiian music while enjoying Peju wines and succulent cuisine. 8466 St. Helena Hwy (Hwy 29), Rutherford
Fee: $55, $45 Wine ClubTime: 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. Phone Number: (707) 963.3600

August 3 — Wine of the Month Pairing at Wineries of Napa Valley
Wine & Food Education: Discover the magic of a great food & wine combination in this paired tasting with the Goosecross 2005 Merlot. $10 for food and wine pairing plus taste 5 different wines from our list of boutique Napa Valley wines, your choice!Comfortable outdoor patio, indoor seating, wine tasting, Wi-Fi access. Wineries of Napa Valley, 1285 Napa Town Center, Napa
Fee: $10Time: 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. Phone Number: (707) 253.9450

Source: www.napavalley.com

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July 26 — International Dips and Wine Sips at Wineries of Napa Valley
Food & Wine Education: From all over the world, we’ve chosen our favorite dips to pair with Napa Valley wines. These enticing combinations will start your evening off on a flavorful note. No reservations required. Comfortable outdoor patio, indoor lounge, wine tasting, Wi-Fi access, wine bar. 1285 Napa Town Center, Napa
Fee: $10Time: 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. Phone Number: (707) 253.9450

July 26 - 30 — Zinfandel Madness Walk-around Winetasting at Copia
Wine Education: Zany for Zinfandel? Don’t miss this tasting! Dozens of wineries will pour great Zins from the best vines in Mendocino, Napa, Paso Robles, the Sierra Foothills and Sonoma paired with the finest barbeque. Discover old and new favorites as you meet the vintners. 500 First St., Napa
Fee: $45 general/$35 memberTime: 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Phone Number: (888) 51.COPIA

July 26 — Soul Street Dance at the Napa Valley Opera House
Performing Arts: This high-energy, four-man powerhouse from Houston kicks off the week with workshops for children ages 8-15 with moves such as Capoiera (Brazilian martial arts), Chicago house dancing, a wide variety of Hip-Hop styles and gymnastic “Breaking”. These popular dance styles will be choreographed for an “opening act” performed by workshop participants and followed by Soul Street’s performance, Soul Session. 1030 Main St., Napa
Fee: $25Time: 7 p.m. Phone Number: (707) 226.7372

July 26 — Mark Boyle, ‘True Colors’ Solo Show
Reception: Lee Youngman Galleries is pleased to present Puget Sound painter Mark Boyle in his first one-artist show in California. Boyle’s work is held in many permanent art collections including Yellowstone National Park. He is a member of Puget Sound Group of Northwest Painters and Oil Painters of America. Show continues through August 15. 1316 Lincoln venue, Calistoga
Fee: FreeTime: 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. Phone Number: (707) 942.0585

July 26 — Robert Mondavi Summer Music Festival
Live Music: Robert Mondavi Winery is planning an exciting line up for our 2008 concert season. Saturday, July 26: Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo. 7801 St. Helena Highway, Oakville
Fee: Call for information and ticketsTime: Gates open 5 p.m., Concert begins 7 p.m. Phone Number: (888) 769.5299

July 26 — Festa Italiana at V Sattui
Festival: This year we will host our 14th annual Festa Italiana under the oaks here at V. Sattui Winery, and you are invited! As in past years, we will be celebrating V. Sattui’s Italian heritage with an outdoor feast straight from the villages of Toscana and Lombardia. The picnic grove will be transformed once again into a traditional Italian summer festival with the live music, dancing and, of course, your favorite V. Sattui wines. 1111 White Lane, St. Helena, CA
Fee: $75, $65 wine club membersTime: 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Phone Number: (800) 799.2337

July 26 — Celebrate 14 Years with Gallery 1870
Celebration: On Saturday, July 26th 2008, Gallery 1870 will celebrate its 14th anniversary. Gallery 1870 is located in Yountville in historic V. Marketplace (Formerly Vintage 1870). Gallery 1870 will celebrate with artist appearances, demonstrations, refreshments, drawings and blue light specials!
Fee: FreeTime: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. Phone Number: (800) 322.1870

July 26 — Zinfandel Madness Walk-around Winetasting at Copia
Wine Education: Zany for Zinfandel? Don’t miss this tasting! Dozens of wineries will pour great Zins from the best vines in Mendocino, Napa, Paso Robles, the Sierra Foothills and Sonoma paired with the finest barbeque. Discover old and new favorites as you meet the vintners. 500 First St., Napa
Fee: $45 General/$35 MemberTime: 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Phone Number: (888) 51.COPIA

July 26 — Goosecross Cellars Tasting at Wineries of Napa Valley
Wine & Food Education: Enjoy wine tasting and appetizers presented by Colleen Topper, owner of Goosecross Cellars. She�ll represent her charming, family operated winery at our downtown collective tasting room, Wineries of Napa Valley. Colleen joins us to share her passion for wine and food, sign bottles and offer up some tasty wine pairing recipes. 1285 Napa Town Center, Napa
Fee: $10Time: 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. Phone Number: (707) 253.9450

July 27 — Lucky Stars - An evening to support Lincoln Theater
Performing Arts: Featuring Denise Perrier, Kim Nalley, Lavay Smith and Spencer Day. This special event brings together some of the Bay Area’s best loved jazz vocalists and musicians in one magnificent evening of entertainment. Each ticket purchase comes with entry into one of five amazing opportunity drawings. VIP reception and other benefits are available. 100 California Drive, Yountville
Fee: $25 - $1,000Time: 7 p.m. Phone Number: (707) 944.1300

July 27 — Sky Jackson Benefit Event
Benefit: Local born Napan Sky Jackson has contracted cancer. We will come together for this event to raise money for Sky’s battle against this deadly disease. Live Music, BBQ, Silent Auction and Uplifting Fun. Please support Sky and his family by coming to this event.
Fee: $10Time: 3 p.m. Phone Number: (707) 226.7506
Planning your weekend
July 27 — Be A Napa Winemaker for a Day at Copia
Wine Education: Garden Manager Geoff Palla and COPIA’s Senior Wine Educator Kevin Toomajian will lead you from vineyard to wineglass. Breakfast in the Edible Gardens, then tour our demonstration vineyards, learning the ins and outs of viticulture from bud break to crop load. Taste the properties of the Bordeaux varietals and use what you have learned to mix your own unique bottle of private reserve wine. 500 First St., Napa
Fee: $115 General/$95 MemberTime: 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Phone Number: (888) 51.COPIA

July 27 — A Village Feast, Napa Style at Copia
Celebration, Live Music: In the sun-drenched villages of Provence, summer brings the Grand Aioli - a feast of garden-fresh vegetables, grilled meats and fish, all served with thick, garlicky aioli, crusty artisan breads and summer wines. Join us in COPIA’s shady Olive Grove, for a Napa-style Grand Aioli, accompanied by live music. 500 First St., Napa
Fee: $65 General/$55 Member Time: 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Phone Number: (888) 51.COPIA

July 27 — Sequoia Grove Summer Brunch Series #2
Dining: Enjoy the second of our 3 summer garden brunches. Complete with Sequoia Grove wines, this menu will offer French themed offerings complete with crepes. Reservations required. 8338 Saint Helena Hwy, Napa
Fee: $65 per guestTime: 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Phone Number: (707) 944.2945 ext. 108

July 27 — Spicy Summer Sipping at Wineries of Napa Valley
Food & Wine Education: It’s all about spices today as we experience the range of aromatics in our selection of Napa Valley wines. These wines have a bit of kick and we’ll show you how they add an exciting punch to our complimentary appetizers. Comfortable outdoor patio, indoor lounge, wine tasting, Wi-Fi access. 1285 Napa Town Center, Napa
Fee: $10Time: 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. Phone Number: (707) 253.9450

Source: www.napavalley.com

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Tours and Tastings

Guided tours and tastings are offered several times each day, by appointment. Tours begin with a walk through the historic, tri-level winery, which is built into the surrounding hillside. Guests are then led through a portion of the 40,000 square-foot Far Niente wine aging caves, which were the first modern wine caves built in North America when excavation began in 1980. The tour concludes with a visit to the Carriage House, home to a fascinating collection of classic automobiles.

Tastings follow each tour and feature the current releases of Far Niente estate wines, including a Napa Valley Chardonnay and Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as carefully aged Chardonnay and Cabernet from the Far Niente Cave Collection. A seasonal cheese pairing is also featured. Each tasting ends with a taste of Dolce, the sumptuous, late harvest wine produced by Far Niente’s sister winery, also called Dolce.
Source: www.farniente.com
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Private corporate events at Far Niente from 10 up to 200 guests.  Abi Martinez, executive chef at Far Niente and sister winery Nickel & Nickel, was born in Oaxaca, Mexico and grew up in St. Helena, California, the heart of the Napa Valley. While his father worked in the wine industry, Abi was more interested in a career in computer engineering.  However, a college job with a catering company exposed him to the joys of the culinary world and he hasn’t looked back. Abi received his culinary arts degree from Napa Valley Cooking School in St. Helena in 1999 and took an externship with the four-star Restaurant at Domaine Chandon.  He was hired full-time and became the head cook for the dinner service.  While at Domaine Chandon, Abi also began working as sous chef at Far Niente.  few years later, Abi moved to the east coast to apprentice with some of the country’s brightest culinary stars.  A year in the kitchen at Citronelle in Washington, DC under the supervision of Michel Richard, led to an apprenticeship with Jean-Georges Vongrichten at his eponymous restaurant in Manhattan.  His stints at various restaurants led to two opportunities to cook at the James Beard House in New York, mecca for foodies and chefs from around the world.

Abi returned to the Napa Valley in 2004 and became the full-time sous chef at Far Niente.  In 2006, Abi was named executive chef at Far Niente and Nickel & Nickel.  Abi describes his technique as traditional French with nuances of new California cuisine, focused on bright flavors, not heavy preparations.  As executive chef at Far Niente and Nickel & Nickel, he prepares meals for numerous private hospitality events year-round, including everything from elegant lunches for 10 to black tie dinners for 200.  
Source:  www.farniente.com
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Far Niente is home to a diverse assortment of significant and classic cars that are housed in the Carriage House on the winery grounds. The collection was assembled by Gil Nickel, who revived Far Niente in 1979 and was an avid car collector and race driver. The fleet includes luxury GTs and fast sports cars as well as track-hugging racers that have been driven in vintage racing competitions all over the world.

The collection is comprised of treasures from Italy, Britain, Germany and America, plus a number of vintage BMW motorcycles. Some of the most significant cars include a 1966 Ferrari 500 Superfast and a 1961 Corvette roadster. But the highlight is the 1951 Ferrari 340 America, a one-off, considered to be one of the most beautiful Ferraris of all time. The cars are hardly treated like a museum collection. In fact, they’re driven regularly along the wide open spaces and curvy hillsides of the wine country.

Visitors to Far Niente are treated to a viewing of the cars, as the Carriage House is included in the winery tour.
Source: www.farniente.com
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When John Benson built Far Niente in 1885, it was evident by the stone archway in the west wall of the cellar that wine caves were to be chiseled into the solid rock. Unfortunately, as a result of Mr. Benson’s death and the forced closure brought on by Prohibition, these caves never materialized. It was in 1980, one year after Far Niente was purchased by Gil Nickel, that Alf Burtleson was hired by Gil to dig a small 60-foot wine cave in the hill behind the winery. Little did the two men know at the time, that the Far Niente wine caves would become the first to be constructed in North America since the turn of the century, spawning a new industry in California wine country.

Almost ten years after the first excavation and accompanied by Alf’s expertise, Gil undertook the adventurous project of expanding the wine caves to 15,060 square feet. At the time, Alf and his four-man crew utilized a 22-foot long electric and hydraulic drill used in England for digging coal mines, and completed the shotcrete-lined caves in 1991. A second phase, adjoining an additional 13,000 square feet were added in 1995, and a third phase, bringing the total cave area to 40,000 square feet, was completed in 2001. “Caves have qualities beneficial to wine aging that are impossible to capture in an above-ground building,” says Dirk Hampson, director of winemaking at Far Niente. Much attention and concern have been devoted to the aesthetics in the integral design of the caves, which consist of recessed lighting, back-lit niches, a large octagonal wine library, and a number of 45-degree tunnels.

In addition to the wonders of aging wine in beautiful surroundings, much can be attributed to the practical benefits of storing and aging wine underground. A constant temperature of 58-60 degrees Fahrenheit, accompanied by natural humidity, contribute to low evaporation in a consistent environment. Far Niente’s caves currently house approximately 2,500 French oak barrels.
Source: www.farniente.com
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The Far Niente winery is surrounded by 13 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens, thought by many to be among the most stunning landscapes in the Napa Valley. Described as “southern” in style, with an emphasis on texture and foliage, the highlight of the Far Niente gardens is the more than 8,000 southern azaleas that bloom every spring, carpeting the estate in brilliant hues of bright red and deep pink. They are the largest single planting of this particular variety of azalea in California, and possibly throughout all of the west coast. At the height of bloom, colorful patches of azaleas are visible from nearly a mile away on Highway 29.  Gil Nickel and his wife, Beth, who revived Far Niente in the late 1970s began developing the gardens in 1982, after completing a three-year restoration of the historic winery building. Designing and implementing the gardens was a natural for Gil, who with his brother, John, successfully ran the family’s Greenleaf Nursery in Oklahoma, growing the business to become the second largest privately held commercial nursery in the United States today.

The gardens were designed like a three-act play, building the drama with each sequence. Acacia Drive, which is the road leading to the winery gates, sets the scene. The gently curved allee, bordered on either side with more than 100 Autumn Gold ginkgo trees, offers serene views of the Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards of western Oakville. Stately and resplendent, the historic stone winery emerges like a mirage at the end of the drive through the Woodland Garden, reaching the crescendo of the play. Lined with olive trees along the front drive and cloaked in colorful Virginia Creeper, the winery stands unguarded, its beauty appreciable from every angle.
Source: www.farniente.com
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Far Niente was founded in 1885 by John Benson, a forty-niner of the California gold rush and uncle of the famous American impressionist painter, Winslow Homer. Benson hired architect Hamden McIntyre, creator of the former Christian Brothers winery – now the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone – to design the building. Constructed against a hillside in western Oakville, Far Niente functioned as a gravity flow winery, gently moving the grapes through each stage of production. Far Niente prospered until the onset of Prohibition in 1919, when it was abandoned and left to fall into disrepair. Sixty years later, in 1979, Gil Nickel purchased the winery and adjacent vineyard and began a three-year restoration of the property. During restoration, the original name, Far Niente, from an Italian phrase that romantically translated means “without a care,” was found carved in stone on the front of the building where it remains to this day. We felt an obligation to preserve the name with the hope that we could recapture a bygone era when life was indeed without a care. Nineteen eighty-two marked the return of winemaking to Far Niente, with the harvest of the winery’s first Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay was also produced at the winery for the first time that year; the 1979, ’80 and ’81 vintage wines were made at an offsite location. Today, the winery continues to focus on producing only the two varietal wines.

There is so much about this winery to know that I have taken the liberty to show this winery in several articles.

Source:  www.farniente.com
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When you are planning an event take into consideration the finer aspects of life take a breather and tour a garden or an art gallery.

Garden Tours - Horticulturalists and garden lovers are attracted to this area for its many varied and beautiful gardens. On a tour with Beau Wine Tours, you can visit Luther Burbank’s Home and Gardens, Cornerstone (the landscape gardeners’ outdoor museum), a sensory garden at Belvedere Winery, the beautiful gardens at Ferrari-Carano Winery, and even take your glass of wine into the wine descriptors garden at Kendall-Jackson Wine Center to try your hand at detecting essences in the wine you are drinking.

Art Tours-The Napa and Sonoma regions are dotted with many noteworthy outdoor sculptures and indoor galleries. In an art tour, our tour guide will enlighten you about the art you will see at wineries, parks, and public areas throughout the area or take you on a guided sculpture walk. Art enthusiasts will enjoy a visit to Ca’Toga, Italian-born muralist Carlo Marchiori’s Palladian Villa or to his Galleria D’Arte in Calistoga. Further south, the Di Rosa Preserve with its memorable outdoor sculptures and the Hess Collection’s modern art gallery beckon to art lovers. For a lighter touch, you can trace the history of “Peanuts” at the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa.

Source: www.beauwinetours.com
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Historic Tours-Beau Wine Tours  also offers a variety of special interest tours. A California historic tour can feature sites dating from the time of General Vallejo, through the Mission Era and first wineries in the area, and ending with a visit at Copia, The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts. Your tour may include visits to Buena Vista, the first commercial winery in Sonoma or to Charles Krug, its counterpart in the Napa Valley, as well as to Greystone, the original Christian Brothers winery. Literary buffs may enjoy a visit to Jack London State Historic Park and Museum or to Robert Louis Stevenson State Park on Mount St. Helena, the inspiration for Spyglass Hill in Treasure Island. As a special treat, your guests may enjoy an historic tour by General Vallejo himself, dressed in full early California regalia.

Architectural Tours -If your group has an architectural bent, we can take you to some of the many local wineries known for their noteworthy architecture. From the “ghost wineries” of the late 19th century, to a wine cave dug by Chinese laborers following the completion of the trans-continental railroad, right up to modern architectural wonders such as Opus One, Clos Pegase, and Artesa, you’ll be treated to unique and unforgettable examples of local architecture.

Source: www.beauwinetours.com
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