Napa Valley Events

So you’re in a nice restaurant with your special someone and the waiter brings over the bottle of wine you just ordered. He offers you a taste and… what are you supposed to do exactly?

Kathryn Borel Jr. has the answer in a nifty video post over at BoingBoing.

If you can’t watch the video, the short answer is that you are supposed to swirl and sip the wine to see if it has gone bad (or become “corked”). The waiter doesn’t especially care if you approve of the vintage, he just wants to know if he needs to go back to the cellar to get you a better bottle.

We’ve always been fascinated by the ukelele. Maybe watching Tiny Tim sing “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” back in the 60s warped our psychies forever.

Apparently we’re not alone, as hundreds of uke-lovers will flock to the Napa Valley for the Wine Country Ukelele Festival the weekend of October 9.

The festival runs all weekend and includes a Friday evening hula party at Judd’s Hill Vineyard, live music Saturday and Sunday at Beringer Vineyards, plus workshops and lessons. See the festival web site for a complete schedule.

The event promises to be a lot of fun and is sure to put a smile on your face.

The “grow local” organic food movement has become a big deal in the culinary world. Fresh, seasonal, local is the mantra behind the entire New American cuisine.

Now you can learn to cook this way while discovering some of the best local produce grown in the Napa Valley.

The Cooking With Julie cooking school will hold a special “Garden To Plate” class beginning September 24. During the 4 1/2 day class, students will tour local farms including Hudson Ranch and Dickson Napa Ranch, plus visit the Napa Farmers Market. Students will receive hands-on instruction in Julie’s home kitchen, including cooking in an Italian wood-burning oven.

Cooking With Julie is located in near-by Napa, CA, just 17 minutes from our hotel (get directions here)

For more information, visit the Cooking with Julie web site.

Family-owned V. Sattui Winery is one of Napa Valley’s oldest and most scenic wineries. On Saturday, September 19 the winery hosts their 25th Annual Harvest Ball.

A highlight of the Napa Valley social season, the event will begin with champagne and antipasta on the winery’s outdoor terraces, followed by a six-course banquet prepared by Michelin-star chef Stafano Masanti, served in the vineyard under the big top. The event continues inside with a dance featuring San Francisco’s Big City Revue.

The event starts at 6:00 PM and costs $225 ($200 for winery club members). For more info, visit the V. Sattui web site.

The Napa Valley Wine Train will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary on Saturday, September 19. The birthday event features a five-course meal by nationally-known Chef Kelly Macdonald and featuring special wines from four of the Valley’s most interesting winemakers:

• Jericho Canyon 2008 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc
• ZD Founder’s Reserve 2007 Carneros Pinot Noir
• Judd’s Hill “Wine Train Cuvee” 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
• Salvestrin “Napa Valley Wine Train 20th Birthday Cuvee” 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

The train, which takes guests daily from Napa to St. Helena in historic Pullman dining and lounge cars, has carried over 2 million passengers over the past two decades.

The event runs from 5:30 - 9:30 PM. Tickets for this event are $165-$195.

The Napa Wine Train web site has more info on this event.

Call it bad programming or call it roots music heaven, but both the Lincoln Theater in Yountville and the Napa Valley Opera House in Napa will host Zydeco bands on the evening of Saturday, September 12.

The Opera House will be hosting a Zydeco Dance with Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys at 8 PM, with dance lessons starting at 7:30 PM. Tickets are $30 and available through the Opera House web site.

The Lincoln Theater in near-by Yountville will host the legendary Buckwheat Zydeco and his band at 8 PM. Tickets are $25-$30 and can be purchased through the Lincoln Theater web site.

There’ll be lots of pickin’ and grinnin’ Saturday, September 12 at the 4th Annual Old Time Bluegrass Festival. The festival features Laurie Lewis & Nina Gerber and Susie Glaze & the Hilonesome Band, plus arts & crafts, kids activities and local food.

The festival runs from 10:00 AM till 6:30 PM at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park, 8853 Highway 53 at Anderson Ranch Parkway. Tickets a $15 in advance and $20 at the gate. Kids 12 and under get free admission.

Visit the festival web site for more info.