Napa Valley Events

We thought we were already having fun, but we hadn’t actually lit up a whole town with thousands of white lights yet. For real fun, you have to be in Yountville next week on November 27th. That’s when this bustling little upscale shopping and dining marvel turns on all its lights for the holiday season.

Walk off Thanksgiving tummy on the Friday with an afternoon of strolling in charming European ambience, gazing at the many sights of entertainment for kids and grownups alike: horse-drawn carriage rides, sidewalk events, galleries, hotels and spas, fine dining, and of course the wines.

It’s a free extended-block party, started by Santa himself at 2 PM. The town’s lights come ablaze at 5:30 to herald the winterland fun now beginning, and the shopping and celebration last into the night. Food and wine tasting tickets are $1 each.

Travel is easy: Yountville is 55 miles north of San Francisco on Hwy 29, and just 18 miles from our hotel (click here to get directions). See the city of Yountville’s website or call (707) 944-0904 for more information.

Meet a cheetah, for Thanksgiving Dinner no less…

Did you know that cheetahs purr, just like any cats? We bet your kids would love to get up close and find out. This Thanksgiving you can do just that by taking the family to an African wildlife preserve in the heart of the Wine Country.

Safari West’s 400 acres is running wild with giraffes, zebras, impalas, lemurs and lots of other animals, along with flamingos, storks, and flocks of the most colorful birds you’ve ever seen. And yes, they have cheetahs too - the heart of their conservation effort.

Safari West is still in civilized California, and wine country to boot - besides its authentic safari tours it offers gourmet food and wine. Nancy and Peter Lang invite you to join them for a Thanksgiving feast amongst all the wildlife.

This year there are two Thanksgiving Dinner seatings, one at noon and one at 3 p.m. Cost of the traditional meal with an African flair is $50 for adults and $22 for kids aged 4 to 12.

For more information click here.

Take a look at the Facebook photos put up by visitors, and check this Safari West YouTube video for a quick view of the attractions.

Safari West is located near Santa Rosa, about an hour from our hotel. Click here for directions.

Hurry, the Wine Train is leaving the station! Catch it if you can for Thanksgiving dinner and you’ll give your whole party an experience they’ll talk about for years to come. It’s almost sold out, but the Gourmet Car is still available at the time of writing.

Don’t cook - in fact don’t even lift a finger for dinner on this special holiday. Sit back and enjoy the wine country’s most unique ride. Let the stewards serve you aboard the luxury Wine Train, and let world-class chef Kelly Macdonald bring his signature flair to Napa Valley’s most mouth-watering ingredients.

The Napa Valley Wine Train leaves Napa at 5 PM and returns at 8:30 PM on November 26th, Thanksgiving Day.

Click here to check availability and reserve your seats (and view the menu). Click here for directions to the station from our hotel.

Can anything be more relaxing than holding a glass aloft with loved ones in the comfort of a winery setting, with its stunning postcard views of nature in every direction? Well, how about drifting from one winery to the next in an entire wine-growing region?

This weekend offers an elegant daytime getaway, as over 20 wineries in the Carneros wine region reveal their treasures in a multiple open house known as Holiday in Carneros. The occasion features food and wine pairings, rare and special tastings, tours, live music, art and craft shows, family activities and discount offers.

Mellowed by fog and sea breeze, the Carneros wine appellation is renowned for its cooler-climate varietals like Pinot noir, Chardonnay and sparkling wines. The region spans the southern ends of both Napa and Sonoma valleys, just 40 minutes away from San Francisco and the East Bay.

10 AM - 4 PM this Saturday and Sunday, November 21-22. One $40 ticket covers both days. To purchase and for more information call 800-909-4352 and go to www.CarnerosWineries.org.

One of the jokes in the film Sideways was how much Paul Giamatti’s character hated merlot. Now, we loved that film, but feel it did an injustice to a whole grape varietal. To this day there are probably people who feel a twinge of shame when asking for a merlot in a fine restaurant, as if the waiter will sneer and say, “Monsieur! Did you not see Sideways?”

That’s part of the reason filmmaker Rudolf McClain made Merlove, his indy documentary praising merlot. Merlove has been making its way through the film festival circuit and is now available on DVD.

On Saturday, November 14 McClain himself will be on hand for a DVD signing at V Sattui Winery. As part of the event the winery will be offering a free tasting of two merlots, the 2006 Henry Ranch (Carneros appellation) and 2006 Napa Valley.

The event is open to the public, no reservations necessary. More info at the V Sattui Winery web site.

The Jarvis Conservatory is an elegant little theater in the heart of Napa best know for staging a form of Spanish opera called Zarzuela (picture a Spanish version of Gilbert & Sullivan). The Conservatory hosts a number of other cultural events, including art films.

This Friday and Saturday, the Conservatory will host its 13th Annual Puppet Theater and Workshop. The event features Friday and Saturday performances by Parasol Puppets and Nappys Puppets. Plus, on Saturday puppeteer Debbie Lutzky Allen will host a hands-on workshop giving parents and kids a behind-the-scenes look at how to create and manipulate puppets.

For more info, visit the event page at the Jarvis Conservatory web site.

John Cleese may be the funniest man alive. Whether you know him best as a member of the seminal comedy troupe Monthy Python, as irritable innkeeper Basil Faulty from Faulty Towers or as sad sack Archie Leech from the classic comedy A Fish Called Wanda, Cleese, who turned 70 last month, has definitely made his mark.

Personally we’re quite taken with his video Wine For The Confused.

This Wednesday, November 11, you can see Cleese perform solo at the Lincoln Theater in nearby Yountville. It’s a rare chance to see a comedy legend live.

Tickets are $39-$69 and can be purchased through the Lincoln Theater web site