Yountville
Historic Wine Country Town & Foodie Heaven
In 1831, George Yount, the first white settler in the area, came up with the name Napa Valley and planted its first grape vines. What's evolved over the last 180 years within this much-admired vale is viticulture history. Located in the center of the valley, the quaint upscale town of Yountville with a population of around 3,000 is considered by many to be the culinary capital of wine country. One source stated the town has more Michelin stars and critically acclaimed restaurants and chefs per capita than any other U.S. city. And until proven otherwise, we're on board.
What to see and do:
There are fun things to do in Yountville like biking through the vineyards, hot air ballooning, experiencing the interesting (albeit minimal) exhibits at the Napa Valley Museum (napavalleymuseum. org) or attending a show in the beautiful Lincoln Theater (www.lincolntheater.org). Upscale shopping at V Marketplace, which is located in a now defunct 138-year-old winery, is a must. Napa Style, an especially intriguing shop, offers an amazing collection of carefully chosen eclectic gifts, unique food items, and wines from Italian and California boutique wineries (mostly Napa). (www. napastyle.com) However, coming to town just for world class dining and wine tasting makes excellent sense, especially for connoisseurs of ultimate gastronomic and oenological experiences. There are many wineries within town-limits and over ten wine tasting venues within walking distance of the downtown's lodging choices. We wholeheartedly recommend V Wine Cellar, offering an amazing variety of local wines and a rare opportunity to learn sabrage, the entertaining technique of opening a Champagne bottle using a specially designed saber. Purportedly introduced during Napoleon's reign, the method was often used on ceremonial occasions. (www. vwinecellar.com)
Where to Dine:
As we write about our recent
visit to the extraordinary
yet pricey culinary world of
Yountville our taste buds are
telling us to return soon. Check
out the websites, menus, and
pricing of all the restaurants
we've listed before visiting,
and make reservations well
in advance as these cookery
gems are very popular. This
famous epicurean scene is
anchored by Thomas Keller's
Michelin three star eatery,
French Laundry, one of the
most prestigious and wellknown
restaurants on our
continent. Their creative
American cuisine with
imaginative French twists
comes with a prix fixe pricetag
of $270 per person, not
including tax or wine pairings.
Keller has two other highly
rated (and less expensive)
restaurants in town, Bouchon
(a Michelin one star, serving
French bistro foods) and
Ad Hoc (offering one prix
fixe four-course family-style
dinner, daily). (www.tkrg.
com) Etoile Restaurant at
Domaine Chandon, a Michelin
one star, claims they're the
only fine dining restaurant
within a Napa Valley winery and
rising-star Chef Perry Hoffman
brilliantly spotlights wine-inspired
cuisine. (chandon.com) Redd,
another one star Michelin designee,
highlights inventive wine country
cuisine with Asian, European and
Latin touches by applauded Chefde-
cuisine Michael Reddington.
(reddnapavalley.com) In addition
to their star honors, Michelin also
rewards a limited number of Bib
Gourmand ratings to superb value
restaurants offering two courses,
a glass of wine or dessert for $40
or less. Bib Gourmand winners
include Bottega, led by T.V. Emmy
winner/host/chef Michael Chiarello,
who takes his magical Southern
Italian fare to new heights of dining
nirvana. (www.botteganapavalley.
com) Bistro Jeanty serves classic
French haute cuisine by celebrated
owner/chef Philippe Jeanty who
arrived in Napa from the famed
French Moet-Chandon kitchens
in 1977. (www.bistrojeanty.com)
Although they're not Michelin
winners, Brix Restaurant, under the
guidance of innovative new young
chef Chris Jones, has a farm to table
driven menu (brix.com) and Hurley's
Restaurant, a very popular local's
favorite features seasonal winecountry
cuisine with Mediterranean
flair (hurleysrestaurant.com). Both
deserve your consideration in this
highly competitive gastronomy
dreamland.
Where to Stay:
For such a small village, Yountville has numerous highly regarded lodging properties. Our top three personal recommendations, Villagio Inn and Spa, Vintage Inn, and Napa Valley Lodge, are all AAA four-diamond properties and offer affordable value-pricing considering their highlevel of amenities. Hallmarks of all three choices include: No resort fees, complimentary champagne buffet breakfasts, free parking/WiFi, bocce-ball, beautiful pool areas, superior service, friendly staffs and delightful accommodations. In addition, Villagio and Vintage include fireplaces and a bottle of wine with every room, afternoon tea with an incredible offering of hors d' oeuvres, and free usage of the Yountville Fitness/Health Club and their tennis courts. (vintageinn.com) Villagio's nationally acclaimed spa with a number of stunning private couple's suites is one of the finest we've ever visited. (villagio.com) Napa Valley Lodge has a nice fitness room and offers tea and scrumptious cookies each afternoon, wine tastings on Thursday and Friday afternoons, and fireplaces in many rooms. (napavalleylodge.com).For all things Yountville: www.yountville.com
