[Image source: Dominus Estate]
While on a recent work trip to San Francisco, we were able to play hooky and sneak up north to California’s wine country for a quick tour. Today’s post is a modern synopsis of the region including Napa, Yountville, Rutherford, St. Helena, Calistoga and Sonoma. Simply put, it’s the skinny on modern architecture, design, art, food, and culture in wine country for the design conscious. Enjoy and add anything we missed to the comments section below.
BRUNCH | LUNCH
For a region celebrated for its wine, the options for food are limitless. And the options for a mid-day meal range from classic mainstays to the increasingly ubiquitous mobile food trucks.
Bouchon, 6534 Washington Street, Yountville, 707.944.8037
[Image source: Bouchon]
Gott’s Roadside, 644 1st Street, Napa
[Image source: Gott’s]
Kitchen Door, 610 1st Street, Napa (at Oxbow Market), 707.226.1560
[Image source: Kitchen Door]
Addendum, 6476 Washington Street, Yountville, 707.944.2487
[Image source: Ad Hoc & Addendum]
Oenotri, 1425 1st Street, Napa, 707.252.1022
[Image source: Oenotri]
DINNER
After a day’s worth of tastings and a bottle (or ten) of wines purchased, it time to eat. Again. One of the beauties of dining in wine country is bringing your newly acquired local wine to pair with some top-notch meals.
French Laundry, 6640 Washington Street, Yountville, 707.944.2380
A Thomas Keller classic. This list wouldn’t be complete without it.
[Image source: Eat A Duck I Must!]
Ad Hoc, 6476 Washington Street, Yountville, 707.944.2487
[Image source: Ad Hoc & Addendum]
Farmstead, 738 Main Street, St. Helena, 707.963.9181
[Image source: Farmstead]
Morimoto Napa, 610 Main Street, Napa, 707.252.1600
[Image source: Morimoto Napa]
Mustard’s Grill, 7399 St. Helena Highway, Napa, 707.944.2424
[Image source: Chevsky]
Redd, 6480 Washington Street, Yountville, 707.944.2222
[Image source: Lauren Loves To Eat]
Redd Wood, 6775 Washington Street, Yountville, 707. 299.5030
[Image source: Nick Vasilopoulos]
Solbar, 755 Silverado Trail Calistoga, 707.226.0850
[Image source: Solbar]
WINERIES
And, the real reason for venturing up to the valley in the first place: the wine. It can be overwhelming to take it all in, so we’ve filtered it down to some of our favorites, with a dose of high quality design mixed in.
Hess Collection, 4411 Redwood Road, Napa, 707.255.1144
Quite possibly the best art collection in Napa.
[Image source: Hess Collection]
Quintessa Winery, 1601 Silverado Trail, Rutherford, 707.967.1601
Simple and elegant siting on the land.
[Image source: Quintessa Winery]
CADE Winery, 360 Howell Mountain Road S, Angwin, 707.965.2756
Nice delicate, modern structure.
[Image source: CADE Winery]
Joseph Phelps Vineyards, 200 Taplin Road, St. Helena, 707.963.2745
Winery and facilities beautifully integrated into the land.
[Image source: Joseph Phelps Vineyards]
Turnbull Wine Cellars, 8210 St. Helena Highway, Oakville, 800.877.6285
Simple, refined barn structures set within a crafted landscape.
[Image source: Turnbull Wine Cellars]
Cuvaison Estate Wines, 1221 Duhig Road, Napa, 707.942.2455
Cuvaison’s second location in Carneros is an open, light-filled Scandinavian-influenced structure, ideal for the modernist oenophile.
[Image source: Cuvaison Estate Wines]
Opus One Winery, 7900 St. Helena Highway, Oakville, 707.944.9442
Francis Ford Coppola’s winery is (as one would expect) a bit over the top, but it was an important stop on the wine tour.
[Image source: Opus One Winery]
Clos Pegase Winery, 1060 Dunaweal Lane, Calistoga, 707.942.4981
We’re not much for post-modernism, but the over-sized architectural elements and pastel colors in this Michael Graves design seem to work at the winery scale (in that playful, tongue-in-cheek sort of way).
[Image source: Clos Pegase Winery]
Artesa Vineyards and Winery, 1345 Henry Road, Napa, 707.224.1668
Is it a winery buried in the hillside, or a hillside built up around a winery? We’re not sure but it’s a fresh take on winery design.
[Image source: Artesa Vineyards and Winery]
Dominus Estate, 2570 Napanook Road, Yountville, 707.944.8954
The much-lauded, and very private, modern winery designed by Herzog & de Meuron.
[Image source: Dominus Estate]
Merus Wines, 424 Crystal Springs Road, St. Helena, 707.251.5551
Sleek and sophisticated design makes Merus a perfect candidate for The Modern List’s winery selection.
[Image source: Merus Wines]
Alpha Omega Winery, 1155 Mee Lane, Rutherford, 707.963.9999
The design of AO creates a perfectly pleasant atmosphere to spend the afternoon tasting wine and sitting in the sun.
[Image source: Alpha Omega Winery]