Napa Valley Wine Train
Don’t confuse this new Private Reserve Dinner Series with the regular tourist train that chugs like a multicar convoy up and down the tracks. This is an exclusive, 36-seat, selfmotored Pullman railcar done in retroluxe style, and each outing is hosted by a prominent winemaker and includes a multicourse dinner from new chef Donald Young.
The inaugural voyage in August, for example, found notable husband-and-wife vintners Jean Charles Boisset and Gina Gallo on board, pouring copious amounts of their Raymond Vineyards and JCB Wines. After a reception with JCB French Sparkling No. 69 Crémant de Bourgogne, guests dined on a fivecourse meal including porcini-dusted fillet of beef paired with Raymond’s 2013 Generations Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and grilled duck sausage paired with a 2013 JCB No. 22 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir.
The price is fair for all this luxury, changing for each winemaker but starting at around $265. And for anyone who’s taken the regular train in the past, this is a much-improved experience, with food greatly elevated over what it used to be. The personal access to winemakers is priceless, too — over the 3½-hour-long inaugural trip, guests learned insider secrets, including Boisset’s recipe for the perfect sparkling-wine bubble bath.
Private Reserve Dinner Series: $265. 1275 McKinstry St., Napa. Reservations suggested at least two weeks in advance. (800) 427-4124; www.winetrain.com.