|
This award was easy. There's only one train in the valley offering a virtual Moveable Feast.
Okay, this is not Japan's bullet train. It's not France's TGV (train à grande vitesse). But what the Napa Valley Wine Train lacks in speed it makes up for in casual, friendly service and superb food and wine.
The standard tour is a three-hour, 36-mile round-trip excursion from the town of Napa, north through the valley to St. Helena where the train turns around and choo-choos back to Napa.
As the scenery whips by at a spine-snapping 12 miles-an-hour, you can take photos, or enjoy brunch, lunch or dinner, depending which tour you've chosen.
On one run, you can opt to get off at Grgich Hills Winery in Rutherford and take part in a tasting while the train chugs on to St. Helena, picking you up on the return loop.
As the Wine Train chugs past 26 landmark wineries, you can raise your own glass of Napa Valley wine to toast the occasion. Hell, for that matter, you can raise 100 glasses because that's how many different bottles are on the wine list. Or sample different wines from among 40 offered by the glass.
Much as wine geeks prize old wines, the operators of the Napa Valley Wine Train appreciate older vintages, too. They've lovingly refurbished four 1915 Pullman coach cars, retrofitting them with period-style fabrics, crystal chandeliers and rich wood paneling. Chugging up valley, you feel like an 1860's lumber baron. Another stunning carriage is the 1950's glass-domed observation car, popularized in Canada's scenic Rockies.
As for the meals: one doesn't generally think of Food that Moves (e.g., airline, train or auto fare) as memorable. Or even desirable. Please leave such misconceptions at the car park when you board the Wine Train.
Executive chef Kelly Macdonald turns out exceptional fare, feeding as many as 300 people per run. We were served a perfectly cooked filet of fresh salmon that was napped with a tongue-clacking, lobster-chipotle cream sauce. So good that we wanted to ask for a straw to slurp up the sauce. All the dishes we tasted were TKOs - Train Knock Outs.
Lunch excursions are offered daily, dinner is offered every night except Monday. Brunch is offered Saturday and Sunday. Round trip fares with a full meal run $60-75 per person, depending on the meal served. On each train, a deli car offers food and wines a la carte.
Napa Valley Wine Train, For reservations, call 800-427-4124 or visit www.winetrain.com. The Napa Valley Wine Train station is at 1275 McKinstry St. in the town of Napa.
|
|
