While the enthusiasm for premier wine tastings and hot restaurant hopping is stronger than ever in California’s Napa Valley, there is a budding desire for something more on the menu. “This is an adult Disneyland for food and wine lovers,” says chef Paul Fields of the Inn on Randolph in Napa. “But our guests care about their health, too.” Fields creates breakfasts that celebrate the local harvest such as poached eggs with grilled pork tenderloin on top of purple potatoes, purple cauliflower and butternut squash puree.
A five-course vegetable tasting menu is paired with wines at La Toque restaurant in Napa where executive chef Ken Frank surprises gourmet-minded guests, even the meat eaters, with his inventive take on vegetarian. How about a veloute of Fairytale pumpkin with walnut, celery and green apple paired with Champagne Gosset followed by Kabocha squash, chanterelles, roasted salsify and potato sabayon with a Robert Sinskey Vineyards merlot?
Winery tasting rooms are moving beyond cheese and crackers to show off the nuances of a vintage or varietal. At B Cellars, chefs create “B bites” as complex and elegant as the wines. The B Cellars Maldonado Chardonnay paired nicely with smoked trout flatbread with herb cheese spread, pickled red onions, micro cilantro and orange zest. This is a tasty way to savor wine in moderation. Spa Solage in Calistoga offers “mindful wine tastings” as part of their wellness philosophy, too.
Food, wine and fitness
Tour the vineyards by bike if you’d like. Tom Walsh, with Napa Valley Bike Tours, says, “You can smell the eucalyptus trees. You can’t duplicate this in a car.” At Meadowood in St. Helena, guests can join an eco fitness class that includes a hilly hike through the quiet woods above the resort.
Spa consultants then can guide you through wellness goals including tips on sleep and hydration. Still thirsty? Chefs at Meadowood create cold pressed juices including a spicy shot of ginger, orange, honey, cider vinegar and cayenne.
There’s actually a long history of health in this area. Calistoga’s geothermal springs have lured wellness seekers to “take the waters” for centuries. Today you can soak in the hot pools of Indian Springs Resort and Spa, first opened in the 1860s.
Need to tweak the mind? At the Harvest Table by Charlie Palmer in St. Helena, sommelier Lauren Helm will wrap a wine bottle in foil to hide its identity so guests can sip, discuss, debate and guess what they’re drinking. My kind of brain game.
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