This Experience Includes:
Cooking with Julie Cooking School You and your guest will join Julie Logue-Riordan, CCP, for an insider's look at Napa Valley's culinary scene, as she takes you on an intimate tour of local farmers markets, followed by a small group hands-on cooking class and 3-course lunch paired with California wine. The Oxbow Public Market, in the vibrant Oxbow District of downtown Napa, is located along the Napa River Trail. The mostly indoor 40,000-square-foot public market boasts a mix of gourmet purveyors showcasing the season’s finest and freshest local produce, fish, cheese and other artisan products as well as local eateries. You will also have time to buy some goodies to bring home or for a picnic during your stay in Napa. Then on to the kitchen with Julie, where you’ll don aprons and turn your bounty into a wonderful wine country feast. Learn cooking theory, technique, tips and tricks. You will enjoy a fun and relaxed experience filled with great foods and paired with fine wine. (Maximum of 9 students.) Julie is a Certified Culinary Professional and has been teaching for more than 20 years. She was classically trained by some of the world's most accomplished French Masters, is a graduate of L'Academie de Cuisine in Maryland, and has taken numerous classes at the CIA-Greystone as well as around the world. NOTE: This experience is offered on Mondays and select Tuesdays.
The Napa Famers Market may be offered instead of the Oxbow Market on select dates. Classes, dates, and locations subject to change. Napa Valley Wine Train Enjoy a leisurely 3-hour journey for two along the 36-mile round-trip between the historic town of Napa, through one of the world's most famous wine valleys, to the quaint village of St. Helena. Enjoy a fresh chef-prepared multicourse gourmet lunch or dinner aboard a stylishly refurbished antique Pullman rail car. Choose the Gourmet Express for lunch, when the sun is bright and high in the sky. Or for something even more romantic, enjoy the evening dinner. In the spring and summer, the long, warm California twilight means that when you take your Wine Train journey, Napa Valley’s vineyards are bathed in beautiful, golden hour sunlight for most of the way, with the opportunity to see some spectacular Napa sunsets. In the Fall and the Winter, when the train departs after sunset, you will experience the romance and adventure of an antique train traveling through the dark, starlit Napa Valley night. In the spirit of traditional rail seating, you may share the experience—and a table—with another party.
Enjoy a private tour and tasting for two with Dr. James and Patricia Talcott, as they welcome you to Talcott Carneros Olive Ranch. Begin with a flute of Proseco before you are guided on a comprehensive tour and discussion of olive trees and oil production. Upon returning from the grove, you will be welcomed into the Talcott’s private home to experience an exclusive award winning olive oil taste sensation. The finishing touch features artisan French Vanilla Bean ice cream dressed with Talcott Olive Oil, sea salt and ground black pepper. Nestled in the rolling hills of Napa’s Carneros region, the 3,000 olive trees on the Talcott Carneros Estate are organically farmed and include only the richest, most delightful Tuscan varietals. With just the right amount of cool breezes, Napa Valley sunshine and California rain, this year’s harvest has been recognized as one of the finest olive oils available. In 2012, Talcott Extra Virgin Olive Oil earned a Gold Medal from the California Olive Oil Council. This olive oil will delight the palate and impress the most savvy of foodies.
Enjoy a 3-night stay in a standard guest room at The Meritage Resort and Spa. Lavish guestrooms include features such as plush beds, marble baths, and plasma TVs. Located at the southern tip of Napa Valley in the Carneros region near where Napa and Sonoma meet, the Meritage Resort and Spa is situated on an eleven-acre private vineyard and offers an experience like no other for wine enthusiasts. The resort opened an immense cave of 20,000 square feet in Spring 2007, carved in the hillside under Napa’s famous Grape Crusher statue. The Estate Wine Cave features wine country’s only underground full service Spa Terra, the Trinitas Tasting Room, and the Entertainment Cave available for private dinners and weddings; all built underground with artisan stone, tile, and woodwork. The Meritage Bar features regional wine selections and signature cocktails in a setting of rich, polished wood and romantic lighting. Daily resort fee is included in this package. Resort fee currently includes one bottle of wine (per stay), bottled water, local calls, business center and fitness center, wireless internet, parking and evening shuttle to downtown Napa.
This package is not fully donated but a minimum of 10% of the total funds raised is going to a good cause.