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California's iconic Napa Valley is undoubtedly among the most beautiful, relaxing and gracious destinations in the entire United States. Napa is a mecca for gourmets and wine aficionados alike, with world-class wineries and restaurants, unsurpassed scenery, and a style all its own. MARTIN KEEGAN TOURS' Napa Valley Ultimate Luxury Getaway is an intimate, once-in-a-lifetime experience.

 

TUESDAY, Day 1 - Pickup at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), with transfer to Napa Valley and the Poetry Inn, in Yountville. Nestled into the bench overlooking the Silverado Trail and the Napa Valley, the Poetry Inn has been described as "a micro-climate of luxury," and "an exclusive and dramatically sited wine country hideaway." Guests can live the life of a Napa Valley vintner for three nights, enjoying a massage in the open air, sipping Cabernet on a private terrace, luxuriating by a wood burning fireplace, or simply lounging by the pool. "With a rare hillside location, the inn offers mesmerizing views of the vineyards . . . and verdent mountains beyond. Obsessive attention to detail is standard operating procedure," notes the New York Times. The Town of Yountville, renowned for its world-class restaurants and award winning chefs, has earned the unofficial title of "Culinary Capital of the Napa Valley." It's the perfect base from which to visit wineries throughout the Napa Valley, browse the local shops, or enjoy a romantic, quiet dinner for two.

 

After checkin we'll gather over a glass of wine to discuss the itinerary for the days ahead before taking a breif drive to Oakville and the setting of our first winery experience. We begin our tastings in Napa Valley at the legenary Robert Mondavi Winery, where guests will take part in what Mondavi calls "Four Decades." The ultimate experience at Robert Mondavi Winery—Four Decades unlocks Mondavi's treasured library of older vintages of Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve to showcase their forty-year history of winemaking excellence, with wines from each of the last three decades—'70s, '80s, and '90s—as well as a selection of their finest current releases. This tasting event is capped by dinner in Mondavi's Vineyard Room, prepared by their winery chef.

  

WEDNESDAY, Day 2 - After a gourmet breakfast at Poetry Inn, we will meander north up the valley to Calistoga for our first tasting at California's pioneering sparkling wine producer, Schramsberg Vineyards. We'll tour their labyrinth of caves and taste their remarkable sparkling wines that rival the best in Champagne. Next we transit just minutes away to a private tasting and tour at the storied Diamond Creek Vineyards, California's first exclusively Cabernet Sauvignon estate. Founded in 1968 by Al and Boots Brounstein, Diamond Creek is situated upon the rocky slopes of the Diamond Mountain District AVA, and its three distictive Cabernet Sauvignons, from separate blocks on their property—Red Rock Terrace, Gravelly Meadow, and Volcanic Hill—are a study in terroir. After a tour of the historic property we'll gather around the wooden farm table overlooking the vineyards for a seated wine tasting accompanied by freshly prepared canapés and local cheeses. For the rest of this afternoon, we'll slow down the pace and allow guests time to enjoy the amenities and views from the Poetry Inn, to take in shopping in nearby Yountville, or to just relax. Lunch, a delicious Deluxe Picnic Basket for two from the Oakville Grocery, will be provided for each couple. Guests are on their own tonight to enjoy one of Yountville's world-class restaurants—Etoile, Bottega, Bistro Jeanty, R&D Kitchen, Cicio, Redd, Redd Wood, Lucy Restaurant and Bar, Hurley's Restaurant & Bar—with our recommendations.

 

THURSDAY, Day 3 - We will enjoy another gourmet breakfast prepared by our innkeepers at the Poetry Inn, then head off for a morning of wine and food encounters. First stop of the day will be at the nearby Cliff Lede Vineyards where we'll taste across the range of Lede's blockbuster Stag's Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Bordeaux-style wines, as well as those from Lede's sister FEL winery from the Alexander Valley and Sonoma Coast. Next, we'll arrive at Long Meadow Ranch Winery and Farmstead in St. Helena for a Farm-to-Table Wine Experience. Led by Long Meadow Ranch hosts and their estate chef, we'll explore exquisite mountain vineyards and Long Meadow Ranch’s award-winning wines at their Mayacamas Estate, then return to an elegantly prepared three-course lunch crafted to complement LMR's portfolio of estate wines and olive oils. Next, we'll make our way to the small, family-owned and operated winery of Kathy Corison, one of the first women to make wine in the Napa Valley, whose wines are noted for their impeccable balance and purity. Our group will enjoy a private tour of Corison's winery then a tasting of both current releases—including the otherworldly Kronos Vineyard bottling—and some bottles plucked from the winery's library of older vintages. Our last tasting of the afternoon takes us "off the grid" and to the historic Stony Hill Vineyard in St. Helena. From humble beginnings starting with 160 acres purchased in 1943, Stony Hill has carved out a place for itself as one of California's most distinctive wineries. We'll drive back to the Poetry Inn to relax before we regroup for our farewell dinner, which will be the Chef's Tasting Menu at Thomas Keller's renowned Michelin 3-star restaurant, The French Laundry in Yountville.

 

FRIDAY, Day 4 - Guests will enjoy breakfast and views of sunrise over Napa Valley one last time before departures for home or onward travel.