May is the perfect time of year; spring begins to shift into summer. It’s an ideal time for weekend road trips. A short two-hour drive puts you in the heart of wine country’s Napa Valley and the town of St. Helena. The three-block stretch of Highway 29 that comprises this small town features a rustic atmosphere.
Main Street offers a delightful mix of unique and fascinating retail shops where owners have gone to great lengths to preserve the town’s look and feel of its rich history as Napa Valley’s first settlement. Some of the favorites to visit, and pick up some appetizing souvenirs from are: Olivier Napa Valley, offering olive oils,
Latte and cookies from The Model Bakery
vinegars, drizzles, and garden condiments; Woodhouse Chocolates, owned and operated by the Anderson family and offering handmade, incredibly elegant, European-style chocolates accompanied by chic packaging; and The Model Bakery, which has been serving locals for their baking needs since the 1920s—its hand-shaped artisan breads are made with natural sourdough starters and organic flours. St. Helena Wine Center is a good place to stock up on hard-to-find wines and indulge in some conversation with staff about which wineries to visit.
New to the scene, Norman Rose Tavern has become a neighborhood favorite since it opened in December of last year. Owners Michael & Christine Gyetvan, along with executive chef Reed Herrick, wanted to open a comfortable spot where locals can meet up with their family and friends for a glass of wine and a great burger—their goal has been to offer the best burger in St. Helena. The menu is based on down-home classics elevated in Herrick’s style. Michael and Reed source many ingredients locally from sustainable producers. They offer a wonderful selection of local wines by the glass and bottle. The beer list says it all: “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall”—there’s something for every guest. The site is the old Wells Fargo building on Second Street. Kimberley Nunn and Dan Worden of interior design firm Shopworks in Napa created a classic pub atmosphere with modern touches, using reclaimed and recycled materials including old barn wood siding. The tavern is designed as an open space, seating seventy inside and an additional eighteen outside.
Ted & Laddie Hall, with son Chris, are happy to introduce you to their new St. Helena destination, Long Meadow Ranch Winery and Farmstead (longmeadowranch.com; LMR). A sustainable food, wine, and agricultural center, it showcases the farm-to-table practice of “full circle farming”; it demonstrates how each part of the ranch can contribute to the success of the whole. Farmstead opened in February 2010 and offers the seasonal, ingredient-driven American farmhouse cooking of executive chef/partner Sheamus Feeley. The ingredients in Freeley’s kitchen are produced entirely from local sources and feature Long Meadow Ranch’s own all-natural, grass-fed beef and organic and sustainably produced eggs, fruits, vegetables, extra virgin olive oil, and honey. The restaurant is housed in a former nursery barn; the 110-seat dining room is a casual, social culinary hub focusing on an open kitchen, booth seating, community dining, and a full bar. Not only is this one of Napa Valley’s finer examples of sustainable restaurant practices, but it brings a whole new meaning to clever barnyard dining! “Excellence through responsible farming” is LMR’s motto; the organization shows that world-class products can be made using sustainable, organic farming methods. LMR does not use herbicides or pesticides, and its products are organically grown and certified by the California Certified Organic Farmers.
Your St. Helena weekend would not be complete if you did not drop by Dean & Deluca or Sunshine Foods to order up specialty sandwiches, salads, marinated olives, breads, and a sampling of artisanal cheese to make up the perfect picnic basket for your daytime noshing.
And a trip to the valley is not just about wine tasting. Just ask any local about the “still on the hill,” and they will point you in the direction of Spring Mountain and the home of Charbay Winery and Distillery. Owners Miles & Susan Karakasevic, with son Marko and his wife, Jenni, have been making wine and distilling alambic pot still brandy since 1983. Though Charbay has been making wine for years, what it has become most popular for is its clear and flavored vodkas, which were introduced to the market in 1998. Due to state and county laws and regulations, the vodka, along with whiskey, rums, and liqueurs, is made at a facility in Mendocino County and is not available for tasting at the tasting room. But fear not, tasting room manager Mark Raymond gives the full history and educational walk-through on how the family distillery business operates, and you’re allowed to sample wines and aperitifs on site. The name Charbay is a combination of the words “chardonnay” and “brandy.” “It’s easier to say than Karakasevic,” says Marko.
“Think Green, Drink Green” is the motto of the new CADE Winery from the PlumpJack Group; like no other winery in the valley, it’s worth a visit. CADE, located on Howell Mountain, is striving to achieve LEED Gold Certification in an attempt to be Napa Valley’s first organically farmed, LEED Gold Certified Winery. Interesting facts: 60 percent of CADE property is maintained as natural landscape, 99 percent of energy needs are met with solar panels, and it demonstrates a 67 percent reduction in overall water consumption as compared to conventional practices. Aiming to set a new benchmark for elegance and boldness of design, CADE features a stunning architectural achievement created by Juan Carlos Fernandez of Lail Design Group. The winery encompasses a 14,500-square-foot network of wine caves built into the hillside in a shape that replicates the PlumpJack shield. The caves are used primarily for wine storage and barreling, but are also available for tours and private events. The hospitality suite has been positioned to take full advantage of the views from this ridge-top location, presenting an infinity window with picturesque views down the valley of the Mayacamas Mountain Range and Lake Hennessey. Tastings of the winery’s four creations are by appointment only seven days a week.
With your days filled with wine and food, you’ll need somewhere to unwind and relax at the end of the day. The Wine Country Inn is just the intimate place for you to check your bags.
Celebrating more than thirty years in St. Helena, it features large country-style suites with vineyard views, and private patios and fireplaces. And to encourage relaxation and romance, the rooms do not have televisions! To appease your appetite, there is a home-style breakfast buffet and afternoon appetizer/wine happy hour in the 
main lodge daily for guests.
Relaxing, taste worthy, and forward thinking, St. Helena is an ideal spring getaway.
San Franciscan Steven Oliver is a restaurant manager and wine buyer.
