Lots of food, lots of wine...check and check. Price tag to support this unlimited gorge..check! A…read morehuge variety of wines, goes without saying, mostly local wines from the northern CA region. Great way to meet the wine makers which is always fun! As far as food..the highlight for me were the sushi bar from my fave Sushi by scratch! Is it the same as the restaurant ? No but it's a nice introductory taste. Ceviche from Nobu. The dipped ice cream...I could go on! There was a limitless array of food from local and California eateries. The vibe is fun and relaxed. Def worth a fun time up north!

The Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience (HWFE) grand tasting was a well organized event with an…read moreabundance of delicious food and drink. It was our first time attending, and we are accustomed to large food & wine events like this having long lines for food as well as running out of food... Not the case at all for HWFE! We ate so much (pasta, sliders, burgers, tacos, fried chicken, croquettes, poke bowls, pate, cheese, ravioli donuts, gelato) within the first hour and half of the event that we were too full to try many dishes (sushi, japanese hot dogs, and meatballs were just some of the ones we missed). After eating a lot of food and drinking the accompanying wine pairings, we really appreciated having something lighter like the tasty non alcoholic Susurrus sparkling teas and Agricultural Institute of Marin's mocktails.

In Santa Fe ("The City Different"), art is part of its essence. In the Napa Valley, on their hand,…read moreit's more about the wine&the food that fleetingly please the palate over more permanent works of art- https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/Napa-Winery-galleries-pair-works-of-art-with-wine-3413495.php Even if a winery has art, it's not exactly intoxicating. Napa Valley Open Studios deftly counters this- and for a good cause, scholarships for students. You can meet artists at their studios, watch them at work, get some artwork yourself. Over the years, I've gone to a secluded home studio atop Mt. Veeder, gone to the Napa Box Building (in a mixed industrial/residential part of town) to behold some surrealism, enjoyed refreshments&artwork at the Jessel Gallery in the Atlas Peak region. There's a huge variety of artists&artwork. It's an educational experience.

This is a fantastic free, self-guided, art tour taking place over two weekends including nearly 100…read moreartists. This year will be year 27! The whole thing is put on by volunteers with a portion of the proceeds going to local scholarships. This is a great weekend for tourists and locals alike to get out and about to some really cool art studios all over Napa.

Now I know there was a failed museum in Napa that focused on wine and food called COPIA. However, I…read morewasn't aware that there's been a local art museum next to Chandon in Yountville since 1972 until Jamie read about the special tiki bar exhibition running until the end of this month, "Tiki Dreams: From Far Away Fantasy to Pop Culture Phenomenon". Definitely up our alley. Well, given our recent run on patronizing tiki bars here and abroad, we just had to go. We went up on a recent Saturday, and the museum was crowded with tiki aficionados. It turned out Bank of America was sponsoring an admission-free day, so we took advantage and became engulfed in what felt like a claustrophobic space that was equal parts arts & crafts fair and vintage memorabilia. There was definite entertainment value if you miss this mid-century phenomenon. There were other exhibition rooms, but we weren't made aware of them by the staff. Perusing the website, I noticed some interesting past exhibitions like "The Great California Road Trip 1962", something that appeals to my baby boomer sensibilities. Next to Chandon and close to other attractions, this might be worthy of a return visit. RELATED - Exploring north of San Francisco? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2tIHlkV

Visited the Napa Valley Museum during the Tiki Dreams, Mini Masterpieces, and the Great California…read moreRoad Trip exhibits. I went for the Tiki Dreams exhibit in particular. The largest exhibit is in the main building on the ground floor with the admissions desk and gift shop. The tiki exhibit itself was quaint and small. Mugs, old menus, photos and history of tiki bars, one set of Witco chairs and table, plus a hand built bar by local artist Woody Miller. Interesting to see but ultimately a quick walk through maybe intended more for those looking for nostalgia. They were selling tiki merchandise and mugs at inflated prices at the gift shop. Mugs that were $150 at the original events are being marked up and sold for $230. Almost all of the gift shop merch was overpriced. The other two exhibits downstairs were small and it smelled of sulfur or sewage since they are located below the bathrooms.. Really off putting. We looked through mini masterpieces and Great California Road Trip exhibits in at most 15 minutes and left. Entry to the museum is $15 per person... We went during Bank Of America's Museum on Us which takes place every first full weekend of the month. Bring your Bank of America credit or debit card and entry is free. Luckily one of us got in for free with this promo.

The Hess Collection Winery 4411 Redwood Road Napa CA 94558 (877) 707-HESS (4377) Open 10 am to 4 pm…read moredaily This winery is off the beaten path, and displays an ever changing and solid modern art collection that makes a stop there, along with the wine, a pleasant experience.

Outstanding experience period. These folks really know how to treat people. Very different…read moreexperience from the other vineyards with an interesting art collection and media rooms to help the novice and others better understand the process. A 5 star experience and a must see. Don't miss this one. Thx to Sue our guide for her red carpet treatment.

********************* 1171 ********************* This…read morewas the 27th Annual Chocolate & Wine Event - Supporting Napa County Foster, Kincare & Adoptive Kids. Honorable Jill Techel, Napa Mayor;Lee Schwab, Investor and Kari Ruel, Publisher/Editor Napa Valley Life Magazine were all there. It was held at the Westin Verasa on Sunday Oct 26th 2014, from 3 - 6 PM - Food was catered by: Ken Frank, chef, La Toque. the Michelin Star restaurants, small bites, charcuteries & sandwich were served. Along with another 30 plus chocolate vendors, and some local restaurants such as Bouchon Bakery, Dean & Deluca, Jelly Belly, Fera Wyn's Artisan chocolate, Harry & David, Ca'Momi Restaurant, Scharffen Berger, Batch & Barrel, Cocoa Dolce, Napa valley fudge Co, Ristorante Allegria and more; there was so much goodness in 1 place. Live music music by: Kellie Fuller was playing in the courtyard at the Westin Verasa Napa Valley, - Serenades from the Great American Songbook. Historically, this event attracts over 400 chocolate & wine lovers from the Bay Area. "This is the combination of the regions finest wines, best chocolates, and the desire to support the well-being of our children that makes this event so special. We typically have 30 wineries and 30 chocolatiers serving." said Doris Gentry, Event Chair. More than 30 wineries were there, Harball Cellar, Ceja Vineyards, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Peju Winery, Michael Mondavi Estate, Sequoia Grove Winery, ZD Wines, Black Stallion Estate Winery, and so much more award winning wineries joined this cause, as well as silent auction were donated by wineries, chocolate, restaurants, and hotels in Napa Valley. The Napa County Foster Parents have, for over 50 years, led the way in building awareness, providing education, and inspiring hope to those involved in the effort of preventing child abuse and neglect and thus breaking the cycle of violence that occurs from generation to generation. Below is a partial list of confirmed wineries and chocolatiers donating to this cause - this is a major Napa event - it was a great event with so much food, wines, music, and all for a GREAT CAUSE. Website - www.napachocolateandwine.com This was my 1st event, and it was very well organized by over 50 volunteers, 100% proceed goes to Napa County Foster Kids http://napafostercom.fatcow.com/ I'm looking forward to the next 28th Annual Chocolate & Wine Tasting benefiting Napa County Children.

Wow can these guys put on an event!…read more Just recently did the Savor Sonoma Valley Barrel Tasting & Culinary Food Experience, and WOW is the only word I have to say. On the weekend of March 17th & 18th 2007 my GF and a bunch of her friends were able to go wine tasting to 19 Sonoma Valley Wineries. Not only were you able to sample the upcoming wine releases, but they were also paired with foods from many local caterers and stores. So for a weekend pass, you must be thinking I can go to 19 wineries, sample both the food and wine, get a comparative tasting glass and this is going to cost me like $150+... HA! Not even half that price for the weekend. We are talking $55! Yes only $55!!! This was probably the best Sonoma wine tasting value I've ever seen. I will most definately be doing this again next year. They have other events coming up such as a Film Festival, and special dinners at the Wineries, but this Savor Sonoma Valley Barrel Tasting & Culinary Food Experience is definitely worth doing for a short get away weekend and wine tasting experience!

These are the guys that put on the barrel tasting weekend every March in Sonoma. We attended this…read morepast weekend and had a really fun time. This is a special event for a few reasons including food pairings by local chefs and the opportunity to taste wine from the barrel and compare it to the finished product. You can also buy futures for a barrel that you really like and some vineyards discount their wines for Savor Sonoma. My favorite participants were La Rochelle and Muscardini who led the pack with great wines and amazing bites.

Healdsburg Museum History Talks…read more Link: https://www.healdsburgmuseum.org/history-talks-in-the-plaza The Healdsburg Museum presents a special series of "History Talks" during the summer. It's held in the open-air Gazebo in Healdsburg's picturesque Town Square on Saturday mornings. It's led by a museum docent who presents a general history of Healdsburg with photos and maps shown on a big-screen TV. The photos and the presenter's descriptions really bring the past to life. Some of the photos show locations and historical events that took place around the square- right where you'll be sitting. You can see the before and after right there in front of you! Each Talk starts with this general history for 20 minutes or so. After the general history presentation another docent or amateur historian takes over and talks about a more focused part of Healdsburg history, complete with photos. Subjects in Summer 2024 included Healdsburg on the home front of WW 2, notable women of Healdsburg, agricultural history, Healdsburg transportation history and several more subjects. All these focused presentations are well researched and often include personal stories of the presenter and their family. There is a Q & A afterward during which some of the best, and most personal stories about Healdsburg come to light. The audience is comprised of visitors young and old and a few long-time residents who remember the past and the stories their ancestors passed down. You can sightsee around the square before or after the History Talk and there are numerous cafés, bakeries and restaurants to enjoy right there.

I love FREE museums and Healdsburg Museum & Historical Society is FREE, though it's Small. It's…read morehoused in a old Public Library building. It's got local Healdsburg history; Sonoma County history, stuff about the Russian River, founders, etc. There's the main room & a downstairs research area. From the website: "In 2001-2002 the Museum's permanent galleries underwent a major renovation and refurbishment. New sections and themes were added to the display, and more history is now included. Exhibit sections include: Southern Pomo and Western Wappo; the Mexican Rancho period; the founding of Healdsburg; the growth of Healdsburg; Agriculture (hops, prunes and grapes); Industry (lumber, quicksilver, gravel, canneries); Business; the Plaza; Festivals; Transportation; Resorts; Schools; Sports; the Homefront (during WWII and the Korean War); and the Russian River. Downstairs exhibits include: Edwin Langhart, Museum founder; Brainerd Jones, architect; Andrew Carnegie; and Music (at home, in the schools, town band)." Open: Tues-Sun 11-4 FREE Website: http://www.healdsburgmuseum.org/index.html

This place is so easy to miss because it's right in between McDonald's and the Auto Shop on HWY 12…read more There's only like 4 parking spaces for this place and you might have to park at the McDonald's parking lot and walk right over. The food was alright. I've had better but it's reasonable.

EXCELLENT home made tortillas. We had steak and carnitas tacos and they were perfect. I love that…read morethey give you freshly grilled veggies with the rice and beans. This place is super clean and convenient location IF you know its there. (Right by Happy Dog.) I've driven past this place 20 times and never gone in. A+ service by Artitizia. We're from AZ so, we're very picky about Mexican food. This place is doing it right. Authentic!