Napa. Locals. Live Music. Chill. Food. Dogs. Sunshine…read more Napa Porch fest is a fun Sunday event in Napa where locals host a musical band/ group to JAM OUT on their porch. Come by foot or bike, bring a blanket, find a spot and enjoy. Cocktails are available if you know where to look. Food trucks line the street. All genres of music. There was guy playing steel drums, another band did covers and many wrote their own stuff. SO many different genres of music to enjoy on a beautiful day. Park your car and walk, streets are closed off as there are hundreds of people walking around. SO many friendly people, even made a bunch of new local friends. The video shows a band called One sharp mind. Looooooove the island vibe these guys produce. Thanks Napa- it was an amazing day!

Amazing! Literally there are full bands on residential porches giving live concerts. It was so…read moremany different Genres we had a hard time deciding where we wanted to go. Tips: Most people travelled via bike .. streets were closed.. but we were able to find good parking... Bring chairs and blankets and set up a cozy spot near the music you want to hear. Make sure prior to your arrival you go to the website and download the maps... they have is by genre, by time, etc...

This was a great kick off to our weekend hours prior to Roger Waters show & conveniently on the way…read morejust off the 101 in Rohnert Park. A beautiful day and perfect hours for the event that featured the Press Democrat Top 100 wines of Sonoma County and a delightful & diverse mixture of local restaurants food offerings. Fortunately we were able to taste the Top rated Taft Street Rose, which limited production has since sold out, but was truly amazing for a lighter red. Handline, a new comer restaurant served a wonderfully fresh, simply prepared halibut. So many, too many to mention both food & wine tastings, it can be a little overwhelming but it's also a treat to have them all in one tidy, eco friendly Sonoma State Campus hosted event.

********************* 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.

Went to Napa dance last evening and had the best time! Over 100 happy friendly people from many…read moredifferent cities. DJ Steve Luther played a fabulous mix of songs for many different types of dances from traditional ballroom (waltz and foxtrot) to Latin dances, east coast and west coast swing, two step and country dances. He also facilitated some line dancing as well as providing a short lesson. We also enjoyed Dick and Edna teaching Charleston to the group - oh what fun! I understand that this dance group puts on dances the second Saturday each month and alternates between a DJ and live bands. Making this a regular monthly activity - best dance experience I could have asked for! They are planning a 50th Anniversary dance on July 9 - won't miss this one...recommend signing up to their website for notices.

Wow, real dancing in Napa! I attended the March 12 dance and was impressed with the friendly crowd,…read moretalented and diverse musicians, and interesting mix of dancers. The 45-minute dance lesson followed by 3 hours of open dancing cost only $15. I added a fine glass of red wine for only $6! Anyone looking for a high energy, impressive, affordable night out in Napa should be checking out these monthly dances.

******************************* 977 *******************************…read more The 3rd annual Flavor! Napa Valley will be held November 20-24, 2013 at the Silverado Resort and Spa, and The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, Meritage Resort and Spa, Beringer Vineyards, and many other locations throughout the beautiful Napa Valley. I got the chance to attend this year and what was an amazing food and wine event. The best in America if you are a wine lover. You are in treat for the best of the best. A TASTING TO HONOR THE LIFE OF ROBERT MONDAVI - WINE TASTING WITH WINEMAKER GENEVIEVE JANSSENS - Moderator Peter Marks. Iconic vintner Robert Mondavi was an inspirational advocate for the Napa Valley, building the first winery after Prohibition and quickly producing wines that stand in the company of the world's finest. In honor of his 100th birthday, enjoy a retrospective tasting with Director of Winemaking Genevieve Janssens, who will unlock Robert Mondavi Winery's treasured library of older vintages to showcase more than forty years of unparalleled winemaking history. We got to taste 1976 JUDGEMENT OF PARIS Cabernet Sauvignon that won the blind tasting that year. 2 bottles of Chateau Margeaux 1995 and 2006, I was SPOILED. TOP TASTERTM BLIND WINE TASTING COMPETITION - Host: Andrea Robinson Panelists: Gillian Ballance, Bob Bath, Alder Yarrow and 10 Master Sommeliers around the US. I wrote this event so much, I got 5 wines out of 6, so much fun, so much to learn, and the beautiful resort Meritage. THE APPELLATION TRAIL: TASTING NAPA VALLEY - Take a journey to the epicenter of abundant Napa Valley as you taste wines from its 16 sub-appellations at this grandest of Grand Tastings. Gather your friends for an indulgent night of sipping and feasting from nearly 100 wineries and 25 restaurants - all under one roof of the majestic Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. Throughout the evening, you'll be saying hello to the winemakers and chefs who make Napa Valley the premier wine and food destination in America. And you'll discover how the various terroirs and micro-climates of the region make each Cabernet--along with other varietals--unique expressions of where they were grown. Over 100 wineries and 25 restaurants participated in this event. We had so much fun, so much wines, so much food, so many awesome chefs, so little time! ABOUT: Flavor! Napa Valley® Celebration of Wine, Food & Fun is an annual event that features world‐class Napa Valley wines alongside the Napa Valley's master chefs and graduates of The Culinary Institute of America's culinary education programs. Net proceeds from the event support programs and scholarships at The Culinary Institute of America's Greystone Campus in St. Helena, CA. The event is hosted by founding sponsors Silverado Resort and Spa and Dolce Hotels in partnership with VisitNapaValley.com, The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, and the Napa Valley Vintners, and is produced by Karlitz & Company. DO NOT MISS THIS EVENT NEXT YEAR IF YOU ARE TRULY NAPA VALLEY WINE LOVERS!

My husband and I truly enjoy attending this wonderful event!!! My husband is a professional chef,…read moreso food is his passion. I love to bake, and because my husband is passionate about food, so am I. We love watching the demos, touring the CIA facility, picking up things in the bookstore, participating in events, and meeting the chefs! This is a great event for anyone who's interested in wine, cheese, good food, baking, and/or fun! This year, I attended a cake decorating session with Duff Goldman of Charm City Cakes. The event was held at Beringer VIneyards in the Hudson House, which was lovely. We were able to get hands-on assistance and guidance from Duff and his staff, and our cakes turned out great! This was my first time airbrushing a cake, and working with fondant - not my favorite cake decorating item, but it was so much fun; I even had my cake box autographed by him. :-) Next,I headed to CIA to watch an Iron Chef Morimoto demonstration. Last year, we watched him break down a monkfish and create 5 spectacular dishes. This year, it was a yellowtail and 6 dishes! He is always entertaining and of course, the room smells terrific as he cooks! His knife skills are amazing! The other event I attended was an interactive demo with Rocco Dispirito. He demoed the gnudi we would be making, but also made pork saltimbocca as well. He is definitely passionate about altering traditional dishes to be healthier - he was more than happy to share some of his tips and tricks for healthier eating. I got to cook in the CIA kitchen, which was a lot of fun, too! Students were there to help anyone who needed assistance. Participants were able to enjoy 3 wines with our meal - Beringer, Stag's Leap, and Etude. I must say, my entire table enjoyed the Beringer cabernet sauvignon the most. In fact, I bought a bottle for our Thanksgiving meal this past weekend! The gnudi was tasty, the saltimbocca was great, and we had a dessert as well. It was a great experience - Rocco made a point of going around in the kitchen when we were cooking and checking up on everyone, as well as visiting every table during the meal. I bought his book and got it signed afterwards - picked one up for my boss, as well! I would have loved to attend a few more events, but scheduling conflicts prevented it, and a couple of the events sold out quickly. I highly recommend attending this event if you're in the business or if you're just interested!!! It's a lot of fun, the scenery is beautiful, and you'll have a great time!!!

What an absolute hidden gem! I've been dying to come here for some time and I'm so glad we finally…read moremade it out. It's simple: go to the market, purchase a prepaid tasting card (we did $25 split between 2 people), and enjoy a rotation of 24 wines ranging from 2oz to a full glass. Each wine is priced differently and range from $2 a taste, to $20 a glass; which is an INCREDIBLY great deal for Napa! Try wines anywhere from Napa & Calistoga to France & South Africa. The person who helped us at the Marketplace (where you buy the card) was so helpful and nice. She even let us know you can grab a glass and walk around the premise. We ventured to the culinary museum upstairs and observed some students prepping for a big event coming up. I can only imagine taking a glass outside to the garden during the summer! Just bring back your glass! If you're looking for a do-it-yourself kind of wine tasting, look no further! Love it here and can't wait to come back!

Here's why you'll want to go to Wine Bar at Copia:…read more * You have no interest in seeing or interacting with anyone; * You want to sample wines not just from the Napa Valley but from regions as far away as, say, Israel as well; * You don't need anyone trying to sell you more than just a glass of wine nor do you wish to hear anyone wine-speak; and finally * You have a good board game/card game/novel to write and you'd like to undertake that venture in a quiet, nice environment while drinking wine. Sitting across the parking lot from the uber-popular Oxbow Market, Copia is a wholly different experience. What it started as didn't work out, then the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) moved in, and what's there now is evolving at a snail's pace. This might be the most low-key place in the whole of Napa Valley. Literally, there is a ton of space, indoor, outdoor, and upstairs and now there's a self-serve wine bar featuring upwards of 20 wines. The drill goes like this: go to the gift shop at Copia and purchase your wine card ($25 or $50) then walk over to the Wine Bar at Copia (15 seconds away) and use that card to select and pour wines of your choice. There's nobody here checking up on you or checking in on you and, if your experience is like mine, you will have to yourself (if you choose to stay in this space) a very nicely appointed space in which to do pretty much whatever you desire. I had just come from a winery wine tasting before landing here so I failed to use up my $25 credit but now that I know it's here I'll be back to do so. Sometimes avoiding the crowds is desirable and if that's the mood you're in, this is the perfect place for that.

LOVE love this cute wine shop... it feels more like a comfy lounge! I found out about this place…read morefrom 1 of my wine friends and now every time I'm downtown Napa I stop by. They have a really great collection of vinyl and they're always playing something that matches the vibe of this place! You can order by the glass or choose a bottle out of their temperature wine room of my dreams they have wines at every price point which makes it super approachable! The staff are friendly and really helpful! They also have a wine club and I really like that it's typically a mixture of tourists and locals hanging out. The spot is a little hidden off of 1st street and def. worth visiting!

Extremely deep and diverse selection of Portuguese fortified wines. Prices are fair given the…read moreunusual selection.

Never eat at the event. Always have a nice dinner before going to the festival. Brian Culbertson…read moreis so good that I think I ignore anything negative. It does get cold at night and seating is very very tight. We have never had an issue finding a parking space. It would be great if they had more shuttles available especially after the event. That is probably the biggest issue. The ticket takers are always friendly and great at directing the crowd.

Awesome show tonight at the Meritage. Although they didn't start letting people in until 6 o'clock,…read moreso that created blocking Gerald Albrights performance because people were in line waiting to get their seats. Should start earlier as it was very unorganized. Great performances however will not be returning tonight for the show after seeing Sheila E. take a knee when they were at the Lincoln theater one year . We do not support that type of behavior, political or otherwise.