Bottle Rock Napa Valley

Published on: February 26th, 2013

One of the biggest events held in Napa Valley is Bottle Rock Napa Valley. This event, held May 9-12 this year, highlights an infusion of music, wine, beer and food, and is held at three venues in the Napa area. This one of a kind show has something for everyone and sells out fast, so don’t wait to plan your trip!

Featured Bands
There are approximately 60 bands performing on three different stages, including Kings of Leon, The Black Keys, Zac Brown Band, Cake, Jackson Browne, Train and Furthur (featuring Bob Weir and Phil Lesh), to name a few. See your favorite bands or see them all!

Featured Wineries/Bars
Plenty of wine and beer will be served to enhance this experience. Some of the 60 sponsors include: 1313 Main, Silver Oak, Chandon, Girgich Hills and Rombauer. Over a four day period, you get to taste all of their fine creations.

Featured Dining Sponsors
Napa offers cuisine for every palate and many excellent restaurants will be on hand for your enjoyment. You will experience food from Tra Vigne, Farmstead, Oenotri, The Thomas, Zuzu and many others. I have personally dined at many of these restaurants and all are very good!

Featured Accommodations
There are many hotels and B&Bs that are offering reasonable room rates to enhance your stay during the Bottle Rock celebration and rejuvenate for the next day. Let us help you find a place that fits your budget.

This is a well-attended event and some passes have already sold out. Don’t wait any longer – please call us so we can help plan your trip.

Ed Pollard
Tour Vin
Napa Valley Concierge

Tour Vin Winter Picks and Pics

Published on: February 6th, 2013

Tour Vin just spent a week in Napa Valley — exploring new wineries and hot dining spots, and enjoying various accommodations in order to enhance our recommendations to our clients.

Our wine experiences included Alpha Omega, Pine Ridge, Signorello, Carter Cellars, Black Sears and Continuum. Though varied in tasting pleasure, all were excellent and unique in ambience, and very customer friendly. Below is a photo of the dormant winter vineyards, which captures the sleepy nature of grape vines this time of year.

Culinary options in Napa Valley abound and we visited many establishments to assess food quality, service and ambience — glad to say we were not disappointed! Bistro Don Giovanni and Norman Rose for lunch and Bouchon, Bottega, Bistro Jeanty and Lucy for dinner were all outstanding! Have you enjoyed any of these wonderful establishments?

Accommodations in the valley are numerous and offer something for everyone. B&Bs and inns offer excellent accommodations in a relaxed atmosphere — the Harvest Inn, Wine Country Inn or Maison Fleurie and the Napa Valley Lodge, are all wonderful places to stay and rejuvenate. For those who enjoy being pampered in extreme luxury, Hotel Yountville, Westin Verasa, and Bardessona are all excellent choices.

For those who enjoy the unity of art and wine, Napa Valley is the place to visit. Try Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley for this wonderful experience. Ma(i)sonry pairs select boutique wines in a setting where you are surrounded by art, sculpture and art artifacts. There are more than 100 artists represented by Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley so there is something for everyone.

We hope you have enjoyed these pictures as much as we enjoyed experiencing new and different places to offer you, our clients. Want to see more? Check our the Tour Vin Facebook page to see additional photos from Tour Vin’s winter excursion!

Don’t miss Napa Valley in the spring. Take a look at our January 9th blog (Napa Valley Spring Tour) and call us today!

Ed Pollard
Tour Vin
Napa Valley Concierge

Give That Wine a Second Chance!

Published on: January 24th, 2013

How many of us, after tasting a wine varietal one time say, “I don’t like it?” I have done this myself, but have learned over the years there are many factors that may have contributed to my initial reaction. It could be the particular winery, vintage or even how the wine was stored and shipped from the winery to the store or your home. Wine making is also complicated — variables include the terroir (a group of vineyards or vines from the same region, belonging to a specific appellation and sharing the same type of soil, weather conditions, grapes and wine making savoir-faire, which contribute to give specific personality to the wine), the wine making itself, the affect of weather on the vineyard and bottle age before release.

Further complicating our wine tasting experience is how we pair our wine with food. There are wines that pair well with certain foods and others that don’t make the cut. I tried a very good cabernet sauvignon with carrot cake just to see if it was a good pairing. It was awful! The sweetness of the cake made the very good cabernet taste bitter. It was a good wine, but a bad pairing.

The point is that too many times we judge a wine solely on ratings or the one time we tried it and didn’t like it. There are so many varietals and wineries, it would be a shame to miss out on potentially good wines based on a one-time experience.

GIVE THAT WINE A SECOND CHANCE!

Ed Pollard
Tour Vin
Napa Valley Concierge

Napa Valley Spring Tour

Published on: January 9th, 2013

Tour Vin has created a Spring Tour Package to Napa Valley you don’t want to miss! Here are the highlights:

Dates: There are four available tours to choose from – March 12 & 13;  March 26 &  27; April 9 & 10; and April 23 & 24.

Suggested arrival and departure is the day before and after each tour since there will be two full days of wine tasting. You will enjoy one day of tasting “classic wines,” which may include Robert Mondavi Winery, Signorello Estate, Frank Family Vineyards and Silver Oak Winery. You’ll also have one day to experience “boutique wines” that are difficult to acquire, such as Modus Operandi Cellars, Odette Estate, Failla Wines, David Arthur Vineyards and Anomaly Vineyards.

Accommodations: Rooms have been reserved for Tour Vin clients at B&Bs and hotels that have been rated 4.0-4.5 by TripAdvisor. In addition, I have personally stayed in these establishments and highly recommend them! Discounted room rates will range between $225-$300 per night, plus tax, depending on the timing of your visit. You will choose the accommodation that best fits your preference.

Dining: There are many excellent dining establishments in Napa Valley and we are here to help you select the culinary experience you desire. We will also book the reservations on your behalf.

RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY! Contact us and provide contact information and desired tour dates, as well as your accommodation preference. Our minimum non-refundable concierge fee is $170 which must be paid before we can book your tour. Please see our Services & Fees page for more information. We will offer you a 10% discount on the concierge fee if you book this event by February 15, 2013. Wine tasting fees and hotel costs are not included.

EXCELLENT WINE TASTINGS ~ LUXURY ACCOMMODATIONS ~ WINERY TOURS ~ FINEST CUISINE OPTIONS

Ed Pollard
Tour Vin
Napa Valley Concierge 

2013 TOUR VIN PREVIEW

Published on: December 27th, 2012

Create a Personalized Food and Wine Experience

Enjoy amazing food and wine in the Napa Valley and don’t wait to reserve a spot at your favorite hangouts! We are in the process of creating specific destinations for our guests and would like to hear from you – where would you like to stay, dine and taste wine? If you are adventurous and would like to try new places, we can arrange that as well. Just fill out the Contact Information on our website, click submit and take advantage of our New Year Special Offering.

New Year Special Offering

Tour Vin presents an opportunity to save $25 off our Napa Valley Concierge service fee. Here is how it works – fill out your contact information on our website (Contact Us), submit it to Tour Vin by January 31, 2013, and you will automatically receive the discount. When you refer a friend to Tour Vin’s Facebook page and they “Like” the page and provide their contact information on our website by January 31, 2013, they, too, will receive the $25 discount. All discounts must be used by December 31, 2013 (limit one $25 discount per trip).

Spring/Summer Food and Wine Packages

In early 2013, Tour Vin will present special vacation packages for you to choose from. Specifically, wine tastings will include boutique and classic wineries, accommodations will include hotels and B&B’s and dining spots will cover those familiar to many as well as up and coming places  you will want to try. Reserve an approximate time for your Napa Valley trip or ask a question by completing the Contact Information on our website.

Happy New Year!

Ed Pollard
Tour Vin
Napa Valley Concierge

Wishing You a Happy Holiday Season

Published on: December 12th, 2012

There are only 13 days left before Christmas! Are you getting stressed over what to give that special friend who loves good wine and enjoys visiting Napa Valley? Check out our Special Holiday Gift offering mentioned in our November 28^th blog.

We at Tour Vin would like to wish all of you a Happy Holiday and a wonderful, safe New Year celebration! Enjoy this time with friends, family and loved ones and celebrate what we have — whether it be good health, a great relationship, wonderful family or close friends.

Happy Holidays!

 

Ed Pollard

Tour Vin

Napa Valley Concierge

A Holiday Gift for You and a Friend

Published on: November 28th, 2012

Tour Vin will offer you and a friend a $25 discount on our Napa Valley Concierge service fee. Here is how it works – fill out your contact information on this website, submit it to Tour Vin by December 31, 2012, and you will automatically receive the discount. It’s that easy!  

Refer a friend to Tour Vin’s Facebook page and ask that they “Like” the page. Once they also provide their contact information on Tour Vin’s website and submit it to Tour Vin by December 31, 2012, they will also receive the same $25 discount. All discounts must be used by December 31, 2013 (limit one $25 discount per trip). In addition, if your friends book a trip to Napa Valley in 2013, you will receive an additional $10 discount on our Concierge Fee.

2013 is just around the corner and you don’t want to miss the wonderful experiences Napa Valley has to offer!

Happy Holidays!

 

Ed Pollard
Tour Vin
Napa Valley Concierge

Napa Valley in the Spring

Published on: November 13th, 2012

Spring seems to be a long way off, but it is time to begin thinking about your trip to Napa after the holidays. The main reason to plan early is that many hotels are offering special spring discounts now to entice guests to visit during the springtime. You can be sure many wine and food lovers will take advantage of these opportunities.

I am creating a unique wine and hotel package that will include classic wineries as well as “out-of-the-way” boutique wineries you will enjoy. As an added benefit, guests will experience Napa Valley Arts – a celebration of the connection between wine and the arts in April.  I will provide more details on spring activities in future blogs.

In the meantime, if you would like more information or would like to discuss your future trips to Napa Valley, contact us through our website or email me directly at ed@tourvin.net. Don’t miss Napa during this beautiful time of year!

Happy Thanksgiving!
Ed Pollard
Tour Vin
Napa Valley Concierge

Upcoming Napa Valley Events You Don’t Want to Miss!

Published on: October 27th, 2012

The Napa Valley Film Festival, November 7-11

This event showcases new independent films alongside wonderful food and wine. Guests also have the opportunity to meet some of the featured film directors! Enjoy some of the 100 new films, as well as the many food and wine tasting pavilions in Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga.

Flavor! Napa Valley, November 14-18

Flavor! Napa festival highlights many food and wine talents in Napa Valley. These events are hosted at the Silverado Resort & Spa, the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone and other local vineyards, wineries and restaurants.

Yountville’s 23^rd Annual Festival of Lights, November 23

Spend Thanksgiving in the Napa Valley and watch the town prepare for the winter holiday. There are many wonderful places to stay and eat in Yountville, so don’t worry about driving.

Napa Valley Restaurant Month, January 1-31

Experience special menus and unique dining opportunities at many of Napa’s great restaurants during the month of January. Whatever your culinary preference, there is certain to be something you like! In addition, many of the hotels and B&B’s will be offering special “dine and stay” packages you don’t want to miss. If you are in Napa January 18-21, don’t miss the third annual Napa Truffle Festival.

Let us know how we can help plan your upcoming trip to the Napa Valley!

Ed Pollard
Tour Vin
Napa Valley Concierge

 

Published on: October 16th, 2012

Just returned from Napa — spent a week exploring new wineries (six boutique and three classic), dined in 10 new restaurants for the first time and stayed in four different hotels. My wife and six guests thoroughly enjoyed the adventure. My goal, of course, was to be able to provide my clients with current, up-to-date information on additional places to visit and enjoy.

Wineries
We visited a winery in St. Helena (by appointment only), which is the second smallest wine making facility in the Valley. They make Cabernet and Zinfandel, both of which we later found on two different restaurant wine lists. Another winery we spent time at on Howell Mountain provided a jeep ride (with room for eight people) through their vineyards. This adventure was a first for all of us and their wine was excellent.

Dining
Napa offers many dining options and we tried various different cuisines, from casual (BBQ) to fine dining (prix fixe dining where wine is paired with each course). Lunch and dinners were all excellent which proves there are many options for everyone’s palates to enjoy.

Hotels/B&Bs
What can I say, there are so many choices. We stayed in a B&B that offered exceptional breakfasts and varied the menu each day. One morning, we ate homemade sausage wrapped in a homemade bun made from pancake mix. As a side dish, we enjoyed an excellent omelet. I also stayed in a hotel that had a large sports bar with a six lane bowling alley — so much fun!

Napa Valley offers many options, most of which are not known or available to the general public. Your preferences in wine, cuisine and accommodations are important to us, and  we plan your itinerary with those in mind.

Give us a call!

Ed Pollard
Tour Vin
Napa Valley Concierge