Tour Vin – Cheers to a Happier New Year!

Published on: December 29th, 2020

In many ways, 2020 has been a challenging year for all of us. It’s been a tough time, to say the least. In 2021, Tour Vin looks forward to continuing to research and visit Napa Valley on your behalf, and recommend the best wineries, tastings and activities in the area for your visit.

Until then, we recommend you grab your favorite Napa Valley vintage to share with your close family and friends, and stay safe and healthy until we can all get back to traveling to the beautiful Napa Valley to experience it in person. New is the year, new are the hopes, new are the resolutions and new are the spirits. We wish you and yours happiness, health and prosperity in 2021!

Cheers,
Ed Pollard
Tour Vin
Napa Valley Concierge

Tour Vin – Finding the Perfect Holiday Gift

Published on: December 1st, 2020

Looking for a special holiday gift for the wine lover in your life? We have you covered! Napa Valley wineries, restaurants and gift shops are offering some amazing, classy gift ideas that are perfect for all the connoisseurs on your list.

Here are a few unique ideas to consider:

• An engraved champagne saber 
• A VORTEX somm aerating wine dispenser
• Cherry wood wine accessory gift box
• Make your own truffles class (virtual)
• Ultimate expression of sparkling wine and caviar pairing

There are many more possibilities to consider, including the perfect gift box of your recipients’ favorite wine. Contact us at ed@tourvin.net and we can help you navigate through all the possibilities.

Happy Holidays!

Ed Pollard
Tour Vin
Napa Valley Concierge

Tour Vin – Where Would You Like Us to Visit?

Published on: October 29th, 2020

It’s that time of year when we at Tour Vin make our regular trip to Napa Valley to search out new wine tasting venues, restaurants and accommodations for our clients. We will be updating our Tour Vin website on a regular basis (beginning November 8), so you can track where we have been and review our comments. 

If you have particular venues you would like us to visit, send us a message through our website, Facebook or Instagram, and we will report back directly to you.

Hope you are enjoying the fall weather, and that you and yours are happy and healthy – cheers!

Ed Pollard
Tour Vin
Napa Valley Concierge

Tour Vin – Supporting Napa Valley in a Time of Need

Published on: September 29th, 2020

As many of you have already heard, Napa and Sonoma Valley have again been hit with wild fires. Many residents have had to evacuate their communities, and a few wineries have already been destroyed.

Firefighters on the front line need as much support as possible, and residents and their pets are seeking shelter to escape the devastation. Here are a couple of funds that will support those most in need.

California Wildfire Relief Fund: Supports firefighters, low-income families and animals by providing emergency food, water and medicine.

Red Cross: Provides food, shelter and relief supplies to all families in need who have been displaced.

Let’s do what we can in this time of need.

Ed Pollard
Tour Vin
Napa Valley Concierge

Tour Vin – Outdoor Dining and Tasting Re-openings

Published on: August 28th, 2020

Napa Valley is looking forward to seeing you just in time for the 2020 harvest! Our firefighters have again done an incredible job gaining containment of the fires we have been reading about. After closing due to potential smoke-related issues, wineries have started to reopen for outdoor tastings. As of now, strict protocols remain in place due to COVID-19.

Here are a few of the many wineries that are open and ready to serve guests: 

• Domaine Carneros
• Alpha Omega
• Italics Winegrowers
• Modus Operandi
• Round Pond Estates
• Amizetta Vineyards
• Charles Krug Winery
• Hudson Ranch
• Progeny
• David Arthur Vineyards 

Restaurants continue to be open, but will only serve guests outdoors with limits on group size and, of course, appropriate distance between tables.

Contact us to help you navigate the ever-changing protocols at restaurants and wineries during your next Napa Valley excursion. 

Cheers!
Ed Pollard
Tour Vin
Napa Valley Concierge

Tour Vin – Napa Valley Creativity During COVID-19

Published on: July 30th, 2020

Though these are difficult times in California, Napa Valley wineries have been very creative in offering guests wine tastings on their premises (outdoor seating), as well as virtual tastings that can be enjoyed from the comfort of your home. 

Tour Vin has participated in a few of these virtual tastings, and has thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Winemakers and wine educators walk you through the history of the winery and provide valuable information about their wines. In some cases, these wineries offer wines from their library to be purchased. 

Here are two unique experiences we want to share:

• Meteor Vineyard offers a virtual blending session guided by the winemaker. Each guest purchases three different Cabernet clones, as well as the Coravin System, which keeps the bottle sealed and allows participants to enjoy the entire bottle at a later date. During the session, participants blend the wines to their taste!

• We just heard about a 2020 Napa Valley Harvest STOMP! No details have yet been provided, but we will keep you abreast of the details as they unfold. Check out the Tour Vin Facebook page for updates!

We hope you are staying healthy during these difficult times. Contact us for up-to-date happenings in Napa Valley!

Cheers!

Ed Pollard
Tour Vin
Napa Valley Concierge

Tour Vin – Plan Your Next Napa Trip in Time for Harvest

Published on: June 29th, 2020

If you are looking forward to witnessing the Napa Valley 2020 harvest, now is the time to plan your trip! Harvest will probably begin in about three months, which is also the high season in the Valley. That said, hotels, wineries and restaurants are all set up and looking forward to seeing you soon.

With COVID-19 protocols in place, the wineries allow you to safely experience sipping great wines while taking advantage of the warm sunshine and dining outdoors, enjoying your favorite cuisine. If the indoor experience is what you prefer, wineries and restaurants are set up for that as well. Almost all venues have strict social-distancing guidelines in place when dining indoors, so it’s best to make reservations in advance. 

Contact us to help plan your 2020 wine country visit to Napa Valley – cheers!

Ed Pollard
Tour Vin
Napa Valley Concierge

Tour Vin – Venues Begin to Open in Napa Valley

Published on: May 28th, 2020

Great news – as California begins to open up, so are many venues in Napa Valley! 

Hotels, wineries and restaurants are developing creative ways to entice visitors to continue to enjoy all the wine country has to offer. That said, they are also mindful of assuring all staff and visitors are active in a healthy environment. Check out our blog to stay up to date on current happenings!

Wineries/Tasting Rooms
Though wineries may begin to offer wine tastings, as of now, they must also offer food along with the wine. Since not all wineries have an on-site kitchen, they will have to contract with a restaurant that offers catering services. Tasting rooms may open as well, but they too must offer food with a glass of wine.

Restaurants
Currently, restaurants may open following strict protocols set out by the state. These include:

• Limited capacity seating
• No walk-ins
• Reservations only
• Staff is temperature checked
• Masks are required to be worn by staff and patrons
• Tables will be thoroughly cleaned after each use
• Touchless payment technology will be implemented in many restaurants

Hotels & B&Bs
As of May 29, these venues are not yet open. The hope is that by sometime in June they will, at least, be able to take reservations. That said, some are offering discount vouchers to be used for future dates. With proper planning these prepaid vouchers will save visitors money on their next trip to Napa Valley.

Hope you all are having a good summer. Contact us for regular updates as to the latest and greatest news from Napa Valley!

Cheers!
Ed Pollard
Tour Vin
Napa valley Concierge

Tour Vin – Virtual Tours

Published on: April 29th, 2020

Visiting Napa Valley right now is not in the cards, but … how about bringing Napa food and wine experiences to the comfort of your home? Many of the Napa’s wineries have created online events that can be enjoyed by you and your friends! Here are a few examples:

• Krupp Brothers Winery has scheduled four virtual wine tasting experiences in May, which will be hosted by their own wine educators. To join the online experiences, simply purchase two or three bottles of wine, or break out wines you already have. Gather your friends via Zoom and experience the tasting event together!

• Some wineries are offering online cooking classes where you can prepare fabulous foods while being instructed by a professional chef. As an example, Ackerman Family Vineyards is hosting a baking class to show participants how to bake a Meyer lemon meringue pie. All that is needed is an internet connection, a computer or tablet, and a personalized pie kit or recipe card provided by the winery.

• If you can’t visit a winery’s mountaintop estate, we know a winery that will bring the mountain to you! Acumen Winery is now hosting virtual wine tastings from their estate atop Atlas Peak. They call it “Sneak Peak” because they will take guests on a virtual tour of the vineyard property while tasting current and library releases. This special experience is available twice a week. Make sure to order the wines at least 10 days in advance of the tasting event.

Right now, we are all experiencing an unusual and difficult time, but there are ways to stay connected, as well as enjoy great food and wine. If you have any questions about these types of events, do not hesitate to contact us for more information!

Cheers, and stay safe!

Ed Pollard
Tour Vin
Napa valley Concierge

Tour Vin – Interactive Wine Tasting on the Web

Published on: March 25th, 2020

Will social distancing prevent us from enjoying some great wines? Absolutely not! Yes, precautions must be taken to do our part in helping reduce the spread of COVID-19. Thankfully, many wineries have come up with creative ideas to support their customers thirst for wines.

Have you heard of CellarPass and CellerPassTV? Basically, wineries have partnered with these folks to create a live web show that features sommeliers, winemakers or wine educators who take on-line customers through a group tasting of two to four wines. Participants may sign up for the event, purchase specific wines that are delivered to their homes prior to the tasting, and then log in to CellarPassTV on the scheduled date for the online tour.

There’s more! As an added bonus, some of the wineries are including wines from their own library! If you are interested in participating in a live streaming tasting event, contact us and we will set you up.

Stay safe out there!

Ed Pollard 
Tour Vin
Napa Valley Concierge