NAPA’S NO CROWDS, NO BUSTLE SEASON
Washington Street, Yountville
A winter stroll on culinary Disneyland’s Main Street
Story and photos by David Laws
Yountville lies at the heart of the culinary Disneyland of Napa Valley. In under one mile, Washington Street, the counterpart of the Magic Kindom’s Main Street USA, is flanked by 13 restaurants, 19 tasting rooms, 35 fine-art sculptures, a gas station that appears to sell more premium wine than high-test gasoline, and a taco truck worthy of a Michelin star. With a short break between a Bay Area Travel Writers’ meeting and fine dining, I strolled the length of Washington Street in the depths of a California January day, seeking images free of the bustle and crowds of summer.
The photo above shows the kitchen garden directly opposite the iconic French Laundry restaurant at 6640 Washington that supplies fresh produce for Chef Thomas Keller’s six local establishments. Keller is the first American-born chef to hold multiple three-star ratings from the Michelin Guide and the person who played the leading role in establishing Yountville as a gastronomic destination. For years, visitors were allowed to tour the beds bursting with produce and flowers. After one too many philistines took advantage of his welcome by picking samples without permission, the facility closed to the public.
Sleeping Sculpture
Stark sculptural skeletons of cabernet vines in winter border the outdoor event center of the Estate Yountville “lifestyle destination.” Dark, rough-barked silhouettes of vines contrast with brilliant yellow, backlit blooms of wild mustard that herald the beginning of the annual January to March Napa Valley Mustard Celebration.
Sparkling Rosé
Silver Trident Winery’s new tasting room decor features the Ralph Lauren Home collection of co-proprietor Bob Binder’s Oceania top-of-the-line cruise ships. Under winemaker Kari Auringer, the estate is noted for its Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir varietals. Trident offers a unique in-the-valley tasting experience by pairing Kari’s wines with artisanal potato chips.
Magic Mushrooms
Washington Street is lined with 35 sculptures of the Yountville Artwalk, a linear outdoor gallery “that links artists, community, visitors, business and government.” Ranging from abstract to figural, sentimental to cute, and towering steel to dancing butterflies, many are available for purchase. Piedmont, California sculptor Richard Botto’s garden of Rock Mushrooms growing outside the post office can be yours for just $35,000.
Silhouettes of Winter
A pollard-pruned crepe myrtle shrub is silhouetted against white tracery patterns engraved by decades of aggressive ivy growth into the brick and mortar walls of the former Groezinger Winery. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the 20-acre winery site built in 1870 included a distillery, livery stables, a creamery, a steam power plant, and a three-story brick mansion. Today, it houses a complex of eateries and stores, including the bold Italian flavors of Bottega Ristorante.
Best Meal Deal in Town
Seeing rave reviews of Taco Garcia on social media, I looked for the building at 6792 Washington St in vain. Following a savory aroma, I found a food truck parked at the rear of the lot, where I enjoyed a delicious meal for less than the price of a glass of wine in most places in town. I learned why, in a widely quoted Food & Wine article, Thomas Keller recommends the succulent beef tacos.
Libations for Every Need
Most gas station convenience stores dispense salt, sugar, calorie-filled bags of junk food, stale coffee, and insipid six packs. The Honor Market (formerly Kelly’s Filling Station and Wine Shop) at Yountville’s only gas station boasts a curated selection of the valley’s finest wines and matching crystal stemware. In another first for a gas station, a recent help wanted ad sought candidates for barista associates.
Vintage Transportation
The family-owned and operated Napa Valley Lodge has offered lush accommodations in resort-like grounds set at the edge of a vineyard for nearly 50 years. Unique services catering to wine country visitors include bicycles equipped with sturdy wine bottle carriers mounted on the rear of its fleet of colorful bicycles.
Lunch Bell
Shaded by towering redwood trees in Yountville Community Park, this bell is one of the valley's oldest historical artifacts. It was cast in Philadelphia in 1848 and hangs at the site of Yountville’s Pioneer Christian Church courtesy of the Native Daughters of the Golden West. The park is popular with visitors seeking a cool spot to enjoy their picnic lunch. As befits a town whose economy derives from alcohol, this is one of the few parks in the state to permit the consumption of beer and wine.
Food, Art, Wine, and Bathroom Hardware
Restoration Hardware, better known for its furniture and home improvement knickknacks, operates 15 restaurants across the continent. Built in 1904 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, RH Yountville, its five-building compound at 6725 Washington includes a two-story stone wine vault and indoor/outdoor dining among bubbling fountains, heritage olive trees, sparkling chandeliers, and bathroom hardware.
From picnic lunches and food trucks to some of the state’s finest and most expensive dining, Yountville offers culinary and visual experiences to fit every budget.
If You Go
Any time of year is lovely in Yountville, but in January, you can amble down Main Street free of the heat, noise, and crush of summer. Visit the Yountville Welcome Center for current visitor information.
