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There is no denial that Robin Williams filled our lives and days with smiles. His Napa Valley Estate, a 650 acres property named “Village of Smiles” has been for sale for at least one year. It is a beautiful property in the Mayacamas mountains and we cannot begin to imagine how many microclimates it holds.

It would be both wonderful and magical if expert and loving hands grabbed this land and planted the finest clones to produce the most delightful wines. After all wine does may the heart glad. As a boutique wine tour operator we frequently visit small wineries hidden among the hills.

We cannot begin to tell you the beauty, joy and melancholy that one experiences when the sun glistens against imposing mountains and valleys. It is a busy time for us and I look forward to hosting many of you. Jona, David and I are working diligently to identify the best buys and vintages with most potential for you our guests. For now I leave you with a few pictures of Robin Williams Napa home: We can’t wait to host you. Each of us really takes pride in being Napa’s most coveted luxury transportation company.

With Love,

Javy

There are many larger conversation taking place in academia regarding the impact of global warming in the viticulture industry. Wine is one of the most sensitive crops when it comes to climate change and small variances can mean the difference between an outstanding Cab and a less than complete wine.

If current global warming trends continue it is entirely possible that great wine regions will be a thing of the past. Of course this trend also gives way for interesting new wine regions around the world. In fact Scotland just produced their very first wine planting a few vines of Solaris, Rondo, and Riegerebbe varieties they are about to push into the market two whites and one rose wine. Good for Scotland! As for Napa we continue to have a strong commitment toward sustainability and green practices. With the current drought in California many wineries are implementing the latest and greatest irrigation innovations that incorporate automation of sensors to measure humidity and other amazing water savings practices. 

As for us, we have partnered with several wineries with certified green land and certified wine production and we would love to be your hosts and help you discover these amazing producers. Our concierge can design a 100% green wine tasting tour.

Our 2014 grape harvest is here. This is the best and most beautiful time to tour Napa Valley and capture the heart of wine production. contact us at concierge@napaprivatetours.com we will deliver a five star wine tasting & wine buying experience

Hello wine-loving friends. I hope you are having a lovely summer full of family, friends and excellent libations. I recently received an email from a dear client of mine that has toured with Napa Private Tours several times in an effort to enrich his wine cellar. His question was and honor, a challenge and a great inspiration for me and the Napa Private Tours team to put together a list of awesome restaurants in tandem with superior wine pairings from Napa. I have reached out to several friends in the culinary sector living across the country and around the world and I will try my best to share with you our best culinary findings along with our favorite pairings. If in your travels you encounter a magical BYOB please send us your recommendation at concierge@napaprivatetours.com, we would love to feature it as opportunities arise. Let us begin with the beautiful city of San Francisco.

Anchor Oyster Bar

This culinary gem is located in Castro and it is a fantastic location to meet with friends on a sunny summer saturday afternoon. Order the Anchor Special. To take a look at their website and find out the details such as location and business hours go ahead and click here. Our pairings of choice with this casual but lovely BYOB option are as follows:

Tête de Cuvée Chandon

Ehlers Rose

Define Exotic Rose

Burritt Room + Tavern

This is a hidden gem and we are absolutely certain you are going to love it. Their menu is to die for!! If you are bringing your own wine to this wonderful joint it better be good. Their very own cellar offers over 200 different wines, among them some of the best that Napa has to offer.  If you do decide to take advantage of their free corkage and your palate is ready to be seduced by Chef Lucas Knox how about you try the following Napa wine recommendations:

Vineyard 29 Sauvignon Blanc

2007 Bolen Merlot

2006 Dancing Hares Bordeaux Blend 

Little Star Pizza

We love the up-and-coming Mission District location. Again, this is a place to share with friends on an impromptu outing. Nothing fancy about it just excellent food, wonderful people and the opportunity to bring the best wines from your very own wine library. Lovely deep dish pizzas a most refreshing Caprese salad and a thin crust white pie that will have you saying mama mia! They do close a bit early for our taste, but such is life. Here is their awesome website. We are only vouching for the location on Valencia as it is the only one we have tried. And with a drumroll our pairings recommendations are as follows:

T-Vine Charbono

Chase Cellars Zinfandel

Llamas Syrah

& there you have it my dear friends. The team and I will bring you three more San Francisco BYOB restaurant options with our picks and pairings sometime next week. Until them please keep us in mind as your first choice for customer-centric personalized Napa wine tours. We will do whatever it takes to turn your trust into a long-lasting friendship.

Yours,

Javy

The team at NPT has had a busy and interesting week getting to know new customers and welcoming our return guests once again. A very dear guest of ours sent us a note asking for some guidance on how to pair their holiday cooking with superior Napa wines. Here is a quick guide for picnics & BBQ pairings for popular dishes across the United States

Fried Chicken, Potato Salad & Watermelon

We love to pair this combo with a lovely Chardonnay from Spelletich Family Wine.

Gourmet Hot Dog with House Made Pickles

We pair our grilled dogs with Robert Viale Zinfandel Black Chicken 2012

Smoked Brisket, Pinto Beans & Coleslaw

Our choice this year for our Texas-style BBQ is the 2008 Frias Family Vineyard Syrah

And there you have it! If you need to visit Napa to enhance your wine collection let our wine experts plan your complete itinerary we will help you experience new highly rated wines and to introduce you to the newest rising stars in the wine making industry.

Have a Fun-Filled 4th!

Javy