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Weekend Winter Wonderland, Food & Wine Event,

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Holiday Carriage Rides, Entertainment & Santa Sommelier –

YOUNTVILLE – NAPA VALLEY, CA. — Take an hiatus from the urban holiday rush and sing joy to the vines at Yountville’s 22^nd Annual Festival of Lights, November 26, 2010. The town’s annual fete salutes the season with a procession of thousands of twinkling lights and show-stopping winter wonderland complete with carolers, horse-drawn carriage rides, ice carving and the big guy in red. At 2:00 p.m., the Santa Sommelier arrives at his West Pole post where children can mix, mingle and pose for posterity. On Washington Street, 20+ wineries and the region’s top toques (Ad Hoc, Bardessono, Bistro Jeanty, Bouchon Bistro & Bakery, Bottega, Cantinetta Piero, etoile at Domaine Chandon, Hurley’s Restaurant & Bar, Pacific Blues, Brix and Mustards) serve up tastes while galleries, boutiques and restaurants open their doors for late night shopping and dining. Admission is free; tasting tickets are $1.00/each. www.yountville.com.

Yountville’s European ambiance mixed with a classic California wine country beat translates into a relaxing getaway. Ideal for families seeking the ultimate safety-net, the town’s tight layout keeps kids in check and allows visitors to go “green” by walking to all events, restaurants and hotels. For foodies, Napa Valley’s “culinary crushpad” sports six Michelin stars and enough cult cabernet to keep a holiday sky lit; make sure to reserve a table in advance.

For the avid oenophile, grab a bike for a trek of the area’s 24+ wineries and/or producers within a four square-mile grid. Key stops include Domaine Chandon, Goosecross Cellars, Bell Wine Cellars, Hopper Creek Winery, Girard Napa Valley, Ma(i)sonry, Tamber Bey, Jessup Cellars, Silenus Vintners, Keever Vineyards, Gemstone, Morningside, Page Wine Cellars, V Wine Cellar, Hill Family Estate, Hope & Grace, Beau Vigne, Cornestone Cellars and the new $1 million tasting/shopping venue at Somerston Wine Company.

Other options abound including a seven-course adrenalin bump via the new Napa Valley Ziplines, caroling above the clouds on a hot air balloon adventure, hammering down that handicap at the Vintners Golf Club, visiting the holiday art exhibit at Napa Valley Museum or slipping into one of the town’s many spas for a decadent mind/body experience. Nearby, the Lincoln Theater gears up with live performances.

Visitor Information

Site of Napa Valley’s first planted vines (1838), Yountville sits at the epicenter of the region’s culinary scene sporting the Valley’s top-ranked restaurants (six Michelin stars), 24+ wineries and/or producers and 11 lodging properties. An ideal base for the avid oenophile, Yountville offers the county’s only hot air ballooning launch, five National Register of Historic Places sites, a microclimate pedigree with its own AVA, world-class shopping and performing arts. Located 55 mi./88 km. north of San Francisco, travelers can arrive via scenic Highway 29 or via Napa County Airport, Sacramento (SMF), Oakland (OAK) or San Francisco (SFO) international airports. For more information and travel inquiries, contact the Yountville Chamber of Commerce at 707.944.0904 or www.yountville.com.

Contact: Koleen Hamblin/KOLI Comm.

800.487.9057; link2koli@aol.com

Cindy Saucerman/Yountville Chamber

707.944.8008; CLSaucerman@sbcglobal.net

aralyn D. Hill, President
International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association
Books By Hills Success With Writing Where & What in the World Blog

Author: Maralyn

Maralyn Dennis Hill, The Epicurean Explorer, is president emeritus of International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association, member of Society of American Travel Writers, and Society of Professional Journalists. She is Executive Editor of Luxe Beat Magazine and contributes to other publications. She also speaks and is a guest on many shows. The majority of Maralyn’s articles are now geared to the luxury market, spas, corporate retreats, business events, and culinary tourism, from simple to gourmet. Maralyn’s description of herself: I was born to travel and tell the tale. I’m energized by different cultures in every aspect of their lives, from food, wine, and destination, to how they conduct business. Travel represents a continual geography lesson.