YOUNTVILLE – NAPA VALLEY, CA. — Strap into that sleigh and steal away to the vineyards of Napa Valley for a country-style celebration boasting world-class food, wine and the arts. Kicking off Friday, November 27, 2009, Yountville’s 21st Annual Festival of Lights delivers home-spun fun throughout the month of December. Add to the mix the town’s six Michelin stars and 20+ wineries tucked within four square miles and the term “cup runneth over” merits redefinition.
A perfect ticket for urbanites seeking an escape from the hectic shopping season, the Festival of Lights is an off-grid good time featuring a full line-up of holiday fun. The season hits a high note with a procession of thousands of twinkling lights transcending the town into a show-stopping winter wonderland complete with carolers, elves, horse-drawn carriage rides, ice carving and a visit from the big guy in red. Admission is free; Tasting tickets for food and wine are $1 each. Call 707.944.0904 for tasting tickets.
Visitors can tap into a variety of activities and off-season hotel rates starting November 27th with a block party certain to pique all of the senses. At 2:00 p.m., Santa arrives at his West Pole post where children can mix, mingle and pose for posterity. Street side, a bevy of local wineries and the region’s top tables (Bouchon Bakery, étoile, Redd, Brix, Bistro Jeanty, Hurley’s Restaurant & Bar, Bouchon, Pacific Blues, Mustards and Napa Valley Grille) serve up tastes along Washington Street while galleries, boutiques and restaurants open their doors for late night shopping and dining.
Yountville’s annual holiday celebration is a magnet for visitors seeking the real deal. The town’s charming European ambiance mixed with a classic California wine country beat is a relaxing retreat from the urban uproar. Throughout December carriage rides (weekends), late-night shopping and festive events unfold. For the avid oenophile, go green and grab a bike for a tasty trek of the area’s wineries meriting Napa Valley’s official 11th AVA. Key stops include Cliff Lede Vineyards, Domaine Chandon, Goosecross Cellars, Bell Wine Cellars and newcomers Girard Napa Valley, Ma(i)sonry tasting salon, Tamber Bey, Keever Vineyards, Gemstone and Morningside Vineyards.
Other options abound including caroling above the clouds on a hot air balloon adventure, hammering down that handicap at the Vintners Golf Club, visiting the Napa Valley Museum or slipping into the Spa Villagio or the new Bardessono spa 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 top-ranked restaurants, 20+ wineries and 10 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 and 20+ wine growers, world-class shopping and performing arts. Located 55 mi./88 km. north of San Francisco, travelers can arrive via scenic Highway 101 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.
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