Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
West Coast U.S.
275
Domaine Carneros
It's Good to be the King
Napa Valley, California
Put yourself in the worst mood before vis-
iting this winery. Prepare yourself for all
the Napa Valley clichés about pretentious
surroundings and McWinery architec-
ture—this is, after all, a fake château built
in 1987, with a faux Louis XV-style inte-
rior. What is a French champagne house
doing in California anyway? Undoubtedly it
will be full of tourists who know nothing
about wine. You are determined not to like
it. You will not be seduced.
You storm past a pair of very pretty
wrought-iron gates and up toward this
impressive mansion on a hill. The building is
huge, with cream-colored stonework and
red brick trim. Steep, dramatic steps sweep
up through an immaculate hedge garden
fringed with flowers and vines. You stop to
catch your breath on the large, spacious
terrace on top, and take in spectacular
views of the corduroy hills of the wine coun-
try below. You momentarily regret not
bringing your camera—but then you spot
the doorman in topcoat and are about to
remark to yourself, “How tacky”—until he
flashes you a welcoming smile.
You enter a room of tall windows, high
ceilings, and blue cushioned wicker chairs.
The piped music reminds you of a hotel
lobby, but you must admit the room looks
marvelous and welcoming. A friendly
guide approaches and says you are just in
time for the champagne tour. You want to
say no, but before you know it you have a
flute of sparkling in your hand and are
being whisked out into the vineyard.
The guide is surprisingly upbeat and
knowledgeable. You learn that the winery
belongs to the Taittinger family, the blue-
bloods of the Champagne region in France.
The building is an exact replica of their
historical Château de la Marquettere in
France, once home to a philosopher called
Cazotte (beheaded in the French Revolu-
tion), later Marshall Joffre's command
center during World War I, and now the
headquarters of the Taittinger sparkling
wine empire.
Inside the American replica, you sit
down in the elegant tasting room and
enjoy flights of champagne paired with
platters of brie, cashew nuts, and dried
pears. The service is outstanding and the
champagne great. You decide on another
flight of wines, this time served with cav-
iar. You note the fireplace in the private
tasting room and think how cozy that will
be in winter.
But it is sunny today, so you step out-
side and soak up the majestic view. You
sip your Pinot Noir and think: “It's good to
be the king.”
Domaine Carneros,
1240 Duhig Rd.,
Napa (
&
800/716-2788;
www.domaine-
carneros.com).
(
San Francisco International (59
miles/95km).
L
$$$
Napa Valley Lodge,
2230 Mad-
ison St., Yountville (
&
800/368-2468
or
707/944-2468; www.napavalleylodge.
com). $$$
Napa River Inn,
500 Main St.,
Napa (
&
877/251-8500
or 707/251-8500;
www.napariverinn.com).
