The Classic – Saint Helena
Known as “Napa Valley’s Main Street,” this natural beauty can best be described as comfortable in its skin. Home to a half-mile main strip lined with sycamore trees and a host of long-standing wineries – including Beringer, the valley’s oldest – Saint Helena has grown more chic and charismatic with age. Though it teems with history (Robert Louis Stevenson hung out here on his honeymoon), the town presents today as a well-heeled, modern wine village, festooned with the sort of shops you want to peruse: cookery stores, clothing boutiques, olive oil dispensaries, and artisan bakeries.
Wine: To taste Saint Helena’s finest, you should secure winery appointments with go-to local driver-guide, who’ll have access to all the best wineries and owners. One suggested route: Begin the day at Ehlers Estate, then continue to Hall Wines, whose uber-stylish architecture complements the artistry they bottle. Later, ascend to Cain Vineyard & Winery, which overlooks the valley from the crest of the Spring Mountain district, for a guided vineyard hike and tasting.
Dine: Arrive early to The Model Bakery – a Napa staple for nearly 90 years – for its famed oversize English muffins. (Note: You may be tempted to bribe locals for their place in line.) For lunch, Fox sends clients to Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch – she promises you’ll swoon over the pimento cheese deviled eggs. She also urges: “Don’t miss the dark chocolate caramels with fleur de sel at Woodhouse Chocolate”. Outdoor fireplaces and a walnut bar set the scene at Press, a farmhouse-styled chophouse where dry-aged beef grills over almond and cherrywood and whose wine menu exclusively features local bottles.
Stay: Meadowood Napa Valley’s 250 acres feel like a village in itself. The resort holds 85 cottage-style suites, tennis courts, a new spa (request the 3.5-hour vinotherapy treatment), a croquet filed, and a golf course, but it’s most renowned for its three-Michelin-starred restaurant, one of only five in the western US.
