Foodies rejoice! Delight your taste buds with memorable meals at a Napa Valley Michelin-star restaurant and one of our local winemakers' haunts. Explore the science of food and wine pairing at an acclaimed Napa Valley winery. Dine and learn at the Culinary Institute of America and enjoy lunch and a culinary workshop at the restaurant and store of one of the most famous celebrity chefs in Napa Valley. Sound appetizing?
Day 1
Breakfast – Head to Yountville's Bouchon Bakery for irresistible pastries, muffins and scones. Don't forget to grab a few of the bakery's namesake treats to go -- bouchons are small, cork-shaped bites of brownie heaven.
Stop 1 – Explore the art and science of wine and food pairing at Duckhorn, where some of the finest Bordeaux varietals in the Valley are made.
Lunch – Save room for lunch at Bottega, the Yountville restaurant of chef and Food Network host Michael Chiarello. The menu celebrates Italian cuisine with California twist, using fresh, local ingredients and house-made pastas, cured meats, sausage and more.
Stop 2 – After lunch, stop by Napa Style -- chef Chiarello's home goods and artisan food store -- to pick up goodies for later and take a lesson from the chefs of Napa Style's Culinary Program.
Dinner – No one knows California cuisine better than Napa Valley winemakers, and the locals' choice in Yountville is Hurley's. Known for its wild game and relaxed atmosphere around the fireplace or on the patio, Hurley's epitomizes wine country dining.
Stay – After dinner, turn in at Meadowood, one of the Valley's premier luxury resorts. Cap off your day with a relaxing massage, either in the Meadowood spa or right in your guest room.
Day 2
Breakfast – Start day two with room service at Meadowood, served in front of an in-room fireplace or on your private deck.
Stop 1 – Indulge in a detoxifying body wrap at the spa, or take a brisk hike on Meadowood's scenic 4.5 mile Loop to take in the Valley views and work up an appetite for lunch.
Lunch – Just across the Valley, the Culinary Institute of America trains the next generation of award-winning chefs. Housed in a grand stone building that was once the Christian Brothers winery, the Institute showcases new talent at its acclaimed onsite eatery, the Wine Spectator Restaurant.
Stop 2 – Wander the CIA campus, pop by the Flavor Bar for a Taste Like a Chef sensory experience, take in a cooking demonstration and then taste your way through downtown St. Helena, stopping at Olivier to sample locally made olive oil and Woodhouse Chocolate for an afternoon treat.
Dinner – Head back to The Restaurant at Meadowood for chef Christopher Kostow's three-star Michelin-rated culinary magic. Chef Kostow creates modern American cuisine with the freshest local ingredients, often harvested from gardens on the Meadowood grounds.
Culinary Institute of America
