I'd been dying to go to Napa. It's been on my bucket list forever, and I kept it on the list, even after I gave up alcohol. Yes, wineries are still awesome even when you don't drink, if you're there for something other than the wine. I was there was the architecture and history, and to #seesomeNAPA. It's a beautiful place.
I went to four wineries on my trip. There are more than one hundred in Napa. Of the four, Francis Ford Coppola's Inglenook was my favorite.
I'd never been to a winery before, but it lived up to my ideas of what a winery would be like. It was very posh, but without being snooty. The other wineries I visited were nice, but didn't have the history or the luxe of Inglenook. They felt more like tourist traps than wineries.
Anyway, acloser look at the facade of Inglenook. The vines are a nice touch, right? I'm sure it's even more beautiful in full "bloom".
Contrary to popular belief, the building you are looking at is not Francis Ford Coppola's house. In fact, the building has never been used as a residence. The original Inglenook owner, a Finnish sea captain, built this, well, building in the 1880s, to house the production of wine. It has never been used as a residence.
Inglenook is one of the oldest surviving wineries in Napa. It thrived from the start, and unlike many wineries, it survived Prohibition. Guess how? They sold wine to churches to use for communion. Kind of brilliant, eh?
Coppola purchased a part of the winery in 1975 with proceeds from the the Godfather franchise, and began his own winery, not Inglenook. In 1995, he purchased the entire estate and began producing Inglenook wines. He also owns another winery in Napa, which produces the Coppola wines that you can find at Trader Joe's.
The entry way to Inglenook:
A couple views, looking out from the estate: Even bare, the vineyards are lovely.
Coppola added this staircase to the Inglenook building to give it a more regal feel. It's made of wood from Belize, where Coppola also has a luxury resort. It's a really beautiful work of art.
Coppola added this stained glass window to give the entryway, also to add a more regal feel. Although he owns the entire estate, he added the name "Niebaum" to pay homage to the founder of Inglenook.
In 1988, Coppola made a film, "Tucker: The Man and His Dream, about Preston Tucker, the automobile manufacturer who split from the Big Three auto manufacturers to make the Tucker 48. Only 51 cars were made before the company folded due to negative publicity. Coppola keeps his million dollar vintage ride in the main event space at the winery. She's a beauty.
We took a quick tour of the estate. Way behind the main winery, is Coppola's house and his first winery. If you squint, the building that looks tiny is Coppola's residence. The building to its right, the white one, is the winery.
As part of the tour, we also trekked underground to see where the wine is held. Lots and lots of wine!
After a tour of the estate, our small group had a wine tasting in the Daniel Room. Very swank. In case you're wondering what the wines taste like, I haven't a clue. No, really. I went to Napa and didn't drink a drop. Not even a taste. I had grapefruit soda. That said, the group I was with raved about the wine.
See? Soda.
Vintage wines, chilling on the shelves. They haven't been touched in ages. Look at the dust! It's also beautiful decor, for, you know, a winery.
Usually, I'm fine traveling alone. Being with a group of couples wasn't awkward, but the couple across from me reminded me so much of me and Husband. I wished he was there with me. Maybe we'll make it to Napa for an anniversary or birthday trip one year. Oh, and if anybody can ID the man to my right, let me know. I KNOW him from TV, I think, but I couldn't figure out where and didn't want to ask. Who is he?!
