After the fire, Napa is growing again
After a devastating fire burned through 100,000 acres of Napa Valley last fall, there were ashes and diamonds. No, really. That’s not a sappy, poetic euphemism. A new winery and tasting room called Ashes & Diamonds opened just weeks after the fires, and it is a marvel of midcentury architecture.
The winery’s tasting room looks like something lifted from Rat Pack-era Palm Springs. Opened shortly after the fires (the name had been chosen pre-fire) it looks like nothing else in Napa Valley.
It’s one of several new hotels, restaurants, and tasting rooms to emerge since the October fires destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses.
I visited the Napa Valley for the first time last summer and was absolutely smitten. I may have been smitten because I was slightly drunk from a steady week of wine tastings. But I’m fairly certain that I was also taken with the scenery, the food, and the sunshine.
I feared that the fires would be a death knell for Napa tourism. But 90 percent of Napa and Sonoma were unaffected by the blaze. No Napa hotels were damaged by the fires, and the region’s 400 tasting rooms were running shortly after the last of the flames were extinguished. During my visit last year, I stayed at a comfortable boutique hotel called the North Block in Yountville, and then at the insanely elegant White House Napa Valley Inn. Both survived. Also still intact was Auberge du Soleil, where I enjoyed my favorite Napa Valley meal (roasted local lamb with goat cheese-stuffed squash blossoms, thank you for asking).
But the most encouraging news is how the fires didn’t deter new growth. Here are a few recent arrivals in Napa:
Ashes & Diamonds — It’s not just the millennial-friendly architecture and the décor that are striking. Owner Kashy Khaledi, a former music executive, assembled two of California’s biggest winemaking talents — Steve Matthiasson (of Matthiasson Wines) and Diana Snowden Seysses (of Snowden Vineyards) — to craft his wines. Tasting options range from $35 to $150.
430 Howard Lane, Napa, 707-666-4777, ashesdiamonds.com.
The Archer Hotel — The five-story luxury boutique inn opened this spring and in addition to 183 guest rooms, there are beautiful views from the expansive 7000-square-foot Sky & Vine Rooftop Bar.
Rooms start at $259 per night. 1230 First St., Napa, 707-690-9800, archerhotel.com/napa.
The Francis House — After more than two years of renovations, the historic Francis House opens next month as a luxury inn. The mansion was abandoned for nearly 50 years before the current owners, Richard and Dina Dwyer, purchased it in 2015 and began restorations. It was initially built as the home of prominent merchant James H. Francis in 1886. It then served as the city’s hospital from 1919 to 1946. The registered landmark is now accepting reservations for the end of August.
Rooms start at $495 a night. 1403 Myrtle St, Calistoga, 707-341-3536, thefrancishouse.com.
Vista Collina Resort and The Village at Vista Collina — Opened this week, the Vista Collina Resort has 145 posh rooms, including 39 suites with full kitchens. The Village at Vista Collina has nine tasting rooms focusing on Napa Valley boutique wines and microbrews, plus a Food & Wine Center for culinary classes and wine seminars.
Rooms start at $379 a night. 850 Bordeaux Way, Napa, 888-965-7090, www.meritagecollection.com/Vista-Collina.
Gran Electrica — It’s an unlikely new arrival, but Brooklyn-based Gran Electrica has opened its second restaurant here and is now serving its authentic Mexican menu in downtown Napa. The beverage offerings are more focused on mezcal and tequila than wine.
1313 Main St., Napa, 707-258-1313, www.granelectrica.com.
