Napa is a premier wine destination these days, so much so that many think it is too pretentious to allow little ones to visit. During a recent trip there, I found this not to be the case.
My companions were a young couple and their four-year-old son, who was filled with energy and an unparalleled love of all things Lego and Star Wars. We pulled up to the gates of Inglenook Vineyards, one of the elite producers in the Napa Valley. The fact that there was a security guard at the gate to check our reservation left me feeling a bit anxious. Did we have the only guest carrying a Chewbacca action figure?
Inglenook was established by Finnish Sea Captain Gustave Niebaum in 1879 and was noted for producing wines to rival the best in the world. Prohibition presented obvious challenges in the 1920s for the winery, but when movie director Francis Ford Coppola bought the property in 1975 the journey back to greatness began.
We pulled up to the moss-covered stone estate and were greeted by the hostesses in the foyer. We proceeded up the grand staircase to find an immaculately restored 1948 Tucker Motor Car. Our young companion wondered why a car was parked on the second floor of the big house.
In the tasting room, our party was served a spectacular flight of Inglenook’s premiere Rubicon wines with a tumbler of apple juice. Later, we chose a favorite bottle to share in the outdoor courtyard where our hostess presented us with a two-foot-tall toy sailboat. Led by an imaginative preschooler, it sailed in the courtyard fountain for at least an hour. As the sun started to set, our little captain docked his boat and we returned to the car feeling relaxed and satisfied. Well done Inglenook!
