Sam’s General Store

Sam’s General Store

by | Dec 23, 2022 | EAT, EAT Feature, Shop, SIP

Over 150 years ago, California’s first millionaire, Samuel Brannan, envisioned Calistoga as a resort town for wealthy city folks drawn to the area’s hot springs. He was instrumental as the town’s founder and for pulling the railway tracks from San Francisco to make it...
THE BIALE FAMILY LEGACY: Black Chickens and Zinfandel

THE BIALE FAMILY LEGACY: Black Chickens and Zinfandel

by | Dec 19, 2022 | SIP

BY MARK GUDGEL | PHOTOS COURTESY OF BIALE FAMILY VINEYARDS “Buongiorno. This is Antonio. I need four dozen eggs and a gallina nera.” “Gallina nera? But sir, we only have leghorns—white chickens.” “Just tell Aldo I need a black one.” For years after...
KNIGHTS BRIDGE WINERY: So Much Below the Surface

KNIGHTS BRIDGE WINERY: So Much Below the Surface

by | Dec 19, 2022 | SIP

BY MARK GUDGEL | PHOTOS BY MIKE LARSON Just north of Calistoga, where Mount St Helena looms larger than ever over the warm, jagged hillsides that have proven to be some of the most fertile lands in all of California, a winding road leads west through...
A SLEEPING GIANT AWAKENS

A SLEEPING GIANT AWAKENS

by | Dec 19, 2022 | SIP

BY MARK GUDGEL | PHOTO COURTESY OF DEARDEN WINES “There are five hundred places to go in Napa Valley. So we feel privileged when people choose us,” said Sam Dearden, son of Chris Dearden, who after years of toil and honing his craft at last realized his...
Napa Valley’s Most Intriguing 2022

Napa Valley’s Most Intriguing 2022

by | Dec 12, 2022 | Intriguing Napa Valley

“If you want to stand out from the crowd, give people a reason not to forget you.”– Sir Richard Branson Napa Valley is best known as one of the world’s premier wine and food destinations, but it’s the people who live here who make it such a special place. In our 2022...