The Oxbow Market opened last month and we decided to visit the Market on our last trip to Napa. The Oxbow Market is much like the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market located in the Ferry Building on San Francisco’s waterfront. At the Oxbow Market, a select group of food and wine artisans have retail shops and cafés inside a brand new 40,000 square foot building. Like the Ferry Plaza, all the businesses have been handpicked. The idea is to bring the best, the unique, and the artisan from the surrounding area. In the case of the Ferry Building, this concept has been a huge success. We visit there often and it is always teeming with tourists and locals, it is a happening spot. It is one of San Francisco’s main attractions. The Oxbow Market hopes to have that same success for the city of Napa.

We visited on Wednesday, January 23, on a very cold and drizzly day. The Oxbow Market has been open only a month and not all the vendors have settled in. To our surprise, there was hardly anyone in the place. The employees outnumbered the shoppers by a wide margin. The busiest spot was Michael Mondavi’s tasting room called Folio. There, a group of business folks were getting a lesson in wine tasting from none other than Michael Mondavi. Outside of that, nothing much was going on. We’d heard that daily from 8 am to 2 pm there are supposed to be a dozen local farmers hawking their goods at farm stands. We saw the farm stands but no farmers.

Still to come are some major tenants. Among those set to open soon are Taylor’s Refresher, the Oxbow Wine Merchant & Wine Bar, and the famed Model Bakery of St. Helena. These three businesses should be a big draw to the Oxbow Market.

For now it is too early to tell how successful the Oxbow Market will be. It is right next-door to Copia, and Copia has not exactly has been a huge success for the city of Napa. You know what they say about a business and its location. We think that is the big question mark here. This area is too distant from the heart of Napa Valley’s main tourist spots, which are the wineries and boutique shops between Yountville and Calistoga on Highway 29. There is nothing quaint or charming about this area of Napa. The Ferry Plaza Market in S.F. has the beauty of the historic Ferry Building, the daily onslaught of commuters from the ferryboats, and the awesome beauty of the water and skyline of San Francisco. This area of Napa may change over time but for now it is missing that intangible ambience that delights tourists and who quickly spread the word about their experience. Maybe it was the cold, dark day but we think the Oxbow Market has a long way to go. We will be sure to visit again.

The Oxbow Public Market is located in the city of Napa on 610 First St. Just follow the signs to Copia and you will find the Oxbow Market.

Insiders to the Napa Valley know that cruising along the Silverado Trail is much easier than traveling Highway 29 along the Valley. The Silverado Trail is prettier and the wineries a lot less busy than their counterparts on Highway 29. The only problem is the local drivers who cruise Silverado like it’s the fast lane on the freeway. They seem to bare down on tourists like there is no tomorrow, getting as close as possible. It almost seems like they want us to know that this is their road and to use Highway 29 if you want to Sunday drive. You just have to ignore them and pull over whenever you have the chance.

Driving from Highway 80 you can get to the Siverado Trail through the backdoor by diving through the east side of the city of Napa. Just follow the Google map we have included and you are in business.

Once you are on the Silverado Trail stick to the wineries that line either side of the road all the way to Calistoga. About the only place to stock up on picnic items on the Silverado Trail is the Soda Canyon Store. Fortunately, it is located conveniently near the beginning of the Silverado Trail. We have stopped here a number of times for our picnic lunch.

The place is run by Gina Ergun and Bonnie Mott. It has a homey country atmosphere. There is no smack of Dean & DeLuca here, just a favorite spot for many of the locals who travel about in this area. The store has a terrific Deli section, an expresso bar, and a very good but small selection of Napa Valley wines. At the noon hour on any day of the week the deli is busy.

Some of the nearby wineries with nice picnic areas are Reynolds Family Winery, Robert Sinskey, and the Black Stallion Winery. So get your lunch at the Soda Canyon Store and head to one of these nearby wineries and enjoy a picnic in the vineyards.

Google Map From Carquinez Bridge on Highway 80 to Soda Canyon Store. Click on ” View larger map” to get directions.

View Larger Map

Napa Valley Mustard Festival

Every season in the Napa Valley has its own splendor. In the winter months, that splendor is the wild mustard. The mustard plant’s brilliant yellow flowers set against a gray winter sky brings a magical beauty to the dormant Napa Valley vineyards.

The Napa Valley Mustard Festival is held each year at this time when the wild mustard is in full bloom. Mustard Festival is a way of getting tourists to the Valley during the winter season. This is the quiet time for the wineries when the weather is cold and the vines are bare. This year marks the 15th annual festival which runs from February 2nd to March 29th. There are a series of fancy wine and food events, a mustard recipe contest, and what we consider to be the main event, the mustard photography contest.

The photography contest has categories for both the amateur and the professional photographer. All the photo entries are displayed at the beautiful Mumms Napa art gallery. The Mumm Napa Photo Finish is the final event of the festival and the most festive of all the activities. The winners of the photo contest are announced at this final event. We are planning on entering at least two photographs and of course attend the Grand Finale Event. The photo seen here is one possible entry. We plan to make two or three more trips specifically to photograph the beautiful mustard plant. For complete information visit the official Mustard Festival Web site.

The Zap Festival

This is a crazy and wild weekend of Zinfandel activities for Napa Valley vintners and other California wineries. This is a four-day event sponsored by the Zap (Zinfandel Advocates and Producers) organization. The main event is the Zinfandel Tasting on Saturday afternoon January 26, from 1 to 5 pm, at Fort Mason in San Francisco. Over 250 wineries will be pouring their Zinfandel to a crowd of 9000 wine enthusiasts. If you plan on attending this event get there at the opening bell. The crowds are very dense at the popular wineries and by late afternoon quite a few folks, shall we say, have had a bit too much Zin. A better event to attend is the Good Eats on Thursday night. This is where some 50 wineries pair up with a restaurant to present a Zinfandel food match. This event is much less crowded and a lot more fun. The Good Eats is on Thursday night from 6 to 9 pm. Tickets are sold in advance and are $125 per person. Check the Zap Web site for complete details.

We have been to Rombauer a couple of times previous to this visit and we always enjoy being there. The staff is very experienced and the setting is quite beautiful. It is always fun to browse the memorabilia displayed around the tasting room. Owner Koerner Rombauer loves the 49ers and on display is a very cool portrait of the late Bill Walsh autographed for Koerner. The picnic area is small but located on a hillside just below the tasting room. It is very secluded and peaceful. It is a great picnic spot especially on a hot day in the Valley.

Besides being the owner of Rombauer, Koerner’s other claim to fame is that his great aunt Irma was the author of the indispensable and classic “Joy of Cooking.” One of Koerner’s mottos around the tasting room is the “Joy of Wine.” You feel that reflected in the tasting room and with the wines.

The last time we visited, there was no tasting fee but that has changed. The tasting fee is $10 but you get to keep the glass. Too bad you could not apply the fee to a purchase of wine instead; we have too many wine glasses as it is. The $10 fee gets you a tasting of six wines. Rombauer is famous for its Chardonnay and it has attracted many followers. The Chardonnay is big, oaky, buttery, and creamy. The wine is so big that they serve the Chardonnay after you have tried their Merlot and Cabernet. How interesting is that? If you are a fan of big Chardonnays then this is the place for you. Over the years, Rombauer has become famous for this style of Chardonnay and it has been served at many State dinners at the White House and celebrity functions.

This is one winery that you can easily miss as you drive along the Silverado Trail. You cannot not see it from the road, so you need to be looking for the signs to the entrance road that lead up the hill to the winery. If you are driving north on the Silverado Trail, watch for the left turn to Rombauer after you pass Lodi Lane.

The Good: If you like a big oaky Chardonnay this is the place. Secluded picnic area, and the memorabilia in the tasting room.
The Bad: A little tricky to find off the Silverado Trail.