PHOTO: Napa Valley Wine Train. (Courtesy Napa Valley Wine Train)
If, when you think "football," you also think "wine," then hop aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train. The train, which offers guests a 36-mile roundtrip journey from Napa to St. Helena, Calif., through beautiful Wine Country vineyards and past famous and historic wineries, recently announced that they will be running a new event in time for the Super Bowl.
The Big Game Train will feature superstar athletes and coaches including Dick Vermeil, Vida Blue, Rick Mirer, Terry Hoage, Dave Wilcox, Damon Huard and Sam Williams to provide meet and greet opportunities before the big game on Sunday, Feb. 6 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
Onboard, guests will enjoy a special meal prepared by Executive Chef Kelly Macdonald, pairing NFL superstar coach Dick Vermeil's proprietary wines from Vermeil Wines with a special four-course menu.
The meal will include items such as roasted pumpkin soup with serrano ham and green onions; roasted beef tenderloin with bok choy, roasted root vegetables, mushroom toast and a pomegranate cabernet reduction sauce as well as Chèvre cheesecake with fig compote. Wine pairings include the Vermeil Wines sauvignon blanc, "Dutton Ranch" chardonnay, XXXIV Proprietary Red Wine and Zinfandel Luvisi "1908" Vineyard. Additionally, Rick Mirer will pour tastes of his Mirror sauvignon blanc and Terry Hoage will pour tastes of his TH Estates Gap cuvee blanc for guests upon arrival at the train station.
"We are honored to host this unique event to celebrate Super Bowl 50 and raise funds for the NFL HOF Players Foundation," said Kira Devitt, Napa Valley Wine Train director of marketing. "Building on the success and excitement generated by our recent Championship Wine Flight, we are thrilled to offer guests the opportunity to meet NFL and MLB legends they have admired from afar."
And that's not all. In addition to the Big Game Train's superstar lineup and specially curated dining, the Never Miss a Super Bowl Club, made up of people who have attended every Super Bowl since 1967, will be onboard. Also taking place onboard is The Cabernet Bowl, an onboard wine competition featuring wines from Mirror Wine Company, Vermeil Wines, and Passing Time Wines. As an added treat, Rick Mirer, Dick Vermeil, and Damon Huard will be available for bottle signings when the train returns to the train station.
The Napa Valley Wine Train will donate $10 of each Big Game Train ticket to the NFL HOF Players Foundation, which assists and honors Hall of Fame players who have made contributions to the sport through their talents. Tickets for the Big Game Train is $189 per person on the Gourmet Express or $249 per person on the Champagne Vista Dome Car, both of which include traditional rail seating. Check-in is at 10:30 a.m. The train departs at 11:30 a.m. and returns to the train station at 2:30 p.m.
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