Why it Rates: As a region that's recovering from wildfires, there is no better time to show support and book meetings and events in Napa Valley. -Mia Taylor, TravelPulse Senior Writer.
Visit Napa Valley and select hotel partners are offering groups a "True Taste of the Napa Valley" by providing a Napa Valley culinary or wine expert to curate a full-sensory, tailored attendee experience for meetings booked January through May 2018 (Terms and conditions apply).
The Napa Valley expert will be available to co-create a variety of epicurean activities, including a personalized demonstration or an educational tasting or seminar to ensure guests are engaged and inspired.
From the city of American Canyon in the south end of the county to the northernmost community of Calistoga, the Napa Valley boasts more than 150 lodging properties from five-star luxury resorts to intimate bed and breakfasts. The Valley also offers more than 200,000 square feet of meeting space from ballrooms to barrel rooms and wine caves to vineyards.
Listed below is a highlight of where "to meet" in Napa Valley:
Hotels
The newest property in Napa Valley, Archer Hotel Napa, offers more than 17,000 square feet of indoor-outdoor meeting and event space. The Grand Salon, totaling 2,540 square feet, is an impressive two-story space with high clerestory lighting, reclaimed wine barrel wood paneling and an adjacent pre-function area providing an additional 850 square feet.
For slightly smaller events, there is a secondary 1700 square foot event room, as well as two breakout rooms that are each 600 square feet. The expansive rooftop-which will open Spring 2018-offers an open-air, alfresco destination in and of itself, with 9,000 square feet.
The venue offers trellis- and skylight-covered areas, varied seating options, potted olive trees with festoon lighting and landscaping. Charlie Palmer Steak is the hotel's culinary partner for all meetings and events.
PR contact: Carla Caccavale, [email protected]
Andaz Napa offers more than 9,000 square feet of meeting and event space which provide versatile venues for groups.
PR contact: Michael Bergin, [email protected]
Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa opened the 18,000 square foot Mansion Gardens in June 2017. Located adjacent to the recently renovated 15,000 square foot ballroom, the Mansion Gardens serves as an additional outdoor venue for social occasions and receptions for conference groups.
Additionally, a seasonal 5,000 square foot pavilion features heating and cooling, sidewalls, blackout curtains, doors, lighting and power to create the ideal environment. The Mansion Gardens will add to Silverado Resort's 17,000 square feet of indoor meeting space and 15,000 square feet of outdoor spaces, including the signature wine country Grove, Fairway Deck and Arbor rooms.
In addition to meeting space, the resort features 370 guest rooms, two PGA Championship Golf Courses, a 16,000-square foot spa, several restaurants and lounges, 10 tennis courts and 10 swimming pools.
PR contact: Julie Maurer, [email protected]
The Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa, which was ranked #1 for meeting planner overall satisfaction out of 350+ Marriott Hotels and Resorts, features more than 22,000 square feet of unique indoor and outdoor meeting space. The professional planners offer innovative programming, including elevated learning lounges, pop-up programming, and Farm to Fork banquet meal offerings.
PR contact: Sonny Kerstiens, [email protected]
The Meritage Resort and Spa and the adjacent Vista Collina Resort (opening summer 2018) combine to offer 467 rooms and 75,380 square feet of meeting space across 44 unique venues. Activities include a morning tai chi event on the 16,000-square-foot Village Lawn, breakout meetings in the ballrooms, cocktail receptions on the Vineyard Deck or a celebratory dinner in the Estate Cave.
PR contact: Andrew Bradley, [email protected]
The Carneros Resort and Spain Napa offers 10,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space with panoramic views and lush courtyards. Groups may select from a number of packages, including the "Vino and Bocce" two-hour experience as an icebreaker or teambuilding activity; the "Gather & Garnish" program, which allows guests to forage ingredients from the quarter acre farm with fruit trees to create customized cocktails; or the"Sip & Cycle" package with Getaway Adventures.
Groups may also customize their meeting experience with or spa treatments.
PR contact: Danielle Logan, [email protected]
The Westin Verasa Napa offers more than 12,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space, including a ballroom; three boardrooms; an outdoor courtyard; two Bocce Ball courts, and The Oval Lawn, perfect for intimate receptions of up to 80 guests.
Their culinary team from Michelin Star awarded La Toque restaurant can also arrange off-site experiences for groups, including intimate dinners in wine caves, to large lunches with vineyard views.
The hotel also offers numerous activities for groups including yoga and wine programs. Wine courses include an introduction to Napa Valley wine, a sensory wine skills teambuilding experience, and a wine-blending course.
PR contact: Evan Nicholson, [email protected]
The Senza Hotel in Napa offers a new 800 square foot Riposa conference room, with vaulted ceilings and natural light from the full-length wall-to-wall glass doors. A breakout garden patio is just outside the meeting room.
Guests are surrounded by a collection of contemporary art collected and commissioned by Craig and Kathryn Hall.
PR contact: Alana Willson, [email protected]
Churchill Manor Bed and Breakfast offers the exclusive use of a 10,000-square foot restored mansion located on a private acre within walking distance of restaurants, tasting rooms and entertainment venues in Downtown Napa.
The expansive veranda and gardens can accommodate up to 150 guests, while the interior common areas offer grand parlors and theatre seating for up to 40. The licensed commercial kitchen allows for cooking classes and onsite chef-prepared meals. There are 10 overnight guest rooms (plus an additional 26 rooms at the adjacent bed and breakfast).
PR contact: Joanna Guidotti, [email protected]
Bardessono, the LEED platinum-certified retreat tucked in the heart of Yountville, offers an exclusive "green" experience that anticipates groups' needs, providing leading technology and environmental ethics.
Featuring 1,655 square feet of indoor space and more than 4,000 square feet of outdoor space, distinctive venues at Bardessono include outdoor terraces, water elements, artistic landscaping and a poolside patio.
PR contact: Hannah Lambert, [email protected]
Located in heart of wine country in Rutherford,Rancho Caymus Inn features 26 Spanish-hacienda style suites and newly renovated event space in a classic California style with handcrafted materials that were carefully dismantled from a 19th century Yorkshire Ohio barn, exposed wood beamed ceilings, large grand fireplaces and beautiful stained glass windows.
PR contact: Austin Luther, [email protected]
Meadowood Napa Valley in St. Helena provides team-building activities include cooking- and cocktail-making classes; wine experiences with an Estate Sommelier; Croquet; and golf tournaments on the nine-hole course or utilizing the latest Trackman software in the Golf Studio.
The Culinary team creates wine country cuisine with ingredients fresh from the garden. It is also possible to take the Meadowood Culinary and Event experience to one of Napa Valley's wineries for a private dinner in a cave, barrel room or garden as part of the meeting program.
PR contact: Jennifer Chiesa, [email protected]
Las Alcobas Napa Valley is St. Helena's newest luxury hotel, featuring 2200 square feet of indoor/outdoor meeting space, which can accommodate up to 120 guests. Experiences include cooking classes with Top Chef Master Chris Cosentino in the exhibition kitchen, blending their own wines or painting their own masterpiece among the beautiful vines.
PR contact: Lisa Glover, [email protected]
Harvest Inn by Charlie Palmer offers a total of 13,550 square feet of meeting spaces and venues, along with 78 idyllic wine country accommodations. The Inn offers a variety of amenities and configurations for group meetings and receptions many with Napa Valley vineyards views.
PR contact: Christa Weaving, [email protected]
With more than 15,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor function space, Solage Calistogaoffers a variety of settings for executive meetings, incentive programs and corporate retreats, accommodating both intimate groups to several hundred guests.
PR contact: Maggie Holmes Jackson, [email protected]
Indian Springs Calistoga provides 4,860 square feet of indoor meeting space with natural lighting and private outdoor breakout spaces with water features & calming grounds.
On-and-off site group activities include "Become a Brew Master for the Day," a blind tasting of Indian Springs' own hand-crafted beer at Indian Springs' Sam's Social Club Restaurant. Culinary experiences start with a trip to the local Calistoga Farmers market and end with a team menu planning challenge.
Onsite games and teambuilding activities include ping pong, shuffleboard, bocce and cricket. Groups may also take historic walking tours up to the geysers above the mineral pool, and then to the art gallery to see how the crystal light structures are made from the resort's own crystals originating from the minerals deposited from the geyser water. The resort also features a Geyser Fed Olympic Mineral pool, which is open until midnight.
PR contact: Alison Stout, [email protected]
Calistoga Ranch offers a variety of creative activities for groups of all sizes, including wine blending experiences, "Beekeeper for a Day," team bocce, plein air painting in the vineyard, and "Harvest Basket," where teams receive products from the Calistoga Ranch garden and prepare a dish that is judged by the resident chef. They can also accommodate meetings in the vineyard for up to 100 guests at their onsite two-acre private vineyard.
PR contact: Rachel Farnham, [email protected]
Unique Group Activities
Wine & Dine Events offers a culinary team building activity where guests don their aprons along with their team of professional chefs to make-their-own pizza, pesto and fresh mozzarella. In this timed event, teams are encouraged to use their creativity and skill to be selected as the winning team. Afterwards, everyone may enjoy one another's preparations.
PR contact: Britt Van Giesen, [email protected]
Napa Valley Bike Tours offers custom leisure bike tour programs designed to be approachable and inclusive for team-building and incentive groups of up to 200 guests. The most popular template for corporate outings is a 5-hour time frame where participants casually pedal to two local wineries for tastings and enjoy a picnic served in a vineyard setting.
PR contact: Kellie Macway, [email protected]
The Napa Valley Distillery offers team-building experiences such as group cocktail making classes or competitions, and barrel tastings. The Napa Valley Distillery can accommodate up to 50 people in the tasting salon and up to 100 on the distillery floor.
PR contact: Arthur Hartunian, [email protected]
Napa Valley Balloonsand Calistoga Balloonsoffer an exhilarating, four hour experience for small groups, including: preflight coffee, tea and sweet treats; transportation to and from the launch and landing sites; a one hour flight (flight time is approximate depending on weather); and a post-flight brunch with sparkling wine at either Domain Chandon Winery in Yountville, or SolBar Restaurant located at the Solage Resort in Calistoga.
PR contact: Shannon Eckerman, [email protected]
Oenotriin downtown Napa offers groups hands-on "Cooking with Oenotri" classes that explore how to make pizzas, pastas, gnocchi, pastries and even butchery. Each class is interactive and follows a two-hour curriculum followed by lunch, where guests can enjoy each other's creations. (40 guest maximum).
PR contact: Michelle Lipa, [email protected]
Verve Napa Valley offers an "Equine Leadership Immersion" experience, geared to corporate groups, which focuses on the core principles of leadership. The teambuilding activity includes professional equine facilitators and horses for a hands-on learning experience where participants explore topics deeply connected to leadership, including self-awareness, non-verbal communication, embodiment, mood, trust and intuition
PR contact: Rob Roy, [email protected]
Unique Meeting Venues
Connelly Ranchin Napa is a 12-acre educational farm offering a truly unique experience for small groups or large corporate events. A large open area surrounded by bay trees,can host up to 300 people for a seated dinner or up to 1,000 guests for an event.
The property is ideally located a mile from downtown Napa and includes three barns, a greenhouse, two pergolas, a large garden and 86 animals including: goats, horse, sheep, chickens, pigs, donkeys, ducks, geese and rabbits. Groups will enjoy a range of customized hands-on experiences led by experienced staff members as part of an event or team-building exercise. Indoor space, audio-visual equipment, food and wine is also available.
PR contact: Jennifer Thacher Fotherby, [email protected]
The CIA at Copiain Napa offers a variety of meeting space options-most with a culinary angle-including indoor teaching kitchens (opening in March 2018), a 250-seat theater with demonstration kitchen, a 72-seat demonstration theater, outdoor gardens, a restaurant and an amphitheater on the Napa River.
PR contact: Evita Broughton, [email protected]
The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone in St. Helena is an historic building that offers vineyard views, manicured grounds, dramatic spaces with soaring ceilings, cutting-edge kitchens and wine-tasting theaters.
PR contact: Anne Girvin, [email protected]
The Napa Valley Wine Train's vintage trains provide a one-of-a-kind "traveling" venue offering fine dining and winery tour experiences traversing 25 miles through the heart of Napa Valley. The Napa Valley Wine Train features a variety of venue and activity options for groups of all sizes. The single-car trains are suitable for private events and corporate incentives, and the main train can accommodate groups of 10 to 375.
Groups may charter the train by car, or take over the entire wine train. Each rail car has a linear layout that allows for an intimate group setting or, for larger parties, the dual-seating rail car offers the opportunity for networking. Additionally, the Napa Valley Wine Train has space to host meetings and events at the downtown Napa train station, and culinary arts center, as well as their partner wineries with roundtrip transportation provided.
PR contact: Denise Perkins, [email protected]
The Ackerman Heritage House (AHH) in downtown Napa is a 1888 Queen Anne Victorian with three large rooms to cordon off for smaller breakout sessions by closing the 11-foot original pocket doors; a large formal dining room which seats 14 for a board meeting; a garden courtyard; and a gourmet kitchen for a chef to create lunch or dinner during or after the meeting.
PR contact: Tiffany Brookman, [email protected]
The Estate Yountville's recent renovation of The Venues includes eleven distinctly different event spaces and provides groups with multiple meeting options. The Estate Yountville provides more than 50,000 square feet of outdoor event space, including sculpted terrace gardens, as well as state-of-the art meeting venues accommodating events between 10 and 1,200 guests.
The on-site private dining and culinary team at The Estate deliver catering options with curated menus that reflect the region's garden to table philosophy, incorporating local produce and flavors. The team is seasoned in executing themed events-from mobile mixology classes to wine blending seminars alongside celebrity chefs and local winemakers.
PR contact: Magrino, [email protected]
The newly-opened Charter Oakrestaurant in Saint Helena offers a variety of private event spaces that accommodate 18 to 120 guests. These include the historic Sherry building, an expansive courtyard shaded by Mulberry trees, and two covered Terraces. Each event is approached in a custom, personal manner, with a celebratory family-style menu.
PR contact: Martina Kostow, [email protected]
Wineries and Wine Tasting Rooms
Domaine Carneros in Napa offers a myriad of event spaces for groups of up to 120 guests.
Options include the Carriage House, with high ceilings, a stone fireplace and doors opening onto a private terrace and fountain; the Chateau Salon, which transforms into an elegant grand dining room with tall French doors opening onto the terrace; The Terrace, which offers spectacular views and a breathtaking backdrop for receptions; Le Rêve Room, located on the top floor of the château, featuring a coffered ceiling and marble fireplace, ideal for intimate dining events; and the Mezzanine, an intimate setting for wine-centric dining and entertaining.
PR contact: Charlotte Milan, [email protected]
Judd's Hill Winery in Napa offers its Bottle Blending Day Camp for groups from eight up to 300. Blending guides lead a fun and entertaining tasting, education and blending session as guests choose the perfect Bordeaux-style blend from four barrel samples (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Verdot and Cabernet Franc, all Napa Valley appellations), including hand-bottling, labeling and the application of foil capsules to the bottlenecks.
PR contact: Devin Joshua, [email protected]
JaM Cellars in downtown Napa is perfect for small groups between six and 40, and features a rock & roll theme, including a space for live musical performances and a private tasting room that doubles as a recording studio.
PR contact: Tom Fuller, [email protected]
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars in Napa offers groups the FAY Outlook & Visitor Center, the Arcade & Great Room in the wine caves, or the newly remodeled Cellarius Kitchen. Team building experiences included group cocktail making classes or competitions, and barrel tastings.
PR contact: Jennifer Scott, [email protected]
B Cellars Vineyards & Winery in Oakville features three separate private event spaces, the Beckstoffer Heritage Tasting Room and the Vintage Oak Room. Both rooms can accommodate up to 12 guests. The Grand Salon is ideal for a private lunch or dinner and can accommodate 100 guests. Cuisine is a focal point of the B Cellars experience, and guests may tour the chef's culinary garden, hen house, and outdoor grounds.
PR contact: Kerry Andrews, [email protected]
Peju Province Winery in Rutherford offers a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces and activities for team building, corporate events and meetings. Activities include interactive culinary experiences and challenges, food and wine pairings, wine country team activities, farm-to-table lunches and more. With indoor and outdoor spaces available, Peju can accommodate groups of many sizes and will customize experiences based on the group's needs.
PR contact: Haley Rose, [email protected]
Round Pond Estate in Rutherford (the heart of the Napa Valley) offers a variety of group activities featuring wine, cuisine and one of the region's few working olive oil mills. Groups of ten to 90 may enjoy private receptions, luncheons or dinners featuring the estate's wines and oils, with cuisine paired by the winery chef.
Unique to Round Pond, groups of up to ten may enjoy a private olive oil mill experience, where guests have Round Pond Estate's olive mill to themselves, complete with a private tasting of hand-crafted California estate-grown and milled olive oils, barrel-aged red wine vinegar and flavorful citrus syrups, all paired with a garden-inspired amuse bouche.
PR contact: Nicole Difasi, [email protected]
Rutherford Hill in Rutherford offers the interactive wine country experiences "Blend...Bottle...Bond," an educational tasting tour and interactive blending session which includes a family-style lunch or private cave dinner.
PR contact: Ben Rotniki, [email protected]
After recently acquiring the historic VMadrone Estate in St Helena, AXR Napa Valley opened its doors in 2017 as a new hidden gem at one of the last ghost wineries to be resurrected in Napa Valley.
With boutique meeting spaces for all types of groups, AXR Napa Valley can host private seated tastings for up to 20 in the parlor, tour and tasting soirees for up to 60 in the historic barrel room, and groups of up to 120 in the majestic grove settled in the base of Spring Mountain and surrounded by old-growth redwoods. Private rooms for small executive meetings are also available, all situated on historic 8.5 acre estate grounds.
PR contact: David Gibson, [email protected]
Brasswood Cellars just north of St. Helena offers many indoor and outdoor venues for meetings or special events, including Brasswood Bar, Bakery and Kitchen; Rosgal Gallery and The Tasting Room. From picnics, luncheons, or special private lunches or dinners, the team at Brasswood Cellars will help make any occasion special.
PR contact: Marcus Marquez, [email protected]
Merryvale Vineyards' Historic Cask Room in St. Helena features century-old 2,000-gallon casks lining the stone walls, creating an enchanting setting for special events. The winery's highly acclaimed wines may also be paired with the cuisine of celebrated Napa Valley chefs. Accommodating groups of up to 112, the Cask Room is ideal for special occasions, including rehearsal dinners, wedding receptions and corporate dinners.
PR contact: Charlotte Milan, [email protected]
Conn Creek in St. Helena offers a barrel blending experience where guests have the opportunity to become "winemaker for a day." Following a barrel tasting of different styles of Cabernet Sauvignon, guests blend any combination of Cabernet they like to create their own personalized wine, which they can then adjust to perfection by adding nuances from other Bordeaux varietals like Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot.
The personalized blend is then bottled, hand-corked and labeled on-site for a truly one-of-a-kind souvenir. The Barrel Blending Experience can accommodate up to 20 people at a time.
PR contact: Christina Starr, [email protected]
Raymond Vineyards in St. Helena offers groups a "Winemaker for a Day" experience in their blending room. Guests will learn the winemaker's art while blending their own red wine from Napa Valley's esteemed appellations and take home the bottle, complete with a customized label. Groups may also order cases of the personally crafted wine to share with friends, family and colleagues.
PR contact: Anna Miranda, [email protected]
Tamber Bey Vineyards winery and equestrian facility in Calistoga offers outdoor tasting, dining and entertainment space for up to 250 guests in a unique, equestrian-centered venue. Their catering and program partners can curate a wide-variety of experiences, from casual events and workshops, to elegant dining to group activities that can include blending sessions and teambuilding exercises centered around horses.
PR contact: Jennifer Waitte[email protected]
Source: Visit Napa Valley press release
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