This past weekend I was lucky enough to be invited along on a Media getaway to Napa with Hype. This was the first “Getaway” Hype had offered to its followers and given the themes chosen (wine and art), I couldn’t resist joining in on the fun. With five stops scheduled, it was a busy day which I, unfortunately, had to leave early but was able to enjoy the first three major locations. Our first stop was Hall for a tour and tasting, followed by a quick ride into the heart of St. Helena where we visited the Caldwell Snyder Gallery. After the gallery, we had the flexibility to explore Main Street before we made our way to Kieu Hoang Winery in Napa proper (on the border of Sonoma). Here, we were lucky enough to have Chef Sasha cook us a wonderful lunch that we were able to enjoy along with the tasting and tour. The last stop, which was a combination of a wine maker and art gallery were Volakis Gallery & Aum Cellars. I missed out on seeing these two but look forward to heading up to Napa again soon to visit both.
I want to thank the whole Hype team for coordinating such a wonderful Hype Napa Valley Getaway which not only exposed us to some great wine and art but also some really interesting people to connect with along the way.
I T I N E R A R Y
11:00 am – Hall Wines
When I saw the lineup for the Hype getaway, I will admit that Hall was the biggest selling point. This was my second time going on a tour with a tasting at Hall and I was blown away with how different, interesting and insightful my second time at the winery was compared to my first visit. Chris and Lisa were so attentive and informative that their passion for the winery and the story behind the wines was infectious. Hall was the brainchild of Kathryn and Craig Hall who are still very much involved. Kathryn, for lack of better words, is a complete badass, who went from working with her brother at their family wine business to being an attorney, then a business woman (not to mention becoming the US Ambassador to Austria). She is currently the active proprietor of Hall Wines with her husband Craig. Craig was quite successful on his own, owning and running Hall Financial Group in Dallas, TX. Both Kathryn and Craig live and breathe art which creates a truly immersive, experiential type experience as you explore the property. You can read more about their curated collection here.
Not only is the story of the Hall Family impressive, their wines also live up to the hype. Focusing more on Bordeaux varietals, these wines are big, bold and not afraid to make a point. For our progressive tasting we got to sample the following:
2016 T Bar T Ranch Sauvignon Blanc
(Still in barrel) Kathryn Hall Cabernet
2014 Walt Sierra Mar Pinot Noir
Our whole experience at Hall was wonderful – thank you again to Chris and Lisa for hosting us!
1:30 pm – Caldwell Snyder Gallery
In all my years staying in St. Helena, I’ve probably walked past the Caldwell Snyder Gallery a thousand times, but thanks to Hype I finally stopped to smell the roses this beautiful gallery has to offer. It was an absolute treat to have a private showing of the current exhibitions as well as hear the history of this historic gallery. Bright and colorful pieces line the walls with the skylight shining down adding almost an ethereal feel to the space. The exhibitions that were on display were from the artists Melissa Chandon, Matt Rogers, Brad Howe, Charles Arnoldi & Greg Miller. Sometimes when touring an art gallery it is difficult to relate or even process all the work, but every single curated piece in this gallery was captivating with imagination. Matt Rogers and Greg Miller were two of my favorites – very different in style but both made me want to purchase a piece to hang in my loft. Below are a few of my favorite pieces and highlights from the gallery. Special thank you to Liz for the private showing of the gallery! They also have a location on Sutter St. in San Francisco which I cannot wait to preview!
4:00 pm – Kieu Hoang Winery
For (my) last stop of the day, we drove south to the Kieu Hoang Winery. Purchased from the Mondavi family in 2014, Mr. Hoang, who has a science & wellness background, wasted no time in creating his own brand. Their labels are tiny bubbles to represent what cells look like under a microscope and it’s the attention to detail like this that make this winery so interesting. Along with our tasting, we were treated to a fabulous lunch of sandwiches, salads, fruit and some sweet treats, all made by Chef Sasha. We sat and enjoyed lunch looking out over the vineyards while learning all about the Kieu Hoang wines. For our tasting these were my favorites that we got to sample:
This getaway and post were sponsored by Hype but all opinions are my own.
