The Napa valley wine train : a must for every wine
enthusiastic.
With the majority of our metropolitan, cosmopolitan lives spent in
negotiating through traffic snarls and reaching our offices and then leaving
back for our home at top speeds; it is hard to believe that, even today, there's
a journey which
takes us back to an era where time used to flow more leisurely. For about three
hours, it would be quite blissful to forget all the hurly-burly of day-to-day
life, and surrender
oneself to an experience that only our fore-fathers lived through. The Napa
valley wine train does just that, in the three hours it takes to traverse the
return journey of thirty-six miles between Napa and St Helena, in the Napa
district of California.
If you want your children to be aware that there's much more beyond the hectic
life that they experience day in and day out, get them to board the Napa valley
wine train.
Founded as early as 1864 by Samuel Brannan, the railroad changed hands twice,
the last being in 1987, when Vincent DeDomenico, the present company's Chairman
purchased it.
The Napa valley wine train has parlor cars, dining cars, and one kitchen car.
Each parlor car can accomodate upto fifty passengers. This means that a group
comprising of about fifty members can charter an entire car! Two 1,800 Hp
diesel/electric locomotives pull the train. The entire train, from front to
back, has been carefully redesigned from vintage stock to preserve the heritage
look and feel.
An elaborate effort is made to create the ambience of an era gone by throughout
the journey. This process begins even before the passengers walk towards the
waiting
train. In the McKinstry Street Station, for the Luncheon and Dinner excursions,
a welcome wine tasting 'seminar' is organised for the passengers, who are
offered a sampling of two varietals - and information is disseminated about
wine and the Napa valley.
After boarding the train, passengers are, based on the type of tickets purchased
by them, guided around by the staff members. Passengers have the option of
enjoying the first half of the trip, that is about ninety minutes, either in the
Dining Car or in the Lounge Car. While returning, they are then seated in the
other Car. There is a variant in the form of a glass-topped car, called the
Champagne Vista Dome Car, where, at an additional charge, passengers can enjoy
the excellent scenery rushing past them in all its pristine beauty. The Wine
tasting Lounge Car is a favourite visiting haunt of all the passengers. More
than thirty wine varietals of the Napa Valley wines are available for sampling
at a very inexpensive cost of five dollars for four samples. The best feature of
this experience is the assistance provided by experts on all matters of wine,
such as food and wine pairings, winery tours, and the like.
The Napa valley wine train journey is a must for every wine enthusiast; indeed
it is a pilgrimage for all devotees of Bacchus.
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