Napa Valley V-V-V-R-O-O-M!!! Cruise
05-03-2005, 02:57 AM
#1
Drifting
Thread Starter
Napa Valley V-V-V-R-O-O-M!!! Cruise
V-V-V-R-O-O-M ! ! ! . . .”Vettes, Vipers, Vines, Roaming Outdoor Outing & Meandering” -- I met a few other Detroit horsepower addicts the other day. . . . Fellow Vette or Viper owners. Four of us met for coffee and thought it would be fun to gather up a few other similarly afflicted car nuts and their significant others (or not) and find an excuse to take a cruise somewhere.
So come join us for a cruise to scenic Napa Valley for lunch and a little wine tasting on Sunday, May 22nd. This event is open to all Corvette and Viper owners. We’ll meet up at my office in Walnut Creek (right next to the freeway) at 9:00am. I’ll provide bagels/pastry and Starbucks coffee. We’ll hit the road at 9:30 and caravan up to the Napa Valley.
Our first stop will be at Andretti Winery (partially owned by Mario Andretti). Hey! . . . Vettes! . . . Vipers! . . . We gotta’ stop at Andretti’s! Great gardens in a Tuscan setting, and some fairly decent wines.
Then we’ll head up the Silverado Trail towards Calistoga, taking the long way around to The Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant located at The Culinary Institute of American at Greystone in St. Helena. We’ll stop there for leisurely lunch – Great food, sensational wines, creative seasonal cocktails, and Northern California microbrews, all in a grand and rustic historical stone structure.
Then we’ll head back up the valley a short ways to Sterling Vineyards for a winery tour beginning with a tram ride up to the winery situated atop a hill. You’ll be offered a taste of wine to take with you as you wander through the sprawling winery at your own pace, following paths leading to various parts of the winery and out to a large outdoor terrace. There you’ll be offered another wine for tasting as you enjoy the fantastic views down the valley. You’ll wander back through the winery and up to the very top of the facility to yet another terrace with fabulous views up the other direction of the valley. There you’ll enjoy a seated tasting of a few additional wine selections served by Sterling’s Wine Ambassadors. Some may want to wander into the Cellar Club Room where wine club members (and those considering club membership) are offered tastings of some of the winery’s more special and limited bottlings. The cost of the tram ride, tour and tasting is $15. I have four complimentary guest passes – One will go to each of the first four cars to RSVP.
Next we can either all go off in our own directions, or some of us may decide to take an extended drive. There is a drive custom-made for low-slung, curve-loving machines that takes you back through Calistoga and North to Middletown, then out through Pope Valley and back to the Silverado Trail at about mid-valley. It’s probably about an hour’s drive through some sparsely populated and beautiful valleys, by way of winding country roads.
Feel free to join us from our starting point in Walnut Creek or anywhere along the route. If you’ll be joining us for lunch, please RSVP to me ASAP as I will need a head count well in advance for reservations at the Culinary Institute.
Please RSVP to David Epperson @ david_epperson@countrywide.com or 1-877-605-2016. First four cars to RSVP will get one free admission/tram ride/winery tour/wine tasting at Sterling Vineyards.
Meet at 9:00am for coffee and a little mutual car envy, at 101 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek – On the corner of Ygnacio Valley Road and Oakland Blvd – Between the BART tracks and Hwy 680.
If coming from the South or West, exit 680/24 at Ygnacio Valley Road – Make left hand u-turn at end of ramp – First building/lot on your right.
If you’re coming from the North, from 680 Southbound exit North Main Street (Head South-Downtown – Just keep to your right) – 1/4 mile, veer right onto California – Another 1/4 mile, turn right onto Ygnacio Valley – At first light, turn left onto Oakland Blvd – First building/lot on your right. Get lost? – Call me @ 1-877-605-2016.
This is also posted on the Events Calendar
Here are some links for additional info on destinations:
http://www.andrettiwinery.com/
http://www2.ciachef.edu/lm/greyston...ator/index.html
http://www.sterlingvineyards.com/
So come join us for a cruise to scenic Napa Valley for lunch and a little wine tasting on Sunday, May 22nd. This event is open to all Corvette and Viper owners. We’ll meet up at my office in Walnut Creek (right next to the freeway) at 9:00am. I’ll provide bagels/pastry and Starbucks coffee. We’ll hit the road at 9:30 and caravan up to the Napa Valley.
Our first stop will be at Andretti Winery (partially owned by Mario Andretti). Hey! . . . Vettes! . . . Vipers! . . . We gotta’ stop at Andretti’s! Great gardens in a Tuscan setting, and some fairly decent wines.
Then we’ll head up the Silverado Trail towards Calistoga, taking the long way around to The Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant located at The Culinary Institute of American at Greystone in St. Helena. We’ll stop there for leisurely lunch – Great food, sensational wines, creative seasonal cocktails, and Northern California microbrews, all in a grand and rustic historical stone structure.
Then we’ll head back up the valley a short ways to Sterling Vineyards for a winery tour beginning with a tram ride up to the winery situated atop a hill. You’ll be offered a taste of wine to take with you as you wander through the sprawling winery at your own pace, following paths leading to various parts of the winery and out to a large outdoor terrace. There you’ll be offered another wine for tasting as you enjoy the fantastic views down the valley. You’ll wander back through the winery and up to the very top of the facility to yet another terrace with fabulous views up the other direction of the valley. There you’ll enjoy a seated tasting of a few additional wine selections served by Sterling’s Wine Ambassadors. Some may want to wander into the Cellar Club Room where wine club members (and those considering club membership) are offered tastings of some of the winery’s more special and limited bottlings. The cost of the tram ride, tour and tasting is $15. I have four complimentary guest passes – One will go to each of the first four cars to RSVP.
Next we can either all go off in our own directions, or some of us may decide to take an extended drive. There is a drive custom-made for low-slung, curve-loving machines that takes you back through Calistoga and North to Middletown, then out through Pope Valley and back to the Silverado Trail at about mid-valley. It’s probably about an hour’s drive through some sparsely populated and beautiful valleys, by way of winding country roads.
Feel free to join us from our starting point in Walnut Creek or anywhere along the route. If you’ll be joining us for lunch, please RSVP to me ASAP as I will need a head count well in advance for reservations at the Culinary Institute.
Please RSVP to David Epperson @ david_epperson@countrywide.com or 1-877-605-2016. First four cars to RSVP will get one free admission/tram ride/winery tour/wine tasting at Sterling Vineyards.
Meet at 9:00am for coffee and a little mutual car envy, at 101 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek – On the corner of Ygnacio Valley Road and Oakland Blvd – Between the BART tracks and Hwy 680.
If coming from the South or West, exit 680/24 at Ygnacio Valley Road – Make left hand u-turn at end of ramp – First building/lot on your right.
If you’re coming from the North, from 680 Southbound exit North Main Street (Head South-Downtown – Just keep to your right) – 1/4 mile, veer right onto California – Another 1/4 mile, turn right onto Ygnacio Valley – At first light, turn left onto Oakland Blvd – First building/lot on your right. Get lost? – Call me @ 1-877-605-2016.
This is also posted on the Events Calendar
Here are some links for additional info on destinations:
http://www.andrettiwinery.com/
http://www2.ciachef.edu/lm/greyston...ator/index.html
http://www.sterlingvineyards.com/
05-13-2005, 02:33 AM
#4
Drifting
Thread Starter
Event Update
Okay, slight change in plans . . . Though The Culinary Institute at Greystone is a great experience and has great food, when I called to make reservations I discovered they are a bit too structured in regard to group reservations. We would have ended up with a limited and somewhat fixed menu and a per person cost of $50 to $60, plus cocktails and wine -- Even if a person just wanted salad and/or soup (which was not even one of the choices on the group menu). That might be okay if the whole group were “foodies” and all were real hungry. But, I think some of our group may not be thrilled with dropping a C-note for lunch! Plus, since this is a “first gathering” of a bunch of us who don’t know one another yet, I’m not real wild about covering the $50/head for no-shows (they actually want me to sign a contract for lunch) . . . Maybe another event, another day.
So “Plan B” -- We’ll stop at Rutherford Grill for lunch instead. Everyone can order whatever they like. The place gets consistently rave reviews (I’ve not tried it yet). The cost is more moderate. And we don’t have to involve contract lawyers.
So for anyone trying to join us midday, we’ll still start from my Walnut Creek office. We should get to Andretti Winery in Napa by about 10:30. We’ll head up the Silverado trail and cross the Valley at Conn Creek Rd, heading to Rutherford. Should make the Rutherford Grill between 11:30 and noon, thus beating the big lunch rush. After lunch, we’ll head back to the Silverado Trail via Rutherford Rd/Conn Creek Rd, then continue North on Silverado Trail to (and through) Calistoga. Then Hwy 29 South a short distance to Sterling Vineyards (left on Dunaweal Lane).
BTW -- 11 cars confirmed so far and a handful of maybes
PLEASE SEE ORIGINAL POSTING FOR ADDITONAL DETAILS
So “Plan B” -- We’ll stop at Rutherford Grill for lunch instead. Everyone can order whatever they like. The place gets consistently rave reviews (I’ve not tried it yet). The cost is more moderate. And we don’t have to involve contract lawyers.
So for anyone trying to join us midday, we’ll still start from my Walnut Creek office. We should get to Andretti Winery in Napa by about 10:30. We’ll head up the Silverado trail and cross the Valley at Conn Creek Rd, heading to Rutherford. Should make the Rutherford Grill between 11:30 and noon, thus beating the big lunch rush. After lunch, we’ll head back to the Silverado Trail via Rutherford Rd/Conn Creek Rd, then continue North on Silverado Trail to (and through) Calistoga. Then Hwy 29 South a short distance to Sterling Vineyards (left on Dunaweal Lane).
BTW -- 11 cars confirmed so far and a handful of maybes
PLEASE SEE ORIGINAL POSTING FOR ADDITONAL DETAILS
05-13-2005, 10:06 PM
#5
Drifting
Thread Starter
No need for RSVP now -- Just show up!
15 cars confirmed so far. Should have lots more by next week.
Hey everyone, come join us!
Hello . . . What? . . . No C3's out there?
15 cars confirmed so far. Should have lots more by next week.
Hey everyone, come join us!
Hello . . . What? . . . No C3's out there?
05-13-2005, 10:50 PM
#6
Race Director
Rutherford Grill is outstanding. You wont be disappointed.
Most of us with C3's aren't sure if the car will start on any given day, so it's more of a "come if you can" event.
Most of us with C3's aren't sure if the car will start on any given day, so it's more of a "come if you can" event.
05-14-2005, 12:12 AM
#7
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Jul 2002
Location: Deltona (son of Deland and DAYTONA) FL
Posts: 3,128
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Sorry, I can't make it from FL 
It's been 10 years since I've been to Napa Valley, but I remember the Oakville Grade was a fun road that lead over to Sonoma Valley. Just a suggestion for a fun cruise.
It's been 10 years since I've been to Napa Valley, but I remember the Oakville Grade was a fun road that lead over to Sonoma Valley. Just a suggestion for a fun cruise.
