ST. HELENA, Calif. – June 29, 2017 – St. Helena, the premier travel destination in Napa Valley, welcomes summer in wine country with a wide range of special culinary, live music and art events at beloved wineries and award-winning restaurants throughout the city. Additionally, St. Helena recently hailed the openings of The Charter Oak, a new restaurant by Chef Christopher Kostow and Nathaniel Dorn of the Michelin-three-starred Restaurant at Meadowood, and Las Alcobas, a highly anticipated luxury hotel complete with a farm-to-table restaurant and an exclusive spa.

“St. Helena is a vibrant and engaging community that celebrates the finest in wine country hospitality, culinary adventure, wine immersion, and the arts, health and wellness,” said Pam Simpson, chief executive officer, St. Helena Chamber of Commerce. “Whatever your reason for visiting our beautiful city, you’ll quickly see why it’s an ideal destination for a getaway to Napa Valley.”

This summer, St. Helena offers a variety of options for guests visiting wine country, as well as locals:

• Charles Krug: The oldest winery in Napa Valley will fire up the wood-burning pizza oven for its annual Pizza on the Lawn series from July 1 to October 30. The winery’s Cucina di Rosa will serve a selection of authentic Italian pizzas prepared with herbs and vegetables from the winery’s estate garden and selected meats from the new Salumeria. Guests are invited to beat the heat and relax on the expansive tree-lined lawn just outside Charles Krug’s historic Redwood Cellar with a pizza and a perfectly paired glass of Charles Krug wine. The pizzas cost $19 and each one can easily serve two people. No reservations required, first-come, first-served. Pizza on the Lawn will be available Thursday to Monday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.Additionally, Charles Krug will host its biggest event of the year, Tastings on the Lawn, on September 16 from 4 to 7 p.m. Founders Cesare and Rosa Mondavi, who arrived in Napa from Italy in 1908, began the annual event in 1951. This year, Charles Krug Winery is paying tribute to its Italian heritage with an array of Italian-inspired food stations featuring delicious pasta, wood-fired pizzas, salumi and cheeses, dolci, live music and delicious new release wines on the winery’s stunning Great Lawn. As this is a picnic experience, guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets, sunscreen and straw hats. For more information, please contact 707-967-2222 or events@charleskrug.com
• THE CHARTER OAK: The new restaurant by Chef Christopher Kostow and Nathaniel Dorn of the Michelin-three-starred Restaurant at Meadowood is now open. Located in downtown St. Helena, The Charter Oak is centered on a celebratory, family-style dining experience, with simple, approachable and seasonal food.The menu reflects products of the Napa Valley, featuring grilled meats, beautiful vegetables from its farm, local wines and unparalleled cocktails.The Charter Oak implements an elemental cooking style, with a hearth at its center, and by highlighting one or two ingredients at a time. For more information or to book a reservation, visit www.thecharteroak.com.
• THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA (CIA) AT GREYSTONE: Enjoy a one-of-a-kind dining experience at the world’s premier culinary college. Starting at 6 p.m. on July 15, advanced students at CIA will prepare an unforgettable farm dinner on the amazing Herb Terrace of the Greystone campus. Guests will dine alongside the best farmers, purveyors, and producers who represent best of the Bay Area bounty, including Achadinha Cheese Company, Bellwether Farms, Jacobsen Orchards, Straus Family Creamery and Taramasso Ranch. The evening will include a reception with cocktails and hors’ d’oeuvres, followed by a seated multi-course dinner overlooking a beautiful view of the valley. Tickets cost $150; proceeds benefit No Kid Hungry, an initiative to end childhood hunger. To make reservations and buy tickets, guests can go to Eventbrite.

• FARMSTEAD AT LONG MEADOW RANCH: On the Fourth of July, Long Meadow Ranch welcomes guests to sway to the melodic sounds of one of the country’s best bluegrass bands with their toes in the grass and Sauvignon Blanc in their glasses. Guests are welcome to bring family and friends to watch the Lil’ Smokies perform. And of course, it wouldn’t be Independence Day without fireworks. Long Meadow Ranch invites guests to stay a while and view the city of St. Helena fireworks display from the Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch lawn.As part of the Bluegrass-Fed Live Music Series at Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch, Vintner Chris Hall and the Long Meadow Ranch team are thrilled to present Dead Winter Carpenters on July 22. Guests are welcome to dine and enjoy drinks at Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch from 5 p.m. onward. Dead Winter Carpenters are scheduled to start playing on the Lawn at 7 p.m.

  Tickets to both events are available for $35 online at www.longmeadowranch.comand $45 at the door. Children under 12 are complimentary. Drinks and food will be sold separately.

  Through September, Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch’s executive chef Stephen Barber will welcome celebrated chefs from across the country to gather around the Farmstead fire pits and roast, smoke, and sear a family-style feast served right from the flames, paired with Long Meadow Ranch wines.

  On July 14, Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch will welcome Executive Chef and Partner Charles Welch from Honey’s in Chicago. Chef Welch (Sepia, MK The Restaurant) has created a menu that offers thoughtfully sourced, seasonal American cuisine inspired by the bright, bold flavors of the Mediterranean. Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch will host a reception starting at 6 p.m. followed immediately by dinner. Tickets, which include food and wine, are available for $135. Guests can purchase their tickets at http://www.longmeadowranch.com/things-to-do/chefs/charles-welch.

  On August 18, Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch will welcome acclaimed Portland chef Jenn Louis. A two-time semifinalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northwest, Chef Louis’s soulful, seasonally focused cooking also earned her recognition as a Best New Chef by Food & Wine. Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch will host a reception starting at 6 p.m. followed immediately by dinner. Tickets, which include food and wine, are available for $135. Guests can purchase their tickets at http://www.longmeadowranch.com/things-to-do/chefs/jenn-louis.

  GOOSE & GANDER: The wine country public house presents its annual Summer Sundays on the Patio. Guests are treated to live music in their garden, featuring musical artists playing rock, funk, reggae, American blues, and more. Come enjoy live music, amazing drinks, and bites on the expansive Goose & Gander garden patio from 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays through September. The line-up is as follows:

  • July 2 – The Sextones
  • July 9 – Ordinary Sons
  • July 16 – The Good Bad
  • July 23 – The Dixie Giants
  • July 30 – Groove Session
  • August 6 – Kenya B. Trio
  • August 13 – PA Furnace
  • August 20 – Lonesome Locomotive
  • August 27 – Marty O’Reilly
  • September 3 – The Diva Kings
  • September 10 – Free Peoples
  • September 17 – San Geronimo
  • September 24 – Scott Thomas from Ringside
• HARVEST INN BY CHARLIE PALMER: Starting in July, Harvest Inn by Charlie Palmer will unveil a curated, rotating sculpture garden at its award-winning property in partnership with ÆRENA Galleries & Gardens. The sculptures have been carefully selected and incorporated into Harvest Inn’s eight acres of rich landscape, which features mature redwood trees and herbal, botanical, and culinary gardens, situated adjacent to thousands of acres of St. Helena vineyards.This collaboration launches with works from six acclaimed ÆRENA artists: Kevin Box, David Tanych, Matt Gil, Llisa Demetrios, Sharon Loper, and Damon Hyldreth. The sculptures, composed of materials ranging from bronze and steel to glass and rust, were designed to achieve Harvest Inn’s goal of recognizing the synergetic connection between art and nature. The opening collection of works can be viewed for free and are available for purchase through ÆRENA Galleries & Gardens by calling 707-603-8787. A full list of artwork can be found at www.harvestinn.com.
• LAS ALCOBAS: St. Helena’s newest luxury hotel is now open. Las Alcobas features 68 guest rooms and suites with terraces and outdoor fireplaces; Acacia House, a signature Chris Cosentino restaurant; Atrio, a 3,500 square foot spa; an outdoor swimming pool, meeting and event facilities, and all of the brand’s signature amenities and services. For more information, visit www.LasAlcobasNapaValley.com.