Vintners Lunch

Ride and explore a glimpse of rich history in Napa Valley. The bygone Laurent Winery, founded in 1874, was brought back to life by Bruce Markham in 1978 and is now one of the oldest wineries in Napa Valley. Over the years, Markham Vineyards has become one of the most advanced and stunning winemaking facilities in the country. Meet winemaker Kimberlee Nicholls and feast on Executive Chef Kelly MacDonald's best of early spring offerings paired with critically acclaimed Markham wines.

Toast the dream of two former aerospace engineers, Norman deLeuze and Gino Zepponi, who left corporate life and launched ZD Wines in 1969. Honoring over forty years of producing world-class Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon, ZD Wines attributes its success to family dedication and a hands-on approach. ZD Wines is proud to have been at the forefront of the sustainable wine movement dating back to the early 1980s. Share their passion of food and wine pairing with Brett deLeuze, Norman's son, and winemaker Chris Pisani. Executive Chef Kelly MacDonald creates a bountiful spring menu highlighting exquisite ZD wines.

A touch of romance onboard! Partners in wine and life, Elizabeth Pressler and Spencer Graham celebrate a thirty year passion with the birth of Elizabeth Spencer. Each of their voluptuous wines is representative of its appellation of origin. Fruit is sourced from a handful of dedicated growers and a dozen vineyard blocks from Napa Valley, Sonoma and Mendocino. Indulge your senses with luxurious Elizabeth Spencer wines paired with wonderful flavor combinations by Executive Chef Kelly MacDonald.

Spend an engaging afternoon with local winemaker Chris Corley of Monticello Vineyards! 35-plus years after Jay Corley founded Monticello Vineyards, sons Kevin, Chris and Stephen now manage the winery. Chris delights us with rich family history and award winning, small production, exclusively Napa Valley wines. Enjoy some of the best food and wine Napa Valley has to offer with perfect pairings by Executive Chef Kelly Macdonald and Wine Train Wine Director Ryan Graham.

Taste it, believe it, love it - quality and affordability in the same bottle! A collaboration between winemaker Philip Zorn and Brent Shortridge, Waterstone Winery was founded in 2000 when the two men discovered a shared interest in creating delicious wines at great prices. The lush Waterstone wines are quickly becoming known for hitting all the right spots. Discover for yourself what wine critics and Executive Chef Kelly MacDonald are all raving about - well crafted food friendly wines priced to be enjoyed often.

Don't miss an opportunity to discover Napa Valley cult wine at its best! Handcrafting exceptional wines from two Oakville estate vineyards, lifetime farmer Jeff Gargiulo produces just 3,500 cases at his family winery. These limited boutique offerings are everything luxury Napa Valley wines should be. Expressive Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot along with distinctive Pinot Grigio and Rosato Di Sangiovese set the table for a gratifying afternoon of culinary extravagance.

Sample limited production sumptuous wines with Ryan Hill and Matt Walrath and encounter the passion of veteran vintner Doug Hill, the family patriarch. The shared vision of Doug and his family deliver wines produced from 11 estate vineyards totaling over 250 acres. The contrasting variety of delectable wines coming out of the Hill Family vineyards that stretch from the mountains and across the Napa Valley floor inspire the dream menu by Executive Chef Kelly Macdonald.

Come aboard for wine and whimsy! Meet the engaging David Mahaffey (winemaker and renaissance man) for fables, fun and fantastic wines. The premium grapes that produce Miss Olivia Brion Pinot Noir are farmed in the mountainous Wild Horse Valley, the coolest growing area in Napa Valley. David's artisan wines are featured in the finest restaurants in North America and each one is an intensive labor of love and passion. A wine and food adventure not to be missed!

Ride with the prolific Jeff Morgan and learn from the best. In addition to teaching wine education at the Culinary Institute of America, Jeff is a winemaker, author, journalist and professional musician! Along with writing cookbooks, his 400-plus articles have appeared in The New York Times, Elle, Food and Wine, the Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast. Is crafting the lush, full-bodied and silky Covenant Wines his greatest accomplishment yet? Find out onboard - join us for the ultimate food and wine experience.

Grape grower and vintner, Dick Keenan, invites you to enjoy critically acclaimed single vineyard wines from his up and coming winery. Carica Wines produces Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah from Dick's amazing Kick Ranch vineyard. Great intensity is a hallmark of his wines but never at the expense of perfect balance. Dick and his longtime friend and winemaker, Charlie Dollbaum, are committed to keeping Carica Wines small (the pair make up the entire winery team!) and are dedicated hand-crafting wines with extraordinary character. Join Dick, Wine Director Ryan Graham and Executive Chef Kelly Macdonald for a delicious afternoon.

It's shakin' onboard with vine tender Ann Kraemer, developer of the awesome Shake Ridge Ranch vineyards in Amador County. A respected viticulturist, Ann and her family farm the grapes for their Yorba wines with passion, love and minimal interference possible. The Sierra Foothills provide the ideal growing conditions for the fabulous Zinfandel, Barbera, Tempranillo and Syrah produced by Yorba. Don't miss this exciting line-up of exceptional wines paired with an equally exciting menu created by Executive Chef Kelly Macdonald.

Dan D'Angelo keeps his firefighting day job while moonlighting as a vintner. Talented winemaker and Zinfandel specialist Derek Irwin crafts wine for Vino D'Angelo from amazing vineyards and oversees the total operation. Together they have created critically acclaimed wines with just a couple of vintages under their belts. Become a Zin lover and savor the explosive culinary flavors offered by Executive Chef Kelly Macdonald. Dan will be onboard putting out any fires in your mouth with his delicious wines!

Etude specializes in two classic reds - Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon - while crafting limited amounts of other varietals as well. Founded on the philosophy that winemaking begins with superior grapes diminishes the need for intervention by the winemaker and "results in wine that is grown, not made". Etude is home growing exceptional heirloom wines that are paired beautifully by Wine Director Ryan Graham with a spectacular summer menu created by Executive Chef Kelly Macdonald.

Celebrate an integral part of Napa Valley's rich history since the late 19th Century with Larkmead'd own Daniel Petroski, Associate Winemaker, and General Manager Colin MacPhail. Larkmead was one of the four great Napa Valley wineries before prohibition and is proud to be embarking on its third century of creating 100% Estate grown, 100% Napa Valley wines. Superstar winemaker, Andy Smith, has taken Daniel under his wing and together they produce critically acclaimed Larkmead wines that consistently garner 90-plus points from Robert Parker. Join us for an afternoon filled with fascinating stories, and fantastic wines paired by Wine Train Wine Director Ryan Graham with a fabulous feast created by Executive Chef Kelly Macdonald.

Spend an inspirational afternoon with Fernando Candelario, Winemaker of T-Vine Cellars, and his own small production label, Voces. Living in the Napa Valley since 1984 and working in the wine industry since 1994, Fernando has followed in the footsteps of his parents, Jose and Anita Candelario, who have been working in Napa Valley vineyards since they arrived from Mexico in 1979. The big, juicy, voluptuous wines that Fernando crafts for T-Vine and Voces will BOTH be featured onboard. This exceptional vintners experience and culinary pairings by Executive Chef Kelly Macdonald is not to be missed.

Meet Judd Finklestein, boutique Napa Valley Winemaker and Renaissance man. Join Judd and learn how his father abandoned his urban life in Los Angeles after falling in love with winemaking in his garage; sold his first winery-the wildly successful Whitehall Lane; launched Judd's Hill-dedicated to handcrafting small quantities of premium wine so that he could remain the hands on winemaker-while pioneering a custom crush facility in Napa Valley! Enjoy amazing wines by this amazing father-son collaboration, paired artfully by Wine Train Wine Director Ryan Graham and Executive Chef Kelly Macdonald, with Kelly's amazing cuisine.

Feel soul, passion and tradition onboard with Francis Ford Coppola Winery. Agostino Coppola, Francis Coppola's grandfather, used to make wine in the basement of his New York apartment building using concrete vats he constructed himself. The wines that Francis Coppola makes today aren't the same as those Agostino made, but they are produced in the same spirit-for sharing with friends and family. Join Sandy Walheim, Associate Winemaker, Wine Train Wine Director Ryan Graham, and Executive Chef Kelly Macdonald, who takes these delicious wine selections and creates a bountiful menu highlighting the luxuriant Coppola wines.

Artisan winemaker Steve Leveque invites you to discover Hall Wines! Hall's estate vineyards encompass more than five hundred acres of classic Bordeaux varietals; Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc. True to the hand-sorted fruit, excellent organically farmed vineyards, an exceptional facility with gravity-fed tanks and native yeast fermentations, HALL is truly devoted to making great wine-pure, expressive and delicious. Experience the artistry of Hall wines paired by Wine Train Wine Director Ryan Graham with the glorious summer menu created by Executive Chef Kelly Macdonald.

The "Jewel of Carneros" sparkles on board The Napa Valley Wine Train! Winemaker Mark Beringer showcases the fabulous wines from one of Napa's most exciting wineries. A fifth generation and award-winning winemaker from Napa Valley, Mark is proud to continue a family tradition of making high quality wines in California's premier AVAs. As the great, great grandson of Beringer Winery co-founder, Jacob Beringer, Mark has always aspired to make his contribution to California winemaking. He grew up immersed in the wine industry and knew from a very young age that winemaking was his calling. At Artesa, the belief is wine without food is, well, incomplete. Executive Chef Kelly Macdonald couldn't agree more and he hits the mark with his food pairing expertise. The result is a culinary experience that completes the flavorful Artesa Wines.

Be delighted with the charm of Sawyer Cellars. Veteran winemaker Brad Warner had met Charles Sawyer in the early 1990s at a social function in Napa Valley. In 1999, after he retired from illustrious and invaluable lifework with Robert Mondavi, Brad began his second career as winemaker for the newly established Sawyer Cellars. He worked with Charles to plan and build the winery and is very proud of the memorable facility that opened for harvest later that year. Join Brad on board The Napa Valley Wine Train and savor premium wines that reflect the unique characteristics of each vintage and of the Rutherford growing district where Sawyer Cellars is located in the heart of the Napa Valley. The wines are paired artfully with the seasons' freshest local ingredients by Wine Train Wine Director Ryan Graham and Executive Chef Kelly Macdonald.