A trip to the Valley - Napa Valley Wine Train

Next stop, dinner on the Napa Valley Wine Train. The Napa Valley Wine Train provides a scenic tour of the valley with gourmet food and beverage service. The journey is 36 miles round trip and begins in historic downtown Napa through the valley north towards St. Helena and back.

Seating options on board include the 1915 - 1917 Pullman Dining cars or the 1947 Vista Dome rail cars, which have recently been restored. The train runs daily with dining options of lunch or dinner. Other special packages include winery tours or monthly themed events.

We enter the train station and are warmly greeted by a woman with a full press packet.

Melodie Hilton, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, kindly made the dining arrangements for the Napa Wine Train.

Our itinerary for dinner is as such:
5:30 pm    Check-in
6:00 pm    Board Train
6:30 pm    Train Departs
9:30 pm    Train Returns

We escort ourselves to a seat and order a glass of wine, as we wait for the train to board. Our seating number is called and we are lead to the Gourmet Car where we find a seat to begin with cocktails and appetizers and record a video of the experience. The plate of appetizers appears. A variety of samplings and flavors pair well with the wine, which was suggested by the staff. Views are unobstructed and the lounge is comfortable.

The train rambles north through the valley displaying views of the wineries and restaurants that were on my list to visit. The sun has finally come out to grace us with its presence and I hear the murmur of other guess rehashing their day. The train rambles on.

Friendly staff checks in every so often and enticingly note that dinner will be served soon in the adjacent car, as we are the second seating and will enjoy our salads, entrees and desserts on the return trip.

I can’t wait.

As I’ve heard all meals are designed by Chef Kelly Macdonald and are freshly prepared on the train using mainly, locally sourced Napa Valley ingredients that are fresh, environmentally responsible, humanely raised, and using only hormone free meats and fresh, line caught fish.

We are escorted to the dining car where we are greeted with a menu that is extensive. We are seated in the 1915-1917 Pullman Car, which offers a relaxed, but still formal dining experience.

I have a hard time deciding and begin with the house salad that is vibrant, dark, delicious and drizzled with a sweet house dressing.

I still can’t decide on a main course. Fish it will be.

In between courses, a light sorbet arrives. Not so much an amuse bouche, but a palette cleanser. I cast the refreshing and cooling palette cleanser aside and begin with my fish.

Portioned just right. An undistinguishable red/orange sauce is drizzled over it and served with a side of plain pasta. I can’t taste anything.

Did my taste buds go numb after the excessive flavors they encountered earlier?

This colorful dish in front of me was just that. Colorful and flavorless. At that moment, I had food envy. I looked across at Michael’s plate as he devoured his pork tenderloin in a mysterious brown sauce.

Dessert was much better between the two of us we had the tiramisu and crème brulee. Staff were just as friendly in the Dining Car, checking in every so often. The dimly lit car still allowed me to view the shadows of the vineyards on the return.

Fantastic service and experience worth trying.

Contact:
Napa Valley Wine Train, Inc.
1275 McKinstry Street
Napa, CA 94559
Fax: 707-253-9264
http://winetrain.com/