Escape to romantic Calistoga.

Calistoga is the ideal setting for a romantic love story:  Enchanting castles, a secluded mountain setting, hand-crafted luscious wines, steaming mineral springs, mouth-watering delicacies and picturesque surroundings. Below is a complete itinerary for a weekend hideaway.

Friday

Romantic Quarters – However you choose to arrive, make sure to check into the Mt. View Hotel & Spa located in heart of Calistoga. Rule number one of seduction is setting the scene and Mt. View Hotel & Spa happily succeeds. This newly renovated art-deco cosmopolitan hotel seduces every guest effortlessly. Set in a historical 1917 building, it boasts a variety of artist cottages, balcony suites and guestrooms and is the backdrop to many loves stories, including the romance between the proprietors, Michael & Stephanie Woods. With amenity-filled rooms, including winery suites which are paired with local romantic wineries, there are numerous packages to choose from, lovingly created by General Manager Andrea Hoogendoorn, giving guests endless reasons to cuddle and kiss. 1457 Lincoln Avenue (800) 816-6877

Vino & Cuisine – BarVino offers an extensive wine list, three-course menu specials and small plates with big bites. Once you’ve checked into your hotel, BarVino is conveniently located next to Mt. View Hotel & Spa with an entrance in the front lobby. The ambience is hip, modern which translates into a city vibe. Either as a local hoping to escape or a tourist wanting to unwind BarVino provides the best of the both, city sprawl, and urban crawl.

Saturday

Morning Jolt – Start your morning off right and increase your personal karma by supporting a local poet who also owns the most popular organic roasting house in town. Coffee at Yo el Rey is the best in town and a great place to meet and converse with locals. Located right off Lincoln avenue, Yo el Rey also features local underground art on its walls. Some examples are large stunning photographs by local travel photographer Liza Gershman, and poems hand written by the eccentric owner, J. Kirk Feiereisen. 1217 Washington Street (707) 942-1180

Quintessential Romantic Wineries – Sterling Vineyards, “one of the more spectacular wineries in Napa Valley,” according to Frank Prial of The New York Times. At this hilltop winery, the reserve tour and tasting at 11 a.m. starts with a tram ride up the hill to the winery, where you will gasp at a nearly 360° aerial view of the valley. These stunning views are sure to set the perfect tone for your romantic day. Your experience at Sterling will also include vintage wine tasting and an escorted winery tour lead by an experienced guide.  1111 Dunaweal Lane (707) 942-3300

Larkmead Vineyards embodies the picture perfect wine country atmosphere; an astonishing 90 plus wines scored by Robert Parker for their 2006 collection, an on-premise wine dog, picturesque vineyard views and a contemporary interior, there is no need to go beyond Calistoga to experience Napa Valley. Make an appointment in advance and allow time to unwind, learn about wine and soak up the wine-country lifestyle. 1100 Larkmead Lane (888) 743-7446

On weekends, every half an hour, there is a tasting tour at an incredible new winery, Castello di Amorosa, the castle of love. Allow yourself to be guided through this Italian-inspired castle to explore the stairway-filled towers, a medieval torture chamber, vast wine cellars, and Italian artisan hand-painted murals,  “where no detail was overlooked,” says The Boston Globe.  If you have never had the pleasure of exploring ancient European castles, this is your chance to tour an accurately replicated version crafted entirely from select materials imported from Italy.  The result has every ounce of character inherent to an authentic Italian castello. 4045 Saint Helena Highway (707) 942-8200

Sunday

Relaxation & Leisure – Center your spirit and bond over the “couples indulgence” package to start your morning off right at Mt. View Spa where they practice the ‘art of relaxation’ daily. Enjoy an array of hydrotherapy baths, personal steam rooms and well-deserved massages in their blissful green-friendly spa that is accessible by appointment to anyone seeking the sublime.

Calistoga is a walking town and it allows you to spend a day without having to drive, which is rarity nowadays. After your treatments, start with walking down to the Calistoga Bike Shop and rent a bike for a self-guided bike tour. 1318 Lincoln Ave (707) 942-9687.  Pick up some picnic supplies at Palisades Deli, also located on Lincoln Avenue, and hit the two hottest wineries within biking distance.

Newly-opened Lava Vine Winery & Tasting Room is the perfect spot to ride your bike up to, park and drink some amazing wine. Syrah is their signature hand-crafted wine however the Viognier is worth noting as well, and my personal favorite. This small production winery has a laid back vibe, an outside seating area and friendly staff making your intimate tasting a delightful experience. The best part is that they hand deliver any wines you’d like purchase to your hotel so you can continue biking without the hassle. 965 Silverado Trail (707) 942-9500

At the foot of Mount St. Helena resides a world-class winery that takes serious winemaking to a revolutionary level — literally.  Notoriously know as the inspiration for the recent movie Bottle Shock, Chateau Montelena remains grounded in a traditional beauty that honors its beginnings.  At the legendary Paris Tasting of 1976, Chateau Montelena’s ’73 Chardonnay defeated the French Meursault-Charmes ’73, history was born and California wine started on the path to its well-deserved fame. Hidden behind the winery under layers of green ivy emerges a classic stone castle carved into the hillside, reminiscent of an old French chateau.  More than a simple tourist attraction, it functions as a unique wine tasting facility; and a serious winery calls for serious tasting, so make sure to experience the Library and Current Release Tasting, which feature some of the rarest and most highly-sought California wines. 1429 Tubbs Lane (707) 942-5105

Keep on Romancing….

About Autumn Millhouse

Autumn Millhouse is a local travel writer, international trekker and self-proclaimed “hopeless-romantic”. Author of the hugely popular Romantic Napa Valley: An Insider’s Guide for Couples, she is currently working on two books with similar themes dealing with travel and romance. In Calistoga, her book is available at Copperfield Book Store, Solage Spa, Castello di Amorosa and Sterling Winery. Check out her blog at www.romanticnapavalleybook.com.

Hit the road for rustic wine country

Wine country weddings encompass essential details beyond taking your vows in a vineyard setting. It is a wine country state-of-mind. This serves often as the inspiration for the wedding. Whether in wine country or not, attention to these essentials will undoubtedly create a wine country ambiance for any wedding. And hopefully a happily-ever-after.

VINO:  Wine is the soul of a wine country wedding. Dictating the general vibe for the evening choosing the wrong wine for the couple could be a major upset.  Work with a local sommelier to perfectly pair your wine with your food, and don’t forget to consider the right bubbles for your wedding cake. Make sure to have a few different wines on hand, one for novice wine drinkers and one for more experienced wine connoisseur, and one for the everyday wine drinker. That way there will not be an unhappy faces in the reception. Work with a local winery on blending your own wine for this momentous occasion and consider purchasing from them directly to save some extra cash.

RUSTIC ELEGANCE:  After discussing with many wedding planners what the key ingredient is in terms of décor the most important element seems to be bringing the outside landscape inside. Meaning the flowers are simple yet gorgeous. The wedding colors are mute but extremely elegant. And the wedding favors and detailed touches represent sustainability, chic style and are pleasing to the eye. Local honey wrapped in recycled ribbon, organic olive oil used as decorative touch in the main course or pour from a magnum of wine autographed by a local winemaker which all set the tone for the idyllic wine country wedding and make fabulous wedding favors. Even consider using a saber to open your bubbly for your wedding cake toast. This will be an exciting display for guests and cement the wine country ambiance.

ARTISANAL MENU:  A large part of what makes a wine country wedding unique and so appealing beyond the rustic location is the wine and food. Inspired by a simple approach to food by using local, organic and seasonal products wine country cuisine is a beautiful mix of Mediterranean fare typically with California meats, fruits and vegetables. Check out what some of the best wine country chefs, such as Michael Chiarello, Thomas Keller and Bob Hurley, are creating in the kitchens and use that as inspiration for your own menu. Work with your cater to plan a special menu and properly pair each wine for each course and the menu will be talked about for years to come.

About Autumn

Autumn Millhouse is an award-winning travel writer who specializes in wine, food and romantic getaways. She is also an international trekker who has wined and dined across the globe from Barcelona to Beijing . A self-proclaimed “hopeless-romantic” and author of Romantic Napa Valley: An Insider’s Guide for Couples, Autumn also has a bi-monthly column called “Love Vines” published in Napa Valley Life Magazine. She resides in Napa Valley where she cultivates her wine and food relationships with top chefs, winemakers and a slew of other foodies. Besides, sniffing, swirling and sipping wine daily, Autumn is currently working on her next travel book Romantic Sonoma Valley: An Insider’s Guide for Couples.

Located near the top of Spring Mountain in St. Helena, the Charbay Vodka line started 12 years ago by Marko Karakasevic, who’s been “Distillin’ and Chilin’ since 1983″. Interestingly, the birth place of Charbay Vodka is Tra Vigne, back in 1997 when Marko was “pulling a shift at the bar” he noticed that the only flavored vodkas in the market (all 2 of them) were not made with fresh fruit, but instead “natural flavors.” The idea struck, and that November, he picked organically grown Meyer lemons from a Napa Valley grower to make Charbay’s first Vodka, Meyer Lemon. The rest is a happily-ever-after tale of the cocktail kind; with cocktail recipes in Bon Appetite Magazine, sales across the nation increasing monthly and a continuous launch of new products Charbay continues to make Napa Valley a hedonistic paradise.

Marko has personal experience creating a signature cocktail for weddings when he created and poured a special vodka concoction for Michael Chirarello’s wedding years ago. Since then, he implemented his own signature cocktail last year at his wedding to his beautiful wife Jennie. Named ‘The 8 Year Kiss,’ a reflection of their eight-year courtship was made with Charbay Raspberry Vodka, fresh raspberries, simple syrup, Odwalla lemonade shaken, served over ice and garnished with a few more raspberries.

Personalize your wedding by taking into consideration the theme, time of the year and wedding colors and location. Other entertaining ideas are to use a signature cocktail to honor your groom’s heritage, generate excitement about your honeymoon or pay homage to your first kiss.

No matter the twist on your cocktail, be creative, happily serve thirsty guests and make memories using a signature cocktail.

Two crowd pleasing cocktails Marko recommends are –

Tahitian Passion

1 1/2 oz. Charbay Tahitian Vanilla Bean Rum
1 oz. Passion Syrup*
1 1/2 oz. Lime Sour*
1 oz. Soda Water
Handful of Mint
Combine all ingredients in a Shaker and Shake. Note: Please do not muddle—shaking the mint with the ice does it.
(Created by Milton Bland of Piatti Restaurant, Sonoma)
*Passion Syrup – Equal Parts Perfect Puree Passion fruit Concentrate and Simple Syrup
*Lime Sour – Equal Parts Lime and Simple Syrup

Pomegranate Wedding Cosmo

1.5 oz. CHARBAY Pomegranate Vodka

1/2 oz. cranberry juice
1/2 oz. Cointreau
Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice; shake until frosty and strain into a martini glass; add a squeeze of lemon & garnish with a lemon wheel.

For more on Autumn Millhouse and her book Romantic Napa Valley, An Insider’s Guide for Couples, click here. For more on Autumn Millhouse and her book Romantic Napa Valley, An Insider’s Guide for Couples, click here.

Japanese comfort food at Katana

Medieval martial arts movie meets marvelous.

Inside, Katana is a little bit medieval martial arts movie, with a dash of nightshade and industrial sensibility. On the patio, it’s pure Hollywood, baby, located right by Miramax, on the Sunset Strip, and rife with agents, starlets, and the strivers that make the city of lights so very bright. Even on a Wednesday night, Katana was hopping and every table packed! So beyond hipster ambiance, what’s the buzz all about, because, although I adore sushi and stir fry, when I think about Japanese food, I don’t often think comfort food or (which in my East Coast memory lies comfortably in the domain of Italian, or Jersey diner). Katana takes it all to a whole new level with their Robata, grilled with smoky binchotan wood and delivered, warm, yummy crispy and tender to your table. Let the wait staff guide you, as the menu is extensive and you want to get it right. Our server, Cal took on the task of pairing expertly mixed, delicately flavored cocktails that worked in concert with the entrees. Standouts were the Shrimp Bacon Skewers, the Yellowtail Hanabi, the Baked Crab Hand Roll, and the Fois Gras skewers. Although I went with my favorite girl date, Heidi Richman (our Rocker Bride blogger) Katana is a perfect place for a pre event, bachelorette party, rehearsal dinner, or hot date. Sharing is caring and the generously proportioned small plates makes sure that everyone gets a nice big bite.

Robata is just about as satisfying as any comfort food I have ever experienced, and I will run, not walk back to Katana, not for the scene (if that matters to you) but for the food. It was stellar.

Tasting Menu

Salmon Truffle
Yellowtail Diced? Tuna Carpaccio
Regular Hanabi
Yellowtail Hanabi
Seabass skewers
Shrimp Bacon skewers
Foie Gras skewers
Green Beans
Baked Crab Hand Roll
Volcano Dessert

Libations

Pear Martini
Vodka with muddled Cucumber and Sake
Ginger Pomegranate Martini
Passion and Spice Martini
Effen Black Cherry and Soda
Blueberry Vodka w/ Simple Syrup splash of lime and Curacao
Vodka w/ splash of Watermelon Puckers Midori and dash of Sour

http://katanarobata.com/katana/index.htm

An Alterna-Bridal Fashion Event
W Hotel – San Francisco March 12

You’re invited to an Exclusive Evening of Music – Alterna-Wedding Fashion Design, and Libations

W San Francisco March 12, 6 pm-11pm  - After Party, XYZ Lounge 11 pm?181 Third Street      415.817.7856?www.whotels.com/sanfrancisco

WATCH AND COMMENT ON THE SHOW! 7 PM PST! CLICK HERE

W San Francisco in partnership with Antibride.com and Destination I Do Magazine is ready to add some WOW to weddings by hosting its first Operation Aisle Style event, a fashion show and multi-media event highlighting the philosophy of tying the knot outside of the box and exploring the road less travelled when saying the words “I Do.” Operation Aisle Style will showcase the hottest emerging fashion talent, signature cocktails by Kai Vodka and divine wines by Napa Valley’s notorious Somerston Winery. The mood, the music, and the magic will be webcast by Skout.com, and documented in a hip photo booth (and book) by Blurb.com. The evening will culminate in a blistering performance from SXSW bound band, The Hooks.

Operation Aisle Style hits the runway with two separate fashion shows: one showcasing the designs of Project Runway contestant, Austin Scarlett, lead designer, Kenneth Pool, and the second by The Art Institute of California’s future “rising star” fashion design students. Celebrity judges will jury twenty fashion design students as they show off their interpretation of “the alterna-wedding dress.”

One lucky winner will enjoy a 5 night stay in an Ocean Front Studio with breakfast at the Lodge Kura Hulanda & Beach Club located on the tropical island paradise of Curaçao.

After March 12th, the entire notion of “Wedding” will change…join us and make fashion history!

Festive Attire Encouraged!

We’ve set aside a certain number of tickets for our friends from Upcoming, Facebook, Destination I Do, the Anti-Bride Community and other social communities. Please RSVP in advance of the event to oas@skout.com. You can also get updates from the “Operation Aisle Style” Official Facebook page.

Event sponsors include: W San Francisco, Anti-Bride Productions Inc. (antibride.com,) Destination I Do magazine (destinationidomag.com,) Skout.com, Austin Scarlett for Kenneth Pool, Blurb.com, The Art Institute of California, Britex Fabrics, The San Francisco Institute of Esthetics and Cosmetology, Bad Habit Wine, Priest Ranch Wine, High Flyer Wine, Kai Vodka, The Hooks (thehooksmusic.com), Clarisonic, NeatReceipts, Craft magazine, Make magazine,  Cal Med Spa, Chronicle Books, Shannon Clark, Nearness Function, Paul Robertson Floral Design, Rubener Bautista Fine Jewelry, and the Lodge Kura Hulanda and Beach Club in Curacao (kurahulanda.com).

Operation Aisle Style hits the runway with two separate fashion shows: one showcasing the designs of Project Runway contestant, Austin Scarlett, lead designer, Kenneth Pool, and the second by The Art Institute of California’s future “rising star” fashion design students. Celebrity judges Katie Rice Jones (Style Expert, In Touch Weekly magazine, Style Network, E!, TV Guide Channel, Oxygen); Samantha Durbin (FabSugar); Laurent Gerin (Head Designer, Williams Sonoma/Williams Sonoma Home) and Daniel Carter (Creative Director, Craft magazine, Make magazine) will judge twenty fashion design students as they show off their interpretation of “the alterna-wedding dress.”