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Categories: Restaurants, Tours, Wineries [Edit]
1275 McKinstry StThe promise of things to come: intimate dinners,…
Mon-Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
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We went on the train for lunch with my husband's grandfather, and had a great time.
The train is gorgeous. We had appetizers first, and decided to split a bottle of wine (since the cost of individual glasses for each of us approached the cost of a bottle).
After appetizers and wine, we explored the train for a bit. I'll admit, navigating a moving train after the wine was TRICKY. The husband pointed out that if I wobbled no one would know if it was the train or the alcohol. :-)
We did the wine tasting, and the pours were VERY generous! I ended up taking a glass with me to lunch. At the tasting we also chatted with other folks on the train, so it was a fun experience.
Lunch was excellent. Each entree had a suggested wine pairing, but we had had enough wine by then. :-)
Back at the station, we had a chance to buy the wines we had sampled (we did!) as well as these neat bubble wrap cases to help protect them in our suitcases on the flight home (none broke!).
We also purchased 2 copies of the picture - one for us and one for the husband's grandfather (who loved it!). The salesperson was nice enough to include an extra print since we had to wait (so we got 3 pictures and 2 frames). Bonus!
A great way to spend the day.
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This was the perfect way to start our Honeymoon! The lunch is the best time to go because you can still see the countryside. A friend of ours went at night and the lights are beautiful, and the stars and moon are nice, but you don't get to see the vineyards as well. It also served as a tour of the valley and the waiters give you great tips of placecs to go, and will talk to you about where the great deals are!
Now, to get to the food. I had the most amazing lamb I have ever had as the main course, and my husband had a delicious salmon that we were hard pressed to avoid licking the plate clean. I have seen in other reviews that they weren't so excited. This is most likely because they were in the a-la-carte car.
This is not a cheap attraction in Napa but it's well worth the money to do the nicest dining car. The nice car is called the Vista Dome lunch and it's beautiful and so much fun! You do have to pay seperately for glasses of wine, but it's very reasonable and paired well with the food. Next down would be the Gourmet Lunch, it's not as high quality as the Vista Dome but the food is still good! The car is nice as well although does not offer the views of the Vista Dome. Last is the Silverado Car... it is not air conditioned and is an open-air car with an a-la-carte menu and access to the wine tasting car.
I really recommend either the Gourmet Lunch or the Vista Dome because it is an excellent opportunity to see Napa from a different perspective!
Why does this train get so much hype? My friends came in from the East Coast and decided that they wanted to do the wine train. We were unimpressed.
First of all, you pay quite a bit for the ticket, then you pay for your wine tastings. You do get a gourmet meal included, but please is that why we go on the wine train?
We went for the day tour. Which other people say the night is romantic, why would you go on a train when you can't see anything?
The train does go up the road between napa and st helena so you see the names of a lot of wineries, but it just makes you want to get off the train and hit the wineries. The first part of the train goes through a pretty sad to look at neighborhood and the rest of the ride is on the road. The greatest thing to see was my friend who started dancing with the lady when she was trying to go down the aisle to the bathroom. Then he tried to take the glass with him. They don't really appreciate that.
I say, save yourself the money on the train. Hire a car for you and your friends. Take the same road as the train. Stop at the wineries and find yourself a nice place to eat lunch in Younteville.
This is a great experience. The Santa Express Train is a great thing for kids.
See travel article on Examiner News
http://www.examiner.co...
The wine train is such a fun and romantic experience! My boyfriend brought me here for our anniversary and he earned a whole lot of brownie points. We did the Gourmet Dinner package ($99/person).
First off, the train itself is very cute and is more like an old luxury style train.
FYI the train does not stop at any wineries! It's just a non stop roundtrip cruise down napa valley.
When we aboard the train, we were first seated in a lounge car with velvet swivel chairs facing the windows viewing napa wineries. They served us each a plate with olives, fruits, nuts, cheese and bruschetta.(http://www.yelp.com/bi...) You have to pay extra for wine. Around $7 a glass.
They gave us free time to wander around the train and take pictures. We got to see how the train kitchen looked like.(http://www.yelp.com/bi...) There's viewing windows to look into the kitchen. There's also a jazz band playing. We also saw that there's a kids only section and a double decker dome train car. Someone was having their barchlorette party there, VIP only.
When it was time, they sent us to the dining car. Started us off with a mixed green salad. Then a 3 flavored sorbet to cleanse our palette(http://www.yelp.com/bi...). For main entree, boyfriend got Beef Tenderloin that comes with potato, spring beans, carrots and mushrooms. It was tender. I had the Mahi Mahi with mussels which was good as well! For dessert we got a fruit plate and Creme Brulee. Nothing to complain there.
After dinner the tour was basically closing to the end. The whole tour lasted around 3-4hours.
When we arrive to the main train terminal, they were selling train souvenir photo they took before we aboard the train. $25 and comes in a nice cover folder.
Overall, the experience was pleasant and service was good. Nice romantic experience and cute train. I have nothing to complain about the food, but I can't say it was the best foods i've ever tasted.
It was an experience, but the food & the wine could have been better.
You have a couple options from each of the four courses. You get salad, soup, a main dish, and dessert. You choose one from each section, and they bring it to your table (on the train of course, lol), while you travel to a winery. The food was ok, but I would not call it good. It's sad, I know, but I would say a fancier version of Denny's. Really, I mean that. The flavors are decent, but nothing new or interesting.
As for the train ride, it was nice. You get to see the vineyards as you ride up, we actually took a bus back to the station. So train ride up, and bus back down.
The tour of the winery was really great. We actually went to Domane Chandon tasting/ winery tour. We got to sample their selections, and see how they do it all. We had an excellent tour guide, who was very informative.
If I were to do it again, I would skip the train and their meal, make reservations at a winery (you can get a tour and tasting arranged), and have dinner at the many restaurants in Napa/ Sonoma that are more innovative and delicious.
Also, the wine tasting on the train is rather...boring? It is set up as a bar, where you order quarter/half versions of their selection of wines for a set price (e.g. 5 tastings for x dollars). First, their selection was not impressive, and the bar style for wine tasting, imo, just does not work.
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Ok... now.. to be perfectly clear... im giving the wine train 5 stars because it was great. There were downers, but it was not the fault of the good people working at the wine train.
We started by checking in at the lobby or waiting room( whatever you call it ) and as a huge group with one speaker, tasted some wines together. The wines... not that great. But I honestly wasent there for tastings. After, we started boarding. The Vista Dome cart where our seats were, were beautiful. By far the best cart on the train. The views were amazing, the food, excellent. Our server also played the role of tour guide, but not to the point where it was annoying. An amazing experience.
Ok ,now the downer. Me and my girlfriend were all dressed up. We looked AWESOME! Ready for a FANCY trip on the wine train. And everyone there was dressed and acted like the biggest freaking tourists ive ever seen in my life. Ive never seen so many high shorts, novelty shirts, and vainy legs as I did that day. People with alot of money that feel they don't need to dress NICE to a fancy dinner on an amazing train.
But it was great. If you go, just tune them out. : )
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Yawn....don't bother...especially when it gets dark earlier there is nothing to see except the other bored customers scraping food around their plates. The food is mediocre and the service staff seems "thrilled" with their jobs.
With the $$$ you pay there are MUCH better experiences in the valley.
Went here with my boy for a surprise first anniversary gift. It was a great experience! We were definitely the best dressed, as most people were very casual. The decor of the dining car was really awesome! Felt like we stepped back in time. The view was beautiful after we left the residential areas, where you sometimes look into people's backyards. The food and service were awesome! Too bad wine wasn't included in the price, but we settled on a glass each. The appetizers were good, salad was yummy, good trio of sorbets, and I had a delish pork tenderloin with beets for my main course. All the food was exquisitely made. I was stuffed, and we made our way to the dessert car. Had the creme brulee and the chocolate pastry each. Definitely the creme brulee is better, as the chocolate pastry really lacked any flavor or texture. Great ending to such a phenomenal and unique trip!
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As part of our anniversary week-end extravaganza, Pru and I hopped on the Wine Train for the Grgich Hills Winery and Tasting Tour complete with a 3-course lunch. The service was very good from the check-in, to the gift shops, complimentary tasting and orientation in the beginning. When you begin any day with drinking wine before 11AM, it can't be all bad.
Lunch started with Portuguese Minestrone soup for Pru and Baby Lettuce Salad with honey mustard vinaigrette for me. Loved the salad and evidently, Pru loved the soup because I didn't get to try any. Roasted beef tenderloin for me was a little on the bland side but got some help from the balsamic sauce reduction drizzled over it. Pru's fillet of sole on a bed of mashed potatoes was mild, light and flavorful. Desert was a standard brownie with whipped cream and vanilla bean creme brulee topped with berries. We were seated in the dining car during lunch and the lounge car on the ride back. The interior was beautifully restored, very romantic and definitely captured the glory of a forgotten era when train travel was the primary mode of transportation.
Enjoy the views of the wineries, waiving passengers from passing cars and the seemingly endless rows of grapevines. It's an experience not to be missed when in Napa.
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She sat in the Silverado Car of the Wine Train looking out the window at what might be grapes. The rows of vines whipped by with each click-clack of the track. Like the days of her life, the sights and scenes rolled by, each row of grapes looking like the next and the one before. She poured another cup full of wine and wandered back to the caboose. Actually, she ended up at the front of the train, but was finally redirected.
Outside on the caboose's ramp, the sweet heat massaged her body with slow gentle mesmerizing waves. The bright dusty sunshine lit her face, its parts and features indistinguishable from one other, as if, over time, her face had been gently sanded down by various storm fronts and bright beautiful days. She blinked her eyes and nearly missed the town of Rutherford. Passing Oakville, she realized the afternoon was soon to begin its descent.
She found comfort by not thinking about anything. The weeds were growing without cultivation and told her the stories of the valley better than the grapes ever could. Time slipped by as more vineyards went by. The dirt pile on which the train rolled looked sad to her against the lush vineyard backdrop. She stared at the oily tracks as they clacked along. She felt comfortably pensive in this melancholy state.
The Mayacamas Mountains seemed to follow her for awhile until the train hit a bend right before Yountville. They then appeared to stop and just stare until finally out of her sight. Her favorite part of the day these days was dusk. She would be home soon to enjoy the light when it appeared as an early morning dream ready for a peaceful night of slumber. She would be ready.
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Went on the wine train as part of a corporate thing, so experience might be different. That said, for what it is, a meal on a train done in a limited time, it's pretty good. The way it works is that 1/2 the journey is appetizers and drinks, and the other half is dinner. It's roughly 1.5 hrs each way. Service personnel fun and friendly. A nice experience, though perhaps not a regular one.
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Never been treated like this. They canceled my reservation the night before my trip. Offered me nothing. I asked to speak to a manager and of course they were not available. I called the next morning at 8 when they opened and again no supervisor and no nothing!!!!!
Then they had the nerve to call back and offer me a discount, put me on hold and came back on after 3 minutes and told me they could not offer the discounted never have been treated like this...and i am a local. I always tell the tourist that visit my shop in SF to go and enjoy the train..I will never recommend this to anyone again ever..what an embarrassment..
thanks for treating locals like dirt..
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The Napa Valley Wine Train should be on everyone's to-do list when visiting Napa; particularly first-timers.
The BF did good planning my birthday. The Wine Train was definitely a highlight of my birthday celebrations.
What's great is they offer many different packages, ranging from lunch or dinner tours, dinner & show combos, and of course, winery tours. Since I've never been much of a drinker and am relatively clueless about wine, the Lunch train was perfect. It consisted of a 3-hour train ride complete w/gourmet meal and wine-tasting on-board.
Something about a train ride is inexplicably romantic and combined with gourmet food and wine I couldn't have asked for a better time. Service was great, the views were terrific, and the train was an attraction all its own.
Napa is a place of many attractions and the Wine Train is perfect because it allows you to experience all that Wine country has to offer, in a charming and unique way. Whether you're planning a group excursion, romantic getaway, or special celebration, a good time will be had by all.
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TOOT!!! TOOOOT!!!!!!! ALL ABOARD THE NAPA VALLEY WINE TRAIN!!!!
We went on this wine train for our friend, Eym's birthday Roarin' 20s themed birthday party and it was just amazing! It was a nice low key and relaxing ride through Napa Valley. The weather was gorgeous and the scenery was breathtaking.
The food was DEEEELICOUS and the train was delightful to be in. The train was built around 1915 and recently restored so it's a beautiful replica of what it once was. It was romantic inside and we had a great time taking black and white pictures in our 20s clothing. It was like we stepped back in time!
This is a nice thing to do at least once if you visit Napa Valley and I highly recommend it.
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My boyfriend would have KILLED me had I been able to successfully drag him here for an anniversary outing. Thank fuck I didn't... I would have been miserable, myself, dealing with his inevitable whining...
I came here for a bachelorette weekend w/ my friends and it was an experience I would recommend trying, but once is more than enough. If your significant other is not into wine whatsoever, or lacks patience - save yourself the trouble. All the ladies in our party collectively agreed our SO's would be bored as fuck.
As for our experience, it was nice - we were toasty the whole ride to Domaine Chandon, and the wine was a plenty. Service was a little spotty for dinner - our waitress had a thick accent none of us could decipher, and it wasn't until I overheard another server describing my soup did I then discover it had lobster in it. [the tomato lobster bisque is DROOL worthy!] We were forgotten when it came to bringing us our desserts and tea, and I didn't like how we had a certain amount of time in the dining car until we were ushered to the dessert car. My dinner was pretty good though. I had the roast beef tenderloin or something - and it was definitely tender, and a delight to eat, especially after having a hang over from the night prior. The only thing I have to warn you all of is the constant swaying side-to-side while eating your dinner. Not recommended for the motion sick... or hung over. Lol...
Our tour guide helped us through our 1.5 hr. guide through Domaine Chandon [we picked the champagne tour] and it was alright. It was rushed because we were tight on time, and the group before us was taking their sweet time going through the winery. We didn't have much time to explore the tasting room, but we did get our complimentary tastings of four different champagne selections. My only gripe there was that there were no variations of blush/rose champagnes to sample.
We got back to the train station afterward by bus, and I picked up a $25 souvenir photo that was snapped of us before we left.
I might have enjoyed this better if I weren't hung over. I know they have night time train tours on full-moon nights, so I'd probably want to try that tour another time... but it would definitely have to be with some gf's, since I don't think I could stand the whining I'd have to endure if I suckered the bf into it.
Good for romance - just plan ahead, and mentally psyche yourself up for a min. of 4 hrs. to commit to being on the train. It's not so bad, just don't go hung over, and don't go with anyone that can't enjoy scenery, wine or food. After you've experienced it once, I say you save that money and buy yourself a spa treatment at one of Napa's lovely spas instead... =D
Ps: don't get the fish dish - the "citrus" sauce the drizzle on it is really bad... and the fish my friend had was flavorless. Stick to the roast beef and tomato soup/lobster bisque if you have the option to. =D
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This review is for the inaugural train ride to the Cheers! St. Helena event. Pick ups in Napa and Yountville.
The train is a great way to have a built in designated driver and charming way to get to the event.
On the way to St. Helena, super hydrate on water and soft drinks and nibble on warm sourdough bread. Enjoy a sponsored complementary wine pour. Once in St. Helena, revel in food samples and wine taste 60+ wineries while browsing in various merchant stores. Three hours later, get back on to the train for an hour to sober up with hot coffee and a well balanced fruit and cheese plate.
First Friday from May - Oct. Would definitely do this again.
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The Napa Valley Wine Train is a great idea. But! The acting is only so-so, and play is hard to follow, particularly if you go with people you like and want to talk to -- at all.
That said, if you're bored with the poeple you go with, you may still not follow the act. We had trouble understanding the plot, and we are all educated (well, very educated) people.
This venue is not good for kids, by the way. The play (at least the mystery we saw was) too hard to understand, and given that it's a wine train, you don't want the little folk to see the big folk getting tipsy on good wine. ;)
We went for the mystery dinner, but I see from their website that they have brunches, and plays, and things especially for kids, and special deals, so check out their website!
On our trip, the food was surprisingly delicious (usually venues like this have terrible food), very fresh, and gourmet!
And, it WAS fun to dress up in 1920's fashions - I love that era!
And, it was fun to be on a train, eating dinner, and watching a play. We paid $145.00, which isn't sooo bad, I guess (given the ride, the entertainment, and the food), especially for a special occasion. But, I don't know if I'd do it again. It's hard to find a good murder mystery dinner place. And, I love good food and a good mystery. So, if anyone knows one, let me know, k?! ;)
When I think of Napa, I think of the Napa Valley Wine Train! No trip to wine country is complete without getting aboard this unique and absolutely fabulous train!
We sat in the Vista Dome car of the train (the best car in my opinion... with partial glass roof and large windows, you sit up high and have a breathtaking view of the region). As if the scenery wasn't worth the money... the food is absolutely divine and with a wine educator on board and a truly impressive selection of the areas finest- you're certain to leave with a new favorite!
I was delighted that shrimp bisque was the soup du jour (my fave) and foie gras was one of the appetizers I could choose from. The special of the day was Ahi (and it was AMAZING) followed by sorbet to cleanse your palate (reminds me of a joke I heard, but I'll tell you that one later) and finally creme brulee to put me into a food coma (the food is ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS, 5 * all the way). I actually cannot say enough about just how good the food was, it really was high end cuisine!
Our server was attentive and knowledgeable. The wine educator was impressive (even to my somewhat snobby when it comes to wine self) and the experience really was priceless!
To work off the dinner we'd just eaten, we meandered through the rest of the train (I was totally scared to go from car to car- but I am a bit of a pansy). The back of the train has that old time "balcony" that you can step onto and that was exhillerating!
Just before the train pulled back into the station, we made our way to the on board tasting room and I sampled my very favorite wine to date (it was a really full bodied, tobacco esque, red... and for the life of me I cannot remember what it was- but it was AMAZING).
GIRLCATIONS want to thank The Napa Wine Train for inviting us to come aboard and experience this Napa landmark. It was, the highlight, of our Napa trip and we can't wait to do it again!
GIRLCATIONS highly recommends THE NAPA VALLEY WINE TRAIN!
Visit their website at: http://winetrain.com/
Great novelty and something everyone should do.....ONCE. When making a reservation, they told us about the special menu that evening in the celebration of the full moon, but honestly I am not sure it was any different than normal, other than it included 2 glasses of house wine. I would compare the food to bulk country club fare. Very good but certainly not memorable. For the combined $300 that evening, we could have feasted at two very good restaurants including a bottle of wine.
The temperature was absolutely freezing that evening and while the service prompt, it was rather robotic compared to other Napa establishments. Also, wasnt sure if gratuity was included as it mentioned it as optional. They really shouldnt leave that for discretion.
This something great for tourists and the older generation.
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There was really nothing that special about the wine train - the food, the ambience, etc.
It's one of those things you do once - but if you don't get around to it, you haven't missed much. I would prefer to spend my money at a restaurant instead.
I went during the winter and by the time the train was boarded and moving, it was too dark to really see anything outside.
On a vacation to San Francisco, we drove out to Napa one day and did the tourist thing. Not wanting to drive to various wineries since we're not that into wine, we thought the wine train would be a good alternate.
We had a great time on the cheapest, a la carte car where you can order off of a small menu instead of having a several-course meal. The car was decorated in an old-west fashion, with photos of old western movie stars.
The food was very good--we had salads and a cheese tray. The cheese tray was the biggest I've ever seen! Many many different types of cheese and very large portions. The fruits and bread served along with it were fantastic.
The views and ride were very calming and relaxing and a great way to see the country. The only downside was that there were many families with small children in our car. Why a family would bring toddlers on a wine train, I don't know. (I think there should be an age restriction.) The kids were out of control yelling and running and breaking glasses etc and no one did anything to stop it. Unfortunately this made me very happy to get off. Just hope for a quiet car when you go!
This is a must-have experience when visiting Napa. A nice three hour ride through Napa while experiencing a gourmet meal.
The basic dinner package is great, but if you have the means, definitely try the Vista Dome Car if you can. It is an upgraded meal for just a little bit more than the standard dinner.
If doing the standard dinner package, my recommendation is to get the second seating for dinner. You'll start out in one of the observation cars where you can enjoy your appetizer and a nice glass of wine while watching the scenery of Napa go by. You'll be able to enjoy more of Napa's scenery this way. You'll also have time to stop by the Wine Tasting Car if you're interested in sampling some of Napa's finest. For the second half of the trip, you'll move to the dining car for your main course & dessert. We've taken this trip 3-4 times already and it always amazes me how well they time everything out. You'll just be finishing your coffee/after dinner drink just as you pull back up to the station to head back home.
My wife and I try to visit the wine train whenever we visit Napa. We even held our wedding reception in the Vista Dome car when we got married last year. The food & service was excellent!! Can't wait to go back again.
We held our wedding reception in the Vista Dome Car and it could not have been a better experience for our guests. Both the food and the ambience were wonderful. The staff went out of our way to take care of our party and could not have been more accomodating.
We'd been on the train before and knew it was a fun time but we'd never spent the few dollars extra for the Dome Car - definitely worth the money! Although the food is similar to the regular cars, it was nice to stay in one car for the full trip and the views from the Dome are spectacular.
Definitely worth a visit!
The wife and I met her parents up in Napa Valley to do their Moonlight Gourmet Meal. Upon coming here, the first task is to find the entrance in the station. Once we found our way in, we were able to meet my wife's parents and find a seat and buy a glass of wine while we waited for boarding.
The train station is nice. Place is clean with plenty of seating inside. The board by type of ticket your purchases and have items such as a Murder Mystery and a couple of different dining area. We waited our turn and then went outside to get board the train. They do they traditional welcome aboard picture, before you get on the train. We got our picture and went to the vista dome.
I have to say they did the decor up on the Vista Dome correctly. Everything is first class. Plenty of polished wood and with all the glass, plenty to see all around you. We got our seat of 4 and our waitress came with our menu and started us off with a glass of Champagne. Now with this dinner menu you do get 2 glasses of their house wine with dinner.
Looking over the menu, they have a decent selection of options considering that everything is made on the train. The menu breaks down into appetizers, then soup/salad, then main course of either meat or seafood, and then desert. Looking over the menu, I decided to do it right and went with a rich tasting of the Foie Gras, Onion Soup, Beef Tenderloin, and the Creme brulee. For vegetarians, they are very accommodating for both vegetarians and vegans. My wife being the vegetarian got the vegetarian menu, so I got to sample some of that too.
Off we went and in went our menu order. First up was the Foie Gras. Presentation wise, was nicely done. Flavor was nice and balanced too. The Foie Gras was very tender and rich but the bread it was served on gave it a nice balance. I tried my In-Laws seared Scallops, and that was nicely done. The scallop was fresh and sweet and the caviar gave that nice bit of saltiness too it. My wife had an anti-pasta plate with olives and artichoke hearts and she seemed to really enjoy it with the bread they serve.
Next up came the soup. Soup had really good flavor to it, but was heavy on the salt for me. The bread that came with the meal seemed to help balance out the saltiness of the soup. The wife had the salad, and that was better than the soup. It had a very good dressing and the goat cheese on it was of good quality. At this time we started ordering the wine, since I was going with lots of meat, got the red wine. I was disappointed in the wine as it was highly acidic. I ended up paying for that mistake later...
But in between the soup/salad and main course we did get berry sorbet to cleanse the pallet served in a champagne glass. It was nice, light, and did the job.
After the sorbet, I believe we arrived in St. Helena. The train doesn't make a loop, but goes in reverse. So you're on the same side of the track as before.
We got our meals and again nice presentation. The beef tenderloin was good. It was cooked a very good medium which made the meat very tender. Unfortunately I think they forgot the bacon on mine as I couldn't find or taste any bacon on my beef. The veggies that came with it were good. The mashed potatoes had a great taste to them and complimented the meat well. My wife got the Spinach and Egg Plant Wellington and it had a very nice medium spicy taste to it. The in-laws got the chop and seemed to enjoy their meal very much.
The waitress cleaned up and out came the desserts. My wife got the Chocolate Pot Pie and I got the Creme brulee. Good portions on both. The Creme brulee, well it's Creme brulee, not much to say about it other than it was your standard Creme brulee. The Chocolate Pot Pie, super chocolate. If you're a chocolate fan, you're going to like this. My Father-in-Law got the Apple Crisp and that was well done. They must have a pastery chef on board because all the desserts were quality.
We had coffee and tea and enjoyed the rest of the way back. Dinner takes probably about 3/4 of the train ride. The views here were ok, but I don't blame the train as persay the time of year we went as it was very dark and not much to look at during a majority of the trip. If you went after day light savings, the views would probably be very nice.
The waitress here was top notch and we tipped her about $80. As to rating, the food quality and experience is definitely 4 star. The only problem both my wife and I encountered was the rich food and acidic wine didn't blend too well. My wife had a stomach ache most of the night. I did have a bit of a grumble in my stomach, but was better able to hold my food down than my wife. And since this is a the wine train, probably wasn't the best idea to serve a wine with such a high level of acidic, so I'm going to have to knock them a star for that.
Overall, I did enjoy my experience on the wine train and would recommend it.
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A terrific place to bring the 'rents!
My Dad LOVED it! My Mom had a great time b/c my Dad had a great time. My husband had a great time b/c he saw me having a great time. I had a great time b/c I finally found an activity that impressed my Dad!!
We woke up early to just make sure we will not encouter traffic.
We got there early, sat around waiting to board. There were a little wine tasting inside the station. The station is a little gross and old, but at least everyone were nice.
It was time to board, so we went to the train. We took pictures, then boarded a beautiful coach. It wasn't the highest priced one, but the 2nd highest one, comes with with wine tour.
I loved the fact the first thing they do is to serve food. Table cloth and all, it was a nice lunch.
We all ordered, I had the steak. It was beautifully displayed. The train was going very slowly so we had time to eat and enjoy the view.
My Dad really enjoyed the meal. After an hour, it was time to tour the winery. It was nice to have the tour since we would have been lost without it.
They gave us each a wine glass with the winery's name on it. My dad really liked that.
Afterwards, we boarded the train and sat in the lounge area where we were served coffee/tea and a yummy dessert. My dad kept on calling it, "High Tea" b/c the experience was so lux for him.
He sat on the lounge chair and had a happy look on his face while he stared out at the vineyards. I was happy he was happy. He works hard, hardly vacations, so I 'm happy I was able to treat him to something he enjoyed so much.
The only embassing thing was that he napped after the coffee and dessert b/c he was so comfortable.
The train is old, but they really try hard to maintain it. Everything was nice. It was a good place to bring parents from out of town.
Now, I need to know where to bring them to next time they visit! Any suggestions?
I got a little nervous after reading some of the other reviews for the Napa Wine Train - but I have to say, our experience last night was wonderful. We decided to treat my dad to this for his 70th birthday.
Everyone was very friendly and once we were seated in the dining car (we chose the Vista Dome package), we were completely taken care of for our 3 hour train ride. We're not big drinkers, so we didn't do much with wine, but our food was excellent.
Seared foie gras, pan seared scallops with smoked salmon and caviar, potato/zucchini soup, salad with candied walnuts, lamb chops, seared duck, mahi mahi, and roasted beef tenderloin. What a feast - everything was excellent. We all had to try each others dish.
One simple thing between courses was the trio of sorbets - it came with pineapple, coconut, and mixed berry flavors. I swear, if I could get a giant bowl of the coconut one - I would be in heaven.
Desserts were also delicious. We started off with Kahlua truffles - they're to die for!!! Our came with a candle and a little white chocolate 'banner' with Happy Birthday on it for Dad. Then we enjoyed espresso creme brulee, warm chocolate brownie with ice cream, and an apple cobbler. The cobbler wasn't the best - but the rest of it was fantastic.
Aside from the eating, we did manage to roam through several of the cars. The coolest is the back of the train. You're just a couple of feet up from the tracks - and just watching the world fly past you. Being winter, it was totally dark for our entire ride, but it was OK - we were treated to many gorgeous Christmas light displays from the wineries. I'm sure the views of the vineyards themselves would have been spectacular, but we didn't complain with what we got.
All in all, it's an expensive experience - but one that is good to do at least once. And if you can splurge, go for the Vista Dome - we walked through the other dining cars, and it's just not the same.
Dad was very happy - and that made it worth every penny.
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The Napa Train today offered free wine tasting before leave which wasn't too bad considering it was free! The train took us through St. Helena and Calistoga. Grgich Hills Winery was the first stop. The Cheese sampler was Fantastic!! We had 4 cheeses to sample, 2 from local farms and 2 were European. The dish also including fresh fruit(strawberries, apples,grapes,etc) and fresh bread. If you've never experienced the wine train its a must see.
Ok first of all you have to understand what you are getting yourself into. This is a tourist attraction not a wine buff event. But it is FUN! You get to relax, take in the views, have great conversation and drink some really good wine.
You start in the "train station", learning a little about how things will work throughout the day and drinking two different wines. A little early to start drinking at 10:30am but hey who's complaining :P
We did the lunch train and started off in the lounge (you either start eating or start lounging with drinks and app's then when the train stops and goes backwards you swap). This was very relaxing and pleasant as we ate the appetizers, went to the wine bar and hung out. I must admit that the switch from lounging to eating is a little rough and they could use some help with that portion.
I was impressed with the lunch. A great selection of meals, with reasonable portions and high quality food. I had the steak and my boyfriend had the pork, both were really good. You also get served dessert, which was OK nothing fabulous.
Overall the experience was fun and relaxing. A do-it-once type of experience that I think you have to have a good attitude about but worth the money and time if you are with the right people.
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i was apprehensive at first, because it seemed like kind of a cheesy idea to go on a wine train, but in the end i'm glad i went. i went with my mother and we did the evening dinner. we got appetizers and did the wine-tasting thing: 4 tastes for $10, and it's good wine too, so that was very affordable. the view out the train is beautiful, as you get to pass through all the vineyards and wineries, which you might miss seeing if you're driving. they only had one vegetarian option for dinner, so i was stuck with that, but it was surprisingly good and surpassed my expectations.
Huge disappointment! I had always wanted to go on this tour, and all I can say is careful what you wish for! Since there appears to be a variety of tour options I will begin by clarifying that my fiance and I did the dinner tour. The price was over $250 for our passage.
WARNING! Wine is not included!!!
First of all, if we had thought about it the evening train was a bad idea since once it gets dark you can't see anything so you could be anywhere... Napa, east Compton...
The menu was good and our server was very knowledgeable and pleasant. However, for the price I was shocked to see that wine was ala carte. A card was on our table with a small selection of bottles we could choose from - none under $50. I mistakenly assumed- since the brochure mentions tastings and it is after all a "wine" tour and that pairings would be included with dinner- NOT! I wish I wouldve thought to or known it was acceptable to BYOB!
C'est la vie, I guess you are paying for the train ride, because dinner was just ok. It wasnt bad, but was reminiscent of what you might be served at a nice banquet. You must admit that even the best banquet food is just ok. We then moved to another car for dessert and coffee. Very pleasant, still happy...
Then after a few minutes we realized we were trapped! The scenery was nonexistent (it was dark) and there was nothing to do but wander the cars where tastings were going on - again, not cheap. We did one but with our tab for the evening now nearing $400 we really didn't want to spend more money on overpriced tastings when we had a carload of great bottles we had purchased during our winery visits.
Had we been at a restaurant we would've left, but this was a nonstop tour. The minutes, hours dragged on and on. We were captive with no escape, no choice but to continue to the end. We thought about jumping, but no...
For me, a top Napa restaurant would have been more enjoyable and a much better value. However, based on some of the other reviews I see the lunch tour or winery tours might be worth a try.
I certainly will never do this tour again and have advised my friends against it. If the dinner tour is a must for you, either BYOB or just be aware that you should add a couple hundred extra dollars to the ticket price for wine and tastings.
Also, rather than spending $250 for the train I would recommend renting a limo - we did that with another couple one day. It cost significantly less and allowed us to ride though the countyside, stop where and when we wanted on our own schedule!
Yea yea yea, touristy touristy touristy. Now that's out, and you won't hear of it again.
I had to organize a trip for my coworkers and their significant others for wine tasting, and I'm so glad that the wine train exists -- being able to pick one activity that would block out four hours of the day made my job a lot easier.
We managed to pick the same date as the Vintner's Lunch, where a special guest vintner comes in and develops a menu paired with wines from their winery. A bit more expensive (thanks company, for paying), but totally worth it.
First course: Crab cakes
Second: Duck Cassoulet
Third: Braised Short Ribs
Fourth: Apple Crisp
FYI, all of those above courses were -wonderful- and tasted great with the wines that they were paired with. I'm sorry I can't remember the flowery pretty names they had, but I at least remembered the particulars.
Oh, don't get too excited by the "open air platform" - my coworkers and I envisioned an entire car open to the air, but it's really a three by six foot platform on the back of the train. With all the couples wanting to take in the scenery, it got crowded real quick.
So don't be scared by the touristy stuff - this was a great time, great views (autumn is great to go during lunch), and great food and wine.
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I came on a spectacular day and the ride was absolutely beautiful. The train moves very slowly and I was getting a little stir-crazy, but all was good when the food came.
I had the excellent beef tenderloin and the Cabernet was a delicious accompaniment. Our service was immaculate as you would expect and they were very helpful with wine selections.
Then my favorite part came - dessert! We got to wander to another car and I had the chocolate cheesecake with a raspberry sauce. Even the coffee was delicious - this experience did not disappoint one bit.
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If you're a tourist do not fall into this trap!
I finally got to experience the Wine Train, I kept an open mind, but I was so dissapointed. The "wine tasting" before boarding is somthing to be laughed at, but tourist eat it up. A server walks around and hands you two glasses of wine with no explanation. I was in the gourmet express, which really sums up the experience. When we were seated there were three glasses of wine in front of us, 2 reds 1 white, no explanation for these wines also.
The food is good, but there isn't much to choose from, appetizers you have just two options, for the main course you have about four and dessert you have two.
After eating you're put in the "lounge" car which was very small and squished, my fiance, myself and two of our friends were put in a booth made for two people. We ordered dessert, and coffee, they gave us enough cream for one, and made us feel like it was a bother to bring us more, once saying "But there is some on the table." YES but there isn't enough for four people!
All in all, it is not worth the $150, if you want a view just drive up and down highway, and there are plenty of amazing restaurants in the valley, don't waste your money on this one.
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Excellent service, scenery, food (generous portions as well). I have no idea what planet some of the negative reviewers come from, but I found the food extremely well-prepared and felt that the price was very reasonable considering the fact that it includes the train-fare. I had my own bottle of Bordeaux for which I was generously waived corkage; and there was even a children's menu for little ones without a taste for gourmet foods. My only criticism is a minor one - that they might do more to make the waiting area more interesting and entertaining, since there's a fairly long wait there to get onto the train. But all in all, definitely a 5* experience for me.
The wine train is a unique, fun activity for couples who love wine.
We highly recommend that you do the dinner train in the Vista Dome car. This will cost a good amount, but it is by far the best choice. Here's what to expect:
We boarded a restored glass domed railcar and were shown to our elegant table. As the train slowly moved northward, we were served a fine wine to accompany our very nice dinner.
With the sun setting behind the hills, long shadows were cast by the passing vineyards and wineries that dot the landscape. It was romantic, peaceful, and relaxing.
Once we finished dinner, we were invited downstairs to the small wine bar where we sampled various vintages with a steward who explained each sample. We then walked from railcar to railcar - each a different style and lovingly restored - watching the cooks in the kitchen and sampling more wines.
When the train reached the end of the line and began retracing its steps by heading south, we stood outdoors on the balcony off the back of the last car and felt like Truman doing whistlestops during his Presidential campaign. The railroad paralleled the highway, and cars would honk and wave every few seconds as they kept pace with the train, their headlights piercing the darkness and they moved along. We joined the two other couples on the balcony in returning their waves.
This is a fun evening activity in a city that is otherwise very quiet after dark. It is especially recommended to couples looking for something romantic to do in the early evening.
To address some of the complaints listed in other reviews:
- We didn't find it especially touristy. Even if it feels that way to you, if you rule something out just because it caters to tourists say goodbye to entire areas such as San Francisco, Paris, London, Broadway, and Venice.
- The food and service may not have been 5 star, but it was very good and on par with many fine restaurants. This is a train moving down the tracks, people. They'll do the best they can wrt to service and food prep, but don't expect perfection!
- The wine was probably not Snob Quality, but personally we think this is a plus!
If you enjoy wine, scenery, and the company of others who enjoy the finer things of life you'll have a great time.
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This is an experience worth paying for wether it's just you, the entire family or you and someone special this is a MUST do if you find yourself in Napa. I thought the train was going to be a little cheesy but it wasn't at all. The food and the service my husband and experienced was top notch and some of the best in the valley. I admit, I was a bit weary and assumed that the food would be so, so. How could they prepare an awesome meal on a train? Well, they do it well and I was VERY impressed. We had filet, foie grois, tomato bisque (made with fresh CA tomatoes of course) duck and delicious fresh desserts. Also, the wine list is impressive and the service and attentiveness was awesome. Daniel, our server, was very patient, knowledgeable and gave us tastes to help us make the perfect pairing. This was the highlight of our visit to Napa, it was so fun, romantic and worth every penny!!! The vista dome is the best!
I had a great experience on the wine train, so much so I did it twice. I did the Domaine Chandon tour both times. It was great. We started off at the boarding station and enjoyed 2 complimentary glasses of wine that were passed around by the servers. While we were tasting, a host a the podium told us of the history of Napa as well as what kind of wine we were drinking.
Since we were on the Domain tour, we got seated in the train first. Prior to boarding, a photographer is standing by to gladly take your photo. We got seated for lunch in the Pullman car. The car was really pretty and well decorated. We were greeted immediately by our waiter and the food was really good!
After lunch, we were advised to go to the dessert/wine car. We got to enjoy dessert and coffee in plush seats while taking in the view of vineyard grounds. If you dont feel like sitting down, you can hang out at the wine bar where you can get a flight for $10.
The train arrived at Domaine Chandon where a bus took us to the entrance of the winery. Our group got a private tour of the winery and our host was very imformative. After the tour, we got complimentary tastings of the oh so fabulous sparkling wines. We also got to keep the glasses! If you have never been to Domaine Chandon you will love it. Its one of my favorite places to go and the grounds are beautiful!
After Domaine Chandon, the bus was waiting to take us back to the train station where cookies and tea were being served. Also, the photo we took in the beginning was available for purchase.
All in all, the experience was wonderful! This is definitely a great way (aside from others) to experience Napa Valley. I dont have anything bad to say about it besides it being a pretty expensive memory ($139/person). I thought it was worth it and hope to try out the dinner excursion some time.
I thought the Wine Train experience was excellent! The scenery is awesome (although I agree with another Yelper who said it would be nice to have some occasional commentary from the staff), the service was excellent, and the food was good, if not great!
We started with a glass of wine or two in the holding room (yes, it is cheesy), then boarded one car where we had an appetizer plate of cheeses, fruit, crackers and wine or tea. Go for the very comfortable swivel chairs instead of the tables: you can balance your app plate on your lap or use the window sill.
When we moved to the dining car, we chose from beef, salmon, pork tenderloin or an eggplant dish. The first course was a salad with goat cheese or seafood bisque. Another glass of wine with the meal. The dessert choices were creme brulee and a chocolate bourbon cake. Very elegant, I thought!
Don't really know about the cost because I was on a wine country group tour, but I'd say it's worth the cost!
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I love trains. I took my fiance here and we had so much fun. We did the lunch train Vista Dome package. It was very romantic. From the minute we boarded and were seated we were completely taken care of for three hours. Our server was very friendly and knowledgeable. As we headed towards St. Helena, our server told us about the countryside and a little bit about the history and what we were looking at. The view was amazing. The food very good and the wine even better.
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Napa, CA
Category: Hotels & Travel
Napa, CA
Category: Tours
Napa, CA
Category: Seafood
Napa, CA
Category: Beer, Wine & Spirits
Napa, CA
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