Thomas Keller’s elusive French Laundry and its endless waiting list put Yountville on the map. And it is a true food and wine lover’s paradise, bursting with boutique hotels and wine collectives.
French Laundry
One of these is Maisonry Winery Collective where boutique wines pair perfectly with art. The ivy-covered manor is filled with local works of art and limited production wines, both available for purchase. Maisonry is just north of the heart of Yountville and a short walk to many acclaimed hotels and restaurants. (maisonry.com)
Maisonry Winery Collective
Another coveted tasting spot is hope & grace, modest producers of 3,500 cases annually. Focusing on limited production, winemaker Charles Hendricks creates 100 percent single vineyard vintages—Pinots, Cabs, Chards. For a nominal fee, you can taste them all at the chic Yountville salon. (hopeandgracewines.com)
Hope and Grace Winery
The town is also home to other Keller hot spots, including his French bistro Bouchon, where meals can be made from starters alone: oysters, pate, and escargot, followed by savory crocks of French onion soup. Be sure to save room for the chocolate chip cake at Bouchon Bakery next door. Sold by the bagful, the decadent cake chunks are the perfect gift to take home (if they make it that far). (thomaskeller.com)
Bouchon Bakery
Before returning home, sample another type of gastronomy: grilled fish tacos topped with cabbage and tangy dressing at Tacos Garcia, a taco truck in the parking lot of the dive bar Pancha’s. Trust us, it’s worth it.
Tacos Garcia
Hotels in town keep stride with the food and wine. Bardessono is about as eco-chic as you can get, down to its platinum LEED certification (bardessono.com). The Hotel Yountville aspires to a contemporary French farmhouse vibe (hotelyountville.com).
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