Paul Franson's
NapaLife

The insider's guide for those who live in Napa Valley – or wish they did.


January 23, 2012



Go to TravelTastes for wine, food and travel writing outside Napa Valley by Paul Franson.


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The inside guide to Napa Valley

Published each Monday in Napa Valley

Learn what's new in Napa Valley by reading NapaLife


NapaLife is the insider's guide to Napa Valley; this is only a taste of the whole newsletter. The weekly newsletter is published by insider Paul Franson.



This week in NapaLife

Redd Wood to open Thursday

PureCru tasting room coming

First stores open in Trancas crossing

Vanity Salon open downtown

Napa Valley Bath open in St. Helena

Joe Montana’s estate for sale

Be a visitor in the valley

Happenings at Taste of Oxbow

Solbar’s restaurant month offering

Specials at the Kitchen Door

Specials at Cuvée

Brix is back

Half-price dinner on the Wine Train

Dinner at Villa Romano

Silverado appoints Mercnik manager

Arts and entertainment news

Just added to The Uptown schedule:

Fully Committed is a scream

Submit short scripts for Play Festival

Send NapaLife free to friends

Opera House hires White

Artists needed for miniatures

Range Mercantile’s moving sale

News for the wine community

Premiere Napa Valley sold out

Evening Land appoints Ralston CEO

Huneeus Vintners moving downtown

Coombsville Vintners hold tasting

Sattui hires O’Higgins

More wine education in Napa Valley

This week in Napa Valley

Beer dinner at the Kitchen Door

French dinner at Bank Café

Family Night at Farmstead

This week at the Cameo Cinema

Photographic Society show and sale

 Facebook meet up at Sala Salon

Robben Ford at the Opera House

Fried chicken night at Farmstead

Spellbound at the Opera House

Supper Club at Cindy’s

International Guitar Night

Pinot Noir Fan Club of Napa Valley

Mustards Pour-Off Pair-Off Dinner

Wine Train Sing-Along Piano Bar

An evening With Eric Johnson

The Rivalry at the Opera House

Montrose at the Uptown

This week at Silo’s

Wine Wars at Raymond

Back Room Blow Out XLV

Mozart in Napa Valley

Crab feed at Justin-Siena

Two shows of Rockapella

Kiwanis Crab and Pasta Dinner

Boys and Girls Club crab feed

Chateau Montelena House Party

Somos Napa – We Are Napa

Capturing light on the landscape

Bryan Stow Benefit at Uptown

Portraits of Local Food Artisans

新年快樂 at Tillerman Tea

Fourth Cochon 555 comes to Napa

Future events

Lagunitas dinner at Carpe Diem

Neela’s “Chopped” dinner

Janet Fletcher’s Cheese Tour in Italy

Food of Love at the Cameo Cinema

Meet local developers and officials

Silver Oak’s 40th anniversary

Music Napa Valley fundraiser

Ride the Love Train

The Big Gay Train

Napa Valley Support Services



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NapaLife runs 12 to 18 pages each week including a list of almost everything happening in Napa Valley in the next two weeks. It is e-mailed each Monday and an online version is also available. It costs only $1 per week, $50 per year.

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It offers information on restaurants that offer free corkage, and when they do, the lowest cost glasses and bottles of wine, and more.

 

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Publisher and Editor: Paul Franson
(707) 258-0159
paul@napalife.com



Paul Franson writes about Napa Valley

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For a free updated guide to public relations for wineries, and non-profit events, or for our new guide for retailers, and for a guide to media in Napa Valley, email paul@napalife.com.

 





Coming up in Napa Valley


Seats available for Dinner is Served

There are still some seats left for the Napa Valley Opera House League’s 12th annual Dinner is Served, Thursday, Feb. 16.

Interestingly, the most expensive dinners are taken, but there’s nothing wrong with the others; I took the family, including grandkids, to Azzurro last year and we had a great meal.

Anyway, support the Opera House and enjoy a special dining experience that includes tax, tip, corkage at most places and a donation to the Napa Valley Opera House.

Seats were available a few days ago at

$150: Cole’s Chop House, étoile at Domaine Chandon, Morimoto Napa

$125 Arnold Palmer’s (Palm Desert)

$100 Bank Café & Bar, Brassica, Brix, Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen, Cuvee, Farmstead, Fish Story, Kokkari Estiatorio (San Francisco), Market Restaurant, Tra Vigne and Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant at the CIA

$75: Allegria, Avia Napa Kitchen & Wine Bar, Bounty Hunter Wine Bar & Smokin’ BBQ, Bui Bistro, Pearl, Uva Trattoria Italiana and Zinsvalley Restaurant

$50: Azzurro Pizzeria & Enoteca, Compadres Rio Grille and Norman Rose Tavern

Some are not on Feb. 16 or limited to that date, and from two to 30 places are available at each place, so you can get a party together.

Call 939-5516 for additional information.

Seats are limited so visit www.nvohstore.org soon.


This season at Opera House

Here's the The Napa Valley Opera House's upcoming season  

  • Jan 23 Robben Ford, 8pm
  • Jan 24 Tuesday Night Flicks: Spellbound, 7pm
  • Jan 25 International Guitar Night: Featuring Lulo Reinhardt (Germany), Adrian Legg (UK), Marco Pereira (Brazil) and Brian Gore (US), 8pm
  • Jan 26 An Evening with Eric Johnson, 8pm
  • Jan 27 TheaterWorks: The Rivalry by Norman Corwin, 8pm
  • Jan 28 and 29 Rockapella, 8pm
  • Feb 7 Celtic Nights, 8pm
  • Feb 8 Soul Salvation featuring Ruthie Foster and Paul Thorn, 8pm
  • Feb 10 Jake Shimabukuro, 8pm
  • Feb 11 Tuck & Patti - Valentine Weekend, 8pm
  • Feb 12 Hugh Masekela, 8pm
  • Feb 16 Brooklyn Rundfunk Orkestrata, 8pm
  • Feb 17 Regina Carter, 8pm
  • Feb 23 Guitar Masters featuring Andy McKee, Stephen Bennett and Antoine Dufour
  • Feb 25 Natalie Cole
  • Feb 28 Jim Brickman, 8pm
  • March 2 Marvin Hamlisch 8pm  $70-$85   
  • March 3 Jon Nakamatsu 8pm $25 / $30
  • March 10 Playing for Change 8pm $30 / $35
  • March 17 Capitol Steps 4pm & 8pm $35 / $40   
  • March 18 Solas 7pm $20 / $25   
  • March 24 Diablo Ballet 8pm $25 / $30   
  • March 29 Branford Marsalis 8pm $60 / $65
  • April 1 Sierra Maestra   
  • April 6 Hermeto Pascoal   
  • April 12 Paula Poundstone
  • April 13 Blame Sally
  • April 17 Suzanne Vega and Duncan Sheik
  • April 20 Women Fully Clothed   
  • April 21 Lisa Loeb   

Get tickets at the Box Office at 1030 Main St., Napa, www.nvoh.org or 226-7372.


Uptown Theatre Lineup

Here are the upcoming shows at the Uptown Theatre in Napa.                                                    
  • Jan. 27 Montrose with Michael Lee Firkins 
  • Jan. 28 Bryan Stow Benefit featuring Tim Flannery & Lunatic Fringe
  • Feb. 2  Queensryche's Geoff Tate Unplugged
  • Feb. 10 An acoustic eve with Los Lonely Boys
  • Feb. 16 Dweezil Zappa plays Zappa  (Dweezil playing Frank)  
  • Feb. 25 Built to Spill
  • March 1George Thorogood & The Destroyers with Michael Williams Band
  • March 2 Ladysmith Black Mambazo w/ithVOENA
  • March 4, Javier Colon, $25, $30
  • March 8, Railroad Earth with Brothers Comatose, $37, $42
  • March 17, Marshall Tucker Band with Lansdale Station, $40, $45
  • March 29, Ani Di Franco with Seth Glier , $47.50 , $52.50
  • March 31, Kingston Trio with special appearance by Bob Shane, $50, $55
  • April 7, Jackie Green and Rusted Root Benefit show for The Rex Foundation, $50, $55
  • April 27, Chris Isaak, $75, $80
  • May 4, David Sedaris, $49, $54
  • June 1, Jerry Jeff Walker, $32, $37

Most shows are at 8 p.m. The Uptown Theatre is at 1350 Third St. in Napa. The box office phone is 259-0123 x 6 and web site is www.uptowntheatrenapa.com


Performing Arts Center

Here’s the schedule for the Napa Valley College Performing Arts Center:

  • Feb. 5, Master Recital/Main Theater - Mona Lisa, Dr. Roberto Gonzalez 7:30 p.m.
  • Feb. 26, Master Recital – Mazdak, 3 p.m.
  • Mar. 9–25, Almost, Maine, directed by Danielle Cain
  • Apr. 12–22,  Sweeney Todd by Stephen Sondheim, direction by Jennifer King, music direction by Dr. Eve-Anne Wilkes
  • Apr. 29 Choral Concert – Songs of the Human Spirit, 3 p.m.
  • May 6, Wind Ensemble – Suite Symphony, 3 p.m.
  • May 12, Voice Recital
  • May 18 Jazz Ensemble – Cool Jazz, 8 p.m.
  • May 20, Piano Recital 3 p.m.

 

 


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Paul Franson
NapaLife
2035 Oak St.
Napa, CA 94559


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