Paul Franson's

Visitors to California from other states may not appreciate one of California’s rarest attractions: the Napa River.

In most parts of the United States, navigable rivers are common, but there are very few in California. Most flow to the Pacific Ocean over an impassible sand bar or they dry up part of the year.

The Napa River, in fact, is why the city of Napa is where it is. It sits at the end of the navigable river; above Napa, the river is really a seasonal creek.

During the 19th century, Napa Valley’s largest crop was wheat, not grapes and ships loaded flour to be loaded to feed the hungry citizens of San Francisco. A mural on a building at First and Main Streets depicts that scene.

Over time, however, the river lost its importance in commerce. The river became little more than a sewer carrying the valley’s wastes to San Francisco Bay. Still, it flooded the city a few times each decade, discouraging investment or even maintenance of the city’s core.

It also became inhospitable to the salmon and trout that once traversed the river to spawn up valley.

Fortunately, a few local citizens recognized the importance of the river to Napa, and vowed to end the flooding while restoring the river as Napa’s gem. In 1996 citizens of Napa Valley voted to tax themselves to restore the river and return the river to a natural environment, fighting the floods with flood plains, bypasses and gradual slopes rather than concrete walls.

In the process, the city planned to make the river a focus of recreation and life, with trails, parks and new attractions that would draw people to the riverfront.

The project is well underway. New bridges allow water to flow freely, while buildings were removed from the east bank and the banks sloped to give the water a place to spread. New paths are underway and a shallow bypass will be a park in dry weather. Most dramatically, the old Napa Mill has been restored into a prime visitor attraction, Copia rose in the oxbow of the river followed by the Oxbow Public Market, and the Westin Verasa Hotel will open this summer,.

Many new restaurants, wine tasting rooms, art galleries, shops and clubs have blossomed downtown, and Napa shines at night as it hasn’t since World War II.

Still to come are a path that eventually will stretch for miles along the river with cafés, shops and housing on it downtown, and docks, terraces and other attractions that showplace the river itself. Visitors can already enjoy the river restoration and the path around the Napa Mill should open May 10.

In a few years, the river restoration will have transformed Napa’s whole downtown.

Paul Franson
NapaLife
2035 Oak St.
Napa, CA 94559

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Future events

Fiesta Oxbow honoring Alice Waters.

The Oxbow School will hold its Fiesta Oxbow benefit honoring Alice Waters on May 31 at 6 p.m. Tickets are $350 or $500 from www.oxbowschool.org, 252-5427 or phoebe@oxbowschool.org.

Wineries celebrate solstice with Solarbration

This summer solstice, wineries in wine country will celebrate the day of the year when the sun shines the longest with the first annual Solarbration.

On June 21, from 5:30 p.m. until sunset, ZD Wines, Honig Vineyard & Winery and Peju Province Winery will host a solstice celebration, with special wine tastings, sustainably grown gourmet cuisine, and live entertainment at each of their facilities.

Guests are invited on a behind-the-scenes tour of the solar energy systems that power the wineries. All proceeds will be donated to the Land Trust of Napa County; representatives will be at the wineries to answer questions about their land-saving work.

According to Sunlight Electric, Napa County wineries have adopted solar energy 42 times faster than California businesses overall.

Sunlight Electric of San Francisco designed and managed the projects at ZD and Honig. Akeena Solar of Los Gatos completed the system at Peju.

Tickets are $50. Get details at zdwines.com, honigwine.com or peju.com /solarbration.

Jewish Vintners Celebration

Nearly 40 Jewish vintners and winemakers will gather together in a celebration of wine, cuisine, camaraderie and history at the 3rd Annual Jewish Vintners Celebration: “Connecting with our Roots” Friday June 20 through Sunday June 22.

Tickets are $650 per guest for the entire weekend package of events, or $600 per person if reservations are made before May 10.

Special hotel rates are available. For more information, call 968-9944 or visit www.jewishvintners.org.

Fourth of July at Louis M. Martini

For the past 12 years the Louis M. Martini family has been opening their doors to friends and family every July 4th for an evening of festivities, food and fireworks.

This year, the party starts with a tasting of new wines including rosé paired with hors d’oeuvres.

Petite Sirah from Martini’s Thomann Station vineyard will be poured along with other wines at the family-style dinner featuring smoked brisket, ribs and grilled chicken with all the trimmings followed by homemade cobbler and ice cream.

All this fun is accompanied by live music and activities for children in the winery garden.

The grand finale of the night is the greatest 4th of July fireworks display in Northern California.

Tickets are $95. For more information or to reserve tickets, call 866-549-2582 or visit www.louismartini.com.

Festival del Sole coming to Napa Valley

The 10-day festival also includes visual art exhibitions, free community concerts and family events combined with fine meals and wines at stunning venues in the Napa Valley.

This year’s returning guest artists include violinists Joshua Bell and Dmitry Sitkovetsky, French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet and 13-year old piano prodigy Conrad Tao.

Artists making their debut include pianists André Watts and Simone Dinnerstein, oboist Alexei Ogrintchouk, soprano Measha Brueggergosman, San Francisco Opera favorite Jill Grove, and mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca.

Featured ensembles are the Dallas Symphony, UBS Verbier Chamber Orchestra, San Francisco Opera Festival Orchestra, and the Napa Valley Symphony.

Gala events with the artists and other special guests are the culinary highlight and social center of Festival del Sole including dinners at Far Niente, Opus One, Calistoga Ranch and Grgich Hills and a Mexican fiesta at Dominus Estate.

This year, the Festival expands its visual arts program to include three exhibitions of works by Henri Matisse, Andy Warhol and J Henry Fair.

Tickets for concerts at Lincoln Theater, Castello di Amorosa and Robert Mondavi Winery range from $45-$125. For tickets, call 226-8742.

“Cause for the Paws”

The fifth annual “Cause for the Paws,” a benefit for Napa Humane, will take place on Sunday, July 20, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Grove at Silverado Resort.

“Cause for the Paws” will feature wine and food from the Napa Valley, live music provided by City Lights, and live and silent auctions.

Advance tickets are $45 from 255-8118, ext. 204 or www.napahumaneorg.

Staglin Music Festival for Mental Health

The 14th Annual Staglin Family Music Festival for Mental Health will be held on Saturday, Sept. 13. As details are released – like the featured artist—they’ll be posted at www.music-festival.org. You can also buy tickets there; they do sell out.

CIA’s Worlds of Flavor

The Culinary Institute’s Worlds of Flavor is Nov. 6-8.

The theme this year is A Mediterranean Flavor Odyssey. Over 60 chefs from across the country and the Mediterranean will present food, lectures and seminars.

In addition, it will have its traditional street fair with booths offering samplings of Mediterranean snacks.

The event is open only to food professionals.

For info and registration, call (800) 313-6374. It always sells out quickly.

Enjoy wine: Wine snobs are a pain in the glass!