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    Love Wine, will travel

    How to get the best out of Napa wine country

    Jessica Dupuy
    Jun 16, 2013 | 12:12 pm

    When it comes to wine regions in America, Napa is king. You can have that idyllic experience — driving winding roads along the sea of vineyards, stopping in for tastings and ending your day at a spa — but you better have your ducks in a row before you go.

    Too many romantic weekend escapes or girlfriend getaways end in letdowns, thirsty palates and gripes — usually while frantically trying to hop from one winery to another along Highway 29 rush hour traffic.

    There are a few keys to unlocking the beauty of Napa, and after a languid week of sampling some of the best of what this storied wine region has to offer, we’ve compiled them for you.

    Level of interest
    First question to answer: How into wine are you? If you aren’t too picky about which wines you try, you may want to stick to larger producers with open tasting rooms that don’t require reservations. You’ll still get to taste some great wines, but you won’t have to feel as committed to a particular schedule.

    Some of our top picks for drop-in wineries: Cliff Lede Vineyards, Domaine Chandon and Sterling Vineyards. (You’ll love riding the tram up the mountainside.) If you’re a wine fanatic, you need to select the places you want to visit and arrange appointments at least a few weeks ahead of time.

    Lay of the land
    First-time visitors to Napa need to understand one thing: the map. Napa Valley is one long, linear strip of geography that runs north along Highway 29 from Carneros to Calistoga. It takes at least an hour to traverse the length of it, and that’s with no stops in mild traffic.

    Your best bet is to look at a map of the region and plan your winery visits. Start either at the north end or south end, and move your way up or down the region accordingly. Otherwise, you’ll spend needless time in the car passing endless views of vineyards without actually tasting any wine.

    A bit of advice: It’s always nice to start or end the day with a little bubbly. Domaine Carneros is a beautiful sparkling wine house owned by the French Champagne producer Taittenger. It’s on the southern end of Napa in the Carneros AVA. You’ll taste an array of beautifully made traditional-method sparkling wines. Don’t leave without a taste of the premier Frontgate Pinot Noir.

    Be ready to buy
    You may spend anywhere from $25 to $60 for a tasting, so you should keep in mind what an appointment means. Often it’s just you and your party led around by a winery manager, guide or the winemaker. It can be a rewarding opportunity to really learn about the wines and taste through some really special things.

    But keep in mind that all Napa wineries are in business to do one thing: sell wine. When you take up someone’s time with a personalized tour, you need to be prepared to buy their wine. It’s just common courtesy.

    That said, if you’ve paid a tasting fee at a larger tasting room and don’t like the wines, don’t feel obligated to buy. But if you’re really spending time at a winery to appreciate the wines being made, you need to be ready for a purchase. (Note: Signing up for a mailing list is not an appropriate “out.”)

    Before you go, ask friends, restaurant sommeliers and wine merchants for suggestions based on what they know you like. Then you’ll know how to organize your time — and your wallet. Some of our top picks for appointments: Ladera Vineyards, Stony Hill Vineyards, Vineyard 29, St. Clement Vineyards and Rudd Oakville Estate.

    When to go
    Choosing a time of year for your trip to Napa is as important as selecting the wineries to visit. It’s exciting to see the wine country when clusters of grapes are hanging from the vines, which is usually from late July through most of the fall.

    Although the idea of wine country during harvest season does sound romantic, it’s not exactly the time to go — at least not if you want a relaxed, tranquil experience with your appointment hosts. Harvest is often the most stressful time for grape growers, winemakers and vineyards managers, because the timing of harvesting grapes is measured in days and hours, depending on weather and climate conditions.

    For this reason, they are often sleep deprived and otherwise focused on the grapes they need to make wine, not the overall customer experience. Can you blame them?

    Vineyards are beautiful in the late spring, particularly when the vines have started to flower. Plus, you’re much more likely to get a laid-back, less stressed host.

    Stay where you play
    After a long day of wine tasting, the last thing you want to do is drive for miles to your end destination. Finding the right accommodations is key.

    Keep in mind that if you’ve been overserved in your day of tasting, there are no easy ways to get a ride. Cabs are not plentiful, and there isn’t a bus system. So be smart. Consume wisely, and make sure you don’t have far to go when it’s all said and done.

    Try not to stay anywhere south of the town of Napa. And although you will find a number of accommodations in town, it’s really better to stick to the outposts along the way, such as St. Helena, Yountville or Calistoga.

    Our top picks include Villagio Inn & Spa (Yountville), Solage (Calistoga) and The Carneros Inn (near Napa). Our personal splurge-worthy favorite is The Poetry Inn at Cliff Lede Vineyards (near Yountville).

    One final word: Don’t overbook your days. Trust us when we say you’ll likely be doing a lot of driving. And you should really leave yourself enough time to enjoy the wineries you visit. Try to stick to three wineries a day, with a fun lunch and dinner stop along the way.

    Of course, Napa isn’t the only wine region in the world to visit, but it’s certainly a worthy experience for the best in American wines. You’ll find that if you just do a little bit of homework, you’ll get the best of what this beautiful wine country has to offer.

    Cliff Lede Vineyards, a great drop-in winery, has a luxurious inn onsite.

      
    Cliff Lede Vineyards Facebook
    Cliff Lede Vineyards, a great drop-in winery, has a luxurious inn onsite.
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    Hotel News

    City of McKinney approves funding for new Marriott luxury hotel

    Raven Jordan
    Jun 12, 2025 | 10:56 am
    JW Marriott in McKinney
    City of McKinney
    Rendering of JW Marriott in McKinney

    The McKinney City Council has approved incentives for the development of a JW Marriott resort hotel at Craig Ranch, a master-planned community, where it’s slated to go up at the northeast corner of Collin McKinney Parkway and Van Tuyl Parkway.

    Construction on the eight-acre project is set to begin December 2026.

    The city of McKinney is giving an economic development grant to Craig Ranch Luxury Hotel SPE Owner LP for the project. Under the agreement, the developer will construct and operate a luxury JW Marriott resort hotel featuring 290 guest rooms, more than 51,000 square feet of high-end hotel conference space, and resort-style amenities.

    These amenities include a pool with a lazy river, a full-service fitness center, a three-meal restaurant and specialty restaurant, a lounge with a terrace and poolside service, pickleball courts, structured and valet parking, and other conveniences such as a business center and a retail gift shop.

    Visitors to the hotel will also have access to the TPC Craig Ranch golf course and Life Time Fitness and Spa.

    The project will also include at least 45 for-sale condos, served by a dedicated amenity deck. Funding for the hotel and condos will come from grants and a loan including a $25 million grant and $10.25 million loan from the City of McKinney and a $2 million grant from the McKinney Economic Development Corporation, according to city council documents.

    According to the Mayor of McKinney, the project reflects the city’s commitment to planned growth and economic development.

    "With the airport's upcoming expansion into commercial service, our extended partnership with The CJ CUP Byron Nelson tournament, and major entertainment attractions like the VENU Sunset Amphitheater and Cannon Beach: Surf and Adventure Park, McKinney is quickly becoming a regional and national destination,” says McKinney Mayor George Fuller in a statement. “A luxury resort like JW Marriott is not just welcome, it's needed."

    This development supports the city's continued efforts to promote tourism and attract premier hospitality experiences, and this upcoming $1.3 billion mixed use development is yet another example of how serious the city is about drawing in a new crowd.

    The hotel is expected to be completed by April 2029.

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