Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/303828
She Rolls s u m m e r 2 0 1 4 | w e s t w o r l d 25 Rumbling past vineyards and steeped in vintage splendour, the Napa Valley Wine Train serves up the perfect pairing / by CaTheRiNe RosCoe baRR which stretches from Calistoga to American Canyon, reveal a multi-hued patchwork of agricultural plots, with more than 430 winer- ies blanketing the valley's floor and benches – in a space less than 50 kilometres long and five km wide. I'll catch a glimpse of that terrain today as the train ambles past more than 40 wineries along the western side of the valley. t o understand the history of the Napa Valley Railroad, one must travel back to the 19th century when the area at the northern end of its reaches was developing as a resort community. Californian magnate Samuel Brannan discovered the hot springs and mud baths of Calistoga and opened the first resort, which still stands today. e year was 1862, and the Napa Valley's sun-drenched charm was beginning to lure wealthy city folk longing to escape the San Francisco fog. Brannan built the Napa Valley Railroad to offer his guests safe (and stately) passage from the ferry docks in Vallejo to Calistoga, 65 km to the north. But Brannan's wealth took a downward turn towards the late 1860s, and he was forced to sell his railroad. It eventually made its way into the hands of the Southern Pacific Rail- road, which continued to operate it until the 1980s. Longtime Southern Pacific engineer Lou Schuyler petitioned the government to save the track, which was facing closure as automobile and air traffic increased. ough he lost that battle, his efforts galvanized a group of local citizens to seek financial sup- port for privatizing what was left of the origi- nal railway line. They found an enthusiastic buyer in San Francisco investor – and Rice-A-Roni inventor – Vincent DeDomenico. More than a dozen acquired and refurbished vintage railcars later, the Napa Valley Wine Train left the station for its first passenger voyage on September 16, 1989. It remains a family-run business today with numerous relatives holding various stakes and roles, including DeDomenico's granddaughter, Kira Devitt, the train's director of marketing and public relations. Earlier today, Devitt met me at the station in the city of Napa for a quick pre-departure train tour. Standing at the south end of the train, she told me: "We're really, really proud of this," and gestured to the 12-car "consist," a line of eight passenger cars, one kitchen car, two engine cars and a brand-new power car p24-29_NapaValleyWine.indd 25 14-04-14 12:21 PM