It’s been a wild ride these last couple months with the birth of my girl/boy twins, Cindy Rose and Dakota Dylan. They fit right in with the Napa Valley lifestyle as they spend a good part of their day eating and drinking, interspersed only with power naps and pooping. My nine-month sabbatical from wine swilling followed by twin rearing has given me a new perspective on just about every aspect of life, from quelling the queasies to turbo-charged time management, though the most relevant to Napa Insider is the discovery that life without wine in Napa Valley is no kind of life. While there’s much to do and many thriving companies beyond the wine biz, the reality is, our world revolves around wine. Distilled further by a party goer at a recent event, “Only in Napa Valley can you get stellar wines for free but you have to pay $3 for a bottle of water.” My observations ditto hers, with this adage: Good luck finding beverage options beyond wine at the majority of parties around town. It’s there, but you have to work to find it.
We’re a wine region, yes, but this sleep-deprived townie takes offense at the notion of New York-based outfit City Winery shacking up in the former Opera House space for the next 15 years. I love old New York more than the average person, but to deface an iconic space feels sacrilegious. It doesn’t help that City Winery is a chain with outposts in Manhattan, Chicago and Nashville. Then there’s the ripping out of the glorious, theater-style seating in favor of a flat floor ballroom, along with the addition of a full-service restaurant and installation of a wine tapping system set to shell out 35 vinos. All of which caused the Opera House to go black in January and stay that way until the projected opening of City Winery in April.
When I caught up with founder and CEO Michael Dorf, my East Coast defenses were in overdrive, so I was armed and ready to demolish his master plan. I blame the postpartum hormones that have left me more sentimental about entertainment venues than I ever thought possible. I launched my attack on the tap system but, Dorf countered, “We’re not just installing some beer tap as a way to serve cheap wine, we take our winemaking seriously. We’re making a commitment to integrity and looking at this as a unique opportunity for wineries to showcase their product in a fresh and unique way.” Dorf must’ve tabled terse New York tongues for sweet talk considering he got Silver Oak to offer its wine in a tap format along with 27 other Napa Valley wineries. In addition, City Winery will feature a 400-bottle wine list.
I pressed Dorf on why the Opera House and why now. His answer, “Our number one reason to be there is to foster our relationship with the wine community. Serving local wine is one way to do it. Another, which is our expertise, is putting on great shows and cultural experiences. That’s what I’ve been doing for 26 years [Dorf is the founder of NYC’s Knitting Factory]. There’s no better way to ingratiate the wine community than to put on a great show.”
I dropped my crusty attitude for a moment to learn more. “We saw a great opportunity with the Opera House. For one, it’s just karmic. Going into what’s the oldest performance space in Napa Valley, to connect with that history is a powerful feeling. The number two reason we’re here is the Opera House nonprofit needed an injection of good culture to make the place work. It was challenged both financially and from a marketing and promotional aspect.”
Dorf is also making it his business to finish what was left undone when the Opera House was resurrected 12 years ago by expanding the kitchen and removing the fixed seating. “It was lovely seating but it was limiting, it only worked for concerts. It doesn’t offer the versatility of the original flat floor. Now we can do tables and chairs, set it up like a theater, do big round tables for a gala, or remove all the seating for a walk-around tasting.”
To all the naysayers in the crowd, Dorf counters, “We’re treating the space with the utmost care, taking a smart approach to presenting culture and doing it in a tasteful way.” He’s also offered the space to seven nonprofits, which will leverage the venue for various events. “We’re donating the space, food, wine and service, so they’ll make a nice profit and charitable contribution. That’s how we operate in all of our locations. It’s key to our overall business model.”
As our conversation rolled to an end, I wasn’t certain if my position was weakening because of sleep deprivation or if it was becoming progressively more difficult to find fault with the City Winery proposition. As Dorf tells it, the Opera House would be no more if it weren’t for his infusion. “We’re making a sizable investment and ensuring the success and mission of that room, which is to present great culture. There was a good chance the Opera House would’ve had to close its doors, if wasn’t for us. It’s an incredible opportunity.” I attempted to lob one last objection by turning talks to the employment outlook. He disagreed, “We’re creating 50 to 60 new jobs for Napa. That’s incremental new work for people. I think that’s a good thing.”
Now that I’m back to imbibing and, admittedly, yearning to hear music beyond lullabies, I’ll rest my case until the time comes to sample Silver Oak from a tap and settle in for the promised New York-caliber live music. Here’s hoping that more than just remnants of the iconic grand old Napa Valley Opera House will remain.
