Rehearsal Dinners in the Napa Valley

By Christina Andrews

Because so many weddings in the Napa Valley are destination events, rehearsal dinners are often as important as the actual wedding reception. Family and friends have flown in from all over the country and need a chance to connect with one another, recover from jet lag and to acclimate themselves to the environment. Many wedding guests will choose to combine their attendance at your wedding with a wine country vacation. Your rehearsal dinner can be a celebration both of your impending wedding and of everyone gathering to take in all the beautiful scenery and amazing food and wine of the region.

Typically rehearsal dinners are for members of the wedding party, close friends and family. In the case of destination weddings, however, everyone has traveled long distances, may be fatigued from traveling and may be unfamiliar with the region, so it is especially nice to offer a welcoming meal to all.

There are many possible rehearsal dinner scenarios that work well in this area:

Pair up a beautiful outdoor/rustic setting with a BBQ, regional wines and casual entertainment such as Dixieland, bluegrass, Americana, folk or Latin. Some great locations for these types of events are Crane Park in the city of St. Helena, Bothe-Napa Valley State Park and Grist Mill State Park, both of which are off of Highway 29 between St. Helena and Calistoga. Another nice spot is the Yountville Community Hall. Great BBQ can be had from Buster's BBQ in Calistoga or from Back Door BBQ in Napa. If you're looking for great grilled food that's a bit more gourmet, Fumé Bistro in Napa has some terrific stuff that can be catered. Some enjoyable and reasonably-priced music groups that work well with this theme are Zenith Jazz Band, The Hot Frittatas, Gordon Lustig or Carter & Bodlovich.

Picnic settings are popular in the wine country and can feature regional specialty cheeses, gourmet sandwiches, dips and crudité, charcuterie, roasted vegetables, mini fruit tarts and locally-grown produce. Some of the wineries that host nice picnic areas are Clos Pegase, Bouchaine Vineyards, Hall Winery, Rutherford Hill Winery and Catacula Lake Winery. There are many great places to get picnic supplies. Some favorites are the Oakville Grocery, Dean and Deluca, The Napa General Store and Sunshine Foods. If you're looking for delicious boxed meals, the ABC Bakery in Napa is a great choice.

A gourmet dinner at one of the top restaurants in the area is one of the most popular types of rehearsal dinner. Everyone will want to experience the best the Napa Valley has to offer in the way of gourmet food at some point during their stay. Why not select a private room at one of the best restaurants in the area and set the mood for a fabulous wedding! A gourmet meal in a beautiful setting will help everyone to unwind, open up their senses and put them in a celebratory mood. Some spots that can handle a crowd with a private room and that offer some of the best food in the region are Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen or Martini House in St. Helena, Brix in Yountville, Zinsvalley in Napa and Brannan's Grill in Calistoga.

Why not an afternoon of golfing followed by a generous rehearsal dinner buffet? Help your guests to limber up, kick off the jet lag and fill their lungs with fresh air by offering an afternoon of golfing at one of the many country clubs in the area. A bit of sun will put everyone in the right frame of mind for the wedding rehearsal (which can most likely be done right at the golf club) and follow that with a generous buffet-style meal right on the premises. Some great spots for this type of pre-wedding day are Eagle Vines Golf Club in south Napa or Vintner's Golf Club in Yountville.

The "Fiesta" style rehearsal dinner…a popular choice in Northern California. It's inexpensive, delicious and can be had almost anywhere…any of the city parks, private homes, community halls and at many of the winery settings. A number of local Mexican restaurants offer catering and there are also "taco trucks" throughout the valley that are available to come to your event. Or you can dine at one of the Mexican restaurants in the area. A favorite spot at which to have this type of rehearsal dinner is Compadres in Yountville, which has colorful interior decorating as well as a beautiful outdoor setting. Melissa Teaff Catering has a Mexican menu to die for if you want something with a Mexican flair, but a bit more gourmet. Villa Corona and Armadillos are local favorites that also cater. Throw in some fun live music with Mariachi Ortega or Madrigal and you've got a party!

If many of your guests are staying at the same hotel or resort, you might consider having the rehearsal dinner there. That way guests can hang out longer to chat and relax and still have plenty of time to be well-rested and prepped for the big day. The larger hotels in the area, such as the Napa Valley Marriott, the Embassy Suites and the River Terrace Inn can accommodate your guests with a buffet in one of their conference rooms.

For something a bit more intimate and reflecting the special region in which you are having your event, you might consider hosting a winery dinner. What better way to welcome guests to this famous wine region than to have your rehearsal dinner in a wine cave or a winery setting that overlooks the vineyards? Many Napa Valley wineries have beautiful and romantic settings for rehearsal dinners as well as proper facilities for bringing in a private chef or catering service. Dinners can often be paired up with private winery tours and wine tastings. Some favorite spots are the legendary Stag's Leap Wine Cellars on Silverado Trail just north of Napa or Merryvale in St. Helena, which has a beautiful cask room reminiscent of a castle. Flamenco guitarist, Mark Taylor, is the perfect entertainer for a cave event while the Eloquence String Quartet can provide a lovely variety of music for a setting like Merryvale's cask room.