From Napa with Love - feat. Alexis Swanson Traina

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Interview with Leslie Heaney – "From Napa with Love" Featuring Alexis Swanson Traina

Episode Release Date: July 9, 2025

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Introduction to the Summer Series and Alexis’s Background

In the premiere episode of the summer series, host Leslie Heaney welcomes back her friend and expert, Alexis Swanson Traina, for a deep dive into the enchanting world of Napa Valley. Alexis, founder of the communication app HighNote and author of the beloved book From Napa with Love, brings her extensive knowledge and passion for Napa to the conversation.

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History of Napa Valley

Alexis begins by sharing her personal journey to Napa Valley, recounting how her father, a serial entrepreneur, decided to enter the wine business in 1984. “[...] Napa was just like a whole fantasy that I could not even get over. I couldn't believe it. I was like, this is for me” ([06:32]). The early days of Napa were characterized by small, family-run wineries with a romantic, old-world charm.

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Evolution of Wineries and Tourism in Napa

Over the decades, Napa Valley has transformed from a collection of mom-and-pop wineries to a robust tourist destination. Alexis highlights how innovation played a crucial role in this evolution. “We saw all these people coming through, and all we really had at the time were like, come in tasting, belly up to the bar [...] and we were like, let's make this something. Let's make this a destination” ([10:23]). This shift set the stage for Napa to become a world-renowned wine region, blending traditional winemaking with exceptional visitor experiences.

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Favorite Vineyards and Wineries

Alexis shares her top picks for wineries that embody Napa’s unique spirit:

• McDonald’s Winery: Recognized by Wine Spectator for producing top-tier wines alongside their French and Italian counterparts. “[...] these guys were just on the Wine Spectator as, like, top wines in the world” ([15:27]).

• Macaulay and Venge: Ideal for enthusiasts of bold, rich red wines. “I love McDonald's. I love Macaulay. I love Venge. I love Louis Sellers” ([16:33]).

These vineyards offer intimate experiences, often allowing visitors to interact directly with owners and winemakers, adding a personal touch to the tasting sessions.

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Accommodations and Dining in Napa

When it comes to places to stay, Alexis recommends the town of Yountville as the culinary heart of Napa. “[...] it's the food epicenter. It's kind of where Thomas Keller has kind of created his mecca” ([16:49]). Notable dining establishments in Yountville include:

• The French Laundry: A bucket-list restaurant renowned for its exquisite cuisine.
• Bouchon and Ad Hoc: Part of Thomas Keller’s empire, offering exceptional dining experiences.
• Jeanti and Rutherford Grill: Standout choices for gourmet meals.

For accommodations, Alexis suggests:

• The Auberge: An old-school hotel with exceptional charm.
• Solage in Calistoga: Offers modern amenities, including bike rentals and hot springs.
• Indian Springs: A historic hotel with authentic hot springs and mud baths, maintaining its 1950s charm while offering modernized facilities ([19:20]).

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Activities and Attractions in Napa Valley

Napa Valley is not just about wine; it offers a plethora of activities:

• Biking and Driving Tours: The flat 26-mile valley is perfect for cycling, while car enthusiasts can enjoy scenic drives in classic vehicles. “[...] biking is a major thing. Remember, it's 26 miles flat. So it's beautiful” ([20:11]).

• Napa Valley Wine Train: A must-visit attraction featuring refurbished 1930s Pullman cars offering gourmet dining and panoramic views of the valley. “[...] you feel like you're on the Orient Express through Napa” ([24:27]).

• Hot Air Balloon Rides: Experience breathtaking sunrise views over the vineyards, particularly around Yountville.

• Farmers Markets and Trail Hikes: Explore local produce and enjoy the natural beauty through numerous trails.

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Art and Shopping Scene in Napa

Napa Valley’s artistic and shopping landscape is vibrant and diverse:

• Vintage Home: A celebrated store specializing in eclectic Christmas decorations and home interiors, attracting visitors nationwide during the holiday season ([28:59]).

• Napa Olive Oil Factory: A family-run establishment offering high-quality olive oils with unique packaging, perfect for gifts ([29:48]).

• Gallerists and Boutique Shops: Emerging art galleries and high-end boutiques like Veronica Beard and Elise Walker’s shop enhance Napa’s shopping appeal. “[...] we started to see a lot of amazing kind of fashion. And, you know, we're seeing gallerists pop up” ([28:59]).

Alexis also praises Gotts, an innovative hamburger stand that revolutionized the local food scene with chic, delicious offerings akin to Shake Shack’s concept ([30:37]).

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Summer Events and Festivals

Napa Valley hosts several noteworthy events that draw large crowds:

• Bottle Rock Festival: Held on Memorial Day, this festival is Napa’s answer to bigger events like Coachella, featuring a mix of music, food trucks, and vendors. “[...] Bottle Rock Festival is always good. It’s not as young, which makes it nice” ([37:07]).

• Classic Music Festivals: July hosts a two-week classical music festival akin to Salzburg’s, featuring jazz and fine music that appeals to a more mature audience. “There is a music festival that lasts two weeks in Napa. And it’s all classic” ([36:44]).

• Shopping and Food Truck Pop-Ups: Seasonal markets and pop-up restaurants enhance the festival atmosphere, offering diverse culinary experiences and unique shopping opportunities.

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Conclusion and Future Topics

Closing the episode, Alexis emphasizes the multifaceted appeal of Napa Valley beyond its renowned wineries. She encourages listeners to explore the rich cultural, culinary, and artistic offerings that make Napa a dynamic destination year-round. “[...] there’s so much more beyond just wine. There are so many more interesting things and people contributing in such crazy, wild ways” ([39:07]).

Leslie Heaney expresses gratitude for Alexis’s insights and enthusiasm, hinting at future episodes featuring other renowned regions like the Hudson Valley.

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Notable Quotes:

• Alexis Swanson Traina on Napa's Transformation: “We saw all these people coming through, and all we really had at the time were like, come in tasting, belly up to the bar [...] and we were like, let's make this something. Let's make this a destination” ([10:23]).

• On Napa’s Unique Appeal: “Napa holds. [...] it’s got six little towns spread throughout those 26 miles. And it’s just kind of become this extraordinary mecca of like incredible food, incredible wines, crazy people coming together” ([12:17]).

• Highlighting Hidden Gems: “Low doesn't mean low. Low means that people in the know know about it” ([36:19]).

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Conclusion

This episode of The Interview with Leslie Heaney offers an immersive exploration of Napa Valley through the eyes of Alexis Swanson Traina. From its historical roots and evolving tourism landscape to must-visit wineries, dining spots, and vibrant cultural scene, listeners gain a comprehensive understanding of what makes Napa Valley a premier destination. Alexis’s personal anecdotes and expert recommendations provide valuable insights for both seasoned visitors and those planning their first trip to this Californian gem.

Transcript

[Leslie Heaney]

Foreign.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

This is Leslie, and you're listening to the interview with Leslie Heaney. Hope you all had a great July 4th weekend. We are kicking off July with what I'm calling a summer series. So I had some friends reach out.

[Leslie Heaney]

To me to ask for recommendations about where to stay and places to eat and things to do in Newport.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

And same with Millbrook.

[Leslie Heaney]

And I thought since people are traveling.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

A lot this summer that maybe this.

[Leslie Heaney]

Is an interesting subject for the podcast.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

To ask people who are in the know in different communities to share their favorite spots. And so that's what I did.

[Leslie Heaney]

I've asked insiders to share their favorite secret spots and recommendations for places to stay, eat and things to do and wonderful places to visit during the summer. And I thought, who better to kick it off than my wonderful friend Alexis Swanson Traina, who's back for her second time on the pod to share all of her favorite spots from her hometown of Napa Valley, California.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

You may remember Alexis and I did.

[Leslie Heaney]

An episode about her company.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

She's the founder of the modern communication.

[Leslie Heaney]

App called HighNote, but she's also the.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Author of a book called From Napa.

[Leslie Heaney]

With Love that came out a few years ago. And it's about, it's really her love.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Letter to Napa about all of the amazing and magical people and spots in Napa.

[Leslie Heaney]

In this episode, Alexis and I talk a little bit about history of Napa.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

We talk about its wineries, her favorite spots to visit, activities, restaurants, shops.

[Leslie Heaney]

Alexis's passion for Napa pours out in this conversation. So even if you're not planning on visiting Napa Valley this summer, I learned.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

So much about this extremely special spot.

[Leslie Heaney]

In our country and in our world. It's really worth a listen.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

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[Leslie Heaney]

So without further ado, here's Alexis. I'm so happy to see you. For listeners, Alexis has, as usual, the most spectacular backdrop to her. You do. You do. I said I want to try it hard for you. I want to see the Swanson.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

I always want to impress.

[Leslie Heaney]

I don't know, would that be like in the party closet or in the, in the sort of the storeroom of amazing tablecloths or throws?

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

It's kind of all, all, all combined. It's a room that is covered in the eyes of peacock feathers.

[Leslie Heaney]

Sexual room. I didn't know because last time you said literally.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

But it's a tiny, tiny room. And the lady that we worked with was like, I'm going to have this snapped up in a minute. And she came here and literally glued the eyes of peacock feathers. Stop it. The entire surface of this wall.

[Leslie Heaney]

See, I wish I had known that I could have contributed a couple from my. Come on, my old boy at the farm. I have like a bunch of leftover feathers for my rescue peacock. I'm not kidding. All right, so you are in.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

I discovered this room and I was like, this is where I'm going to talk to Leslie this morning.

[Leslie Heaney]

And I should say for people, Alexis is such a wonderful friend that she's doing this at seven, I don't know, seven something in the morning, California time, while I'm at nine something Nashville time. So you're in Napa right now, which is apropos of why we're having this conversation today, because it's the kickoff of my summer series on the podcast about different locations where people love to go. Well, all year in the case of Napa.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

And what's on your docket?

[Leslie Heaney]

I've got East Hampton in the Hopper, Newport, Southampton, oh, also like Millbrook, Litchfield County. I've got a great person, which I.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Feel like people are talking a lot about.

[Leslie Heaney]

Yes, yes, of course. That would be after we just sold our house there. You know, we. If you ever want to know what real Estate decisions to make. You wait until we've sold someplace and have it, Ben, look like a year later when the place is hot.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

We've never.

[Leslie Heaney]

We've never had a. We've never landed that plane. Well, but anyway, so I. And we. You and I just talked about maybe Aspen, Jackson. So places. And I got the idea because I had a friend text me and say, we're going to Newport this summer. Where should we stay? Where should we go? You know, what are fun things to do? And I thought, you know, I get that a lot. I'm sure you do with Napa. Because I've asked you in the past about Napa and I know I'm speaking to the expert there as a, you know, almost enthusiast of Napa and the author of your amazing book From Napa with Love. So anyway, I thought we'd take it from the top. I want you to tell us sort of like how the Swansons came to Napa. Why just your quick journey there. And then tell us what you know, why you think Nap is unique and what places people need to know about love to.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Well, I was in boarding school with your sister at the time, and I got a phone call from my dad, who is a super serial entrepreneur and suddenly decided that in a quick decision, he wanted to get into the wine business. He'd been to Stanford and he kind of had this romantic vision of Napa his entire life. And I think percolating behind there was always like, someday I'm taking my family, I'm relocating and I'm chasing this dream. And so it was about 1984 at the time, and I was in boarding school. And he calls up and he tells me this. And the only thing I can imagine it to be is Falcon Crest. And I'm like, yeah, Fuck yeah, Lorenzo Lama. Yeah, count me in. Yeah. So we go and we get there and I like, I kind of was sight unseen. So I Show up. It's 1984. I'm like kind of heights of puberty, really excited about this whole show. And I realized that it's like the town of Oakville where we located to is population 300. And I'm like, wait, what happened? How did I miss this? I think I was com. Confusing it with Oakland.

[Leslie Heaney]

I don't know.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

But it was like oak, Oak something. So we get to Napa and Napa was everything that my growing up in Florida wasn't. It was dry air, it was like sultry nights. It was. Napa was just like a whole fantasy that I could not even get over. I couldn't believe it. I was like, this is for me. So that was kind of the amazing start. And my dad, like I said, you know, it was amazing growing up with a father who was like, a true entrepreneur. I mean, I think that, you know, he's 86, and I think he's had six different businesses. I know it's like your dad, and I think that's part of why we love each other so much. The tales of our dads. But that was kind of amazing. So from kind of that time till about 2016, our family had this amazing operation in Napa Valley called Swanson Vineyards. And I ended up graduating from college and just, like, moving straight out and working with him. And for, like, over 20 years. We had such a crazy, hilarious time. And it was fun and it was crazy and it was ridiculous and it was bad and great and, you know, the whole story. But I think that, you know, to see kind of Napa just even from that window of time from 1984 to today is like, whoa.

Has it evolved tremendously in terms of.

[Leslie Heaney]

Like, growth or population or all of it or what?

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

I mean, I think when we got there, what was interesting, it was like, very mom and pop. There was like a couple, like, foothold wineries that were very kind of iconic and old school, but it was like a very old world operation. I mean, like, I don't even think they got email until like, 19, you know, 2,000. Really. It was just kind of this kind of very romantic old world business. And, you know, I started working there when I was 22, and there weren't a lot of women. And it was just fascinating and amazing. And our kind of special sauce was we kind of innovated that world of fantastical tasting experiences. We saw all these people coming through, and all we really had at the time were like, you know, come in tasting, belly up to the bar, you know, cheap glassware, keychains and tchotchkes. And we were like, let's make this something. Let's make this a destination. Let's pull together all of our favorite destinations in the world and bring all those pieces together. And so that was really special for us. We were able to really kind of innovate that kind of whole world of experience that just hadn't existed and now is really just on steroids.

[Leslie Heaney]

You sort of were one of the first or sort of the pioneer of having that visit right? Be not just. And I know exactly what you're talking about, of kind of the place where you go where they bring out whatever Glass and there's like a shop and whatever, but bringing sort of all of.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

The charm and taste and style and interiors and beauty, you know, like matching that story with kind of the products that the luxury products that we were selling. You know, the whole idea of introducing, you know, collaborations, you know, all those types of interesting caviar and potato chips at the time was super novel. Now it's like house of the gas station.

[Leslie Heaney]

So what is happening though there? So are there other vineyards that you kind of have adopted pro gentry when.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

You think about Napa? And I think probably that's one of the reasons why you we wanted to connect on this was Napa's so extraordinarily unique in the world. Like, you know, as we go and we travel to all these different places, you know, we always kind of have these little places on our bucket list. And we always say at the end of each visit, wow, that was amazing. But Napa's like right there. Yeah, Napa holds. Napa holds. You know, Napa is a 26 mile valley and it's kind of completely encapsulated. So it's this magical sense of you're in a real valley. You know, it's like you can't take away from that magnitude of it all. And so it's got six little towns spread throughout those 26 miles. And it's just kind of become this extraordinary mecca of like incredible food, incredible wines, crazy people coming together. It's a bedroom community from San Francisco. So it's got so many things kind of beautifully working for it. It's got music, it's got culture, it's got a lot of the pieces that really matter outside of a city.

[Leslie Heaney]

And so when you all first got there, did it have that kind of attraction of like great chefs and this culinary tradition, or did that kind of evolve throughout the 80s and 90s? Because obviously you have sort of, you're in California, right? So you have access to great ingredients and you know, all the super magic sauce that makes a great meal. Was that always there? Because I think that what was really.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Interesting is that that was their commitment, I think all along. You know, it's like it started out that way. Robert Mondavi came in and was like, I'm going to make this a world class destination. And then I think the food came was very integral to his part of the vision of what it was. And I think that it's just carried on and so all these extraordinary chefs and all these incredible winemakers, but it's really a valley of like, you know, so many fingerprints. You know, it's the people who farm the lands. It's the people who make the wines. It's the guys who do the barrels, it's the chefs, it's the farmers, it's the markets. You know, it's got so many interesting components to it. And it's agrarian, fundamentally. And then secondarily, hospitality.

[Leslie Heaney]

So would you. You know, it's so funny you said that Napa Valley. And I. I've been there, of course, and I'm like. It is the name, right? You're sort of in. You're looking up as opposed to looking down. Does that make any sense? You're looking at all of the mountains around you.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Oh, yeah. It's. I mean, it's magical. It's. It's majestic and in the craziest way. You know, it's kind of the best of the west. It's the best of 26 miles. It's the best of sunsets and sunrises. But I think what's interesting is when you kind of look at Napa, it's kind of like, what's the real story here? Well, Napa's representing America on the world stage of wine.

[Leslie Heaney]

Right.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

That's special. It's important. And then you start to kind of get down in the subsets of the different areas within Napa.

[Leslie Heaney]

So I never realized. So tell. So the six towns. What are the six towns?

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

So the six towns, you know, south to north, start with Napa, then it goes Yonville, Then it goes Oakville, where we are. Then it goes Rutherford, St. Helena and Calistoga.

[Leslie Heaney]

All right, so considering all these, it is, as you mentioned, sort of the epicenter of winemaking in California and by extension, the world.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

I think, also interesting enough, it's maybe, I think, number two or three tourist destination in the state of California. So what does that mean? That means big business. Yeah. You know, it's not realizing. It's not just kind of like, oh, it's fun. Like, let's go check it out. It's serious business. And I think that's when we talk about how has it evolved. It's gone from being, you know, kind of these independent family businesses to really serious business.

[Leslie Heaney]

So without putting you on the spot or certain vineyards, let's say you had a weekend in Napa that you sort of think have really carried on that tradition of the experience. And maybe it's because their wine is spectacular or it's because their presentation and how they're. They're engaging with their. Their customer is so unique. And special. But do you have, like, favorite places, other vineyards that you would think should be great to the people, should visit?

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Od.

Yes. I mean, okay, so I was saying we live in the town of Oakville, and Oakville is kind of really the dead epicenter of Napa Valley. And so when you look at it carefully, it's it alone as Oakville, population 300, is truly representing America on the world stage. So some of the greatest wines are coming out of there. Harlan and so many others that scream eagle that we all talk about. But I would love to suggest. I love McDonald. It's a winery kind of right behind us, and it's these young neighbors of ours, and they've been kind of really toiling, working and hustling. And these guys were just on the Wine Spectator as, like, top wines in the world, alongside the French and Italian counterparts. So I love that. I love seeing those guys. So McDonald and Oakville is another one. Macaulay is another brand I love. I'm a lover of, like, big, shameless red wines. So if that's your don't. If that's your jam, my body recognizes.

[Leslie Heaney]

It as a water source, as you.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Know, if that's your jam, then that's mine. I love McDonald's. I love Macaulay. I love Venge. I love Louis Sellers. Those are some of my kind of go to super favorites, like, super duper favorites.

[Leslie Heaney]

So it's just those wines themselves, those vineyards to visit you think are also.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

They're all. They're all kind of interesting and small. You know, it's like they're small enough where, you know, you really have to kind of make the buy appointment, get there. And oftentimes you might be with the owner, you know, the proprietor or the winemaker. So I kind of dig that. I think that's special. As you mentioned, I wrote this book. I'd had a ball while I was at Swanson. I had this, like, wonderfully successful blog. And then I wrote a book called From Napa with Love. And I think kind of one of the things that was all about was, like, exactly what we're talking about. It's like, you go out to Napa, you want to immerse yourself. What's the quick and dirty and, like, who to know, where to go, what to do. So I know we kind of went over a couple of things. If I were planning a trip to Napa, obviously, I'd start with hotels. I'm a super fan of the town of Yountville. I think that that's charms central, and it's kind of the food epicenter. It's kind of where Thomas Keller has kind of created his mecca. So there's many, many Thomas Keller restaurants. Among them French Laundry, Bouchon, Ad Hoc Addendum. Like, you know, his kind of empire is rooted right there. And then there's a lot of other great restaurants as well, Jeanti. There's just a ton of them. But I love Yountville because it's like you park yourself there and it's like you're just in walking distance and you don't want to be driving too much. Unless you can get an Uber, then that's a better story. But if you're going to go and you kind of want to log in and you want to kind of hit those restaurants, you'll be the place to go.

[Leslie Heaney]

So is there. Are there hotels there that you would recommend or guest houses?

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Or would you.

[Leslie Heaney]

Airbnb, I Can't youn Feel has like.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

A handful of hotels. They're all good.

[Leslie Heaney]

Okay.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

There's nobody there that's like. Like the superstar, but they're all good. So it's like, go, you know, go, go check that out. But, you know, I think that when you look at hotels in Napa Valley, you know, the Auberg is just crazy special. It's old school. The Solage, which is in Calistoga, that's fun, fun, fun. It's got kind of all kind of, you know, every room comes with a bike. There's like the whole cocktail universe. There's the pool universe. There's all kinds of, like, fun, modern, hot. There's hot springs, there's mud baths. You know, I like that.

[Leslie Heaney]

Wait, they're on their campus at that hotel?

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Yeah. But the best one of that genre of like, the old world hot springs and mud baths is a place in Calistoga called Indian Springs.

[Leslie Heaney]

Okay.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

And I'm a super fan of that. Like, if you want kind of a really fun excursion, that's maybe ladies or friends or I'm not sure, but, you know, it's like a different type of Napa Valley. There's like a whole kind of healing component world that's kind of rooted in Calistoga and that Indian springs is like 1950 modern, like, modernized.

[Leslie Heaney]

Oh, that is. Now, do you need to make, like, a reservation to go? Or is it.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

So it's a real hotel. It's called Indian Springs, and it's.

[Leslie Heaney]

Oh, it's a hotel.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

It's got. It's got bungalows, it's got hotel rooms. It's got probably, I Think maybe like a hundred rooms, 100 rooms and bungalows. And then it's got like real old school hot springs and mud baths. It looks like 1950 frozen.

[Leslie Heaney]

Oh, my God.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

But like, you know, modernized.

[Leslie Heaney]

You had me at hot springs.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Hot springs.

[Leslie Heaney]

Talk to me about the bikes, though. At Silage.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

I mean, bikes are kind of a thing.

[Leslie Heaney]

I was gonna ask, is, are. Is it like, is biking.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Biking is. Biking is a major thing. Yeah. Remember, it's 26 miles flat.

[Leslie Heaney]

Okay.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Valley. So it's beautiful. It's like you have flat.

[Leslie Heaney]

Yeah.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

The best terrain ever. And then there's all. As you, as you. As we talked about, it's all valley. So then for those who are serious, which are a ton of them, it's all going up those mountains. So it depends on who you are. That's the beauty. It's like biking is a real thing. Car touring, like getting in cars and going on long drives, like taking out old cars, trucks, you name it. You know, we, we love our old cars. And it's like, give us a Sunday, we'll pull out an old car and go for a great drive. That's like pleasure.

[Leslie Heaney]

Are there places in Napa where you can rent an old car? Will a hotel take you around or is that or like local?

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

It is a place where you can rent Harley Davidson's and there are these fancy car rental places all over the country. So if you go to. If you go to the Hamptons or Aspen, they're all around. So I'm sure out of San Francisco, you could find some interesting car rental company that would rent you cars.

[Leslie Heaney]

Right. To get you a car for the weekend.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Touring, driving, touring. That whole part of California is, is magic.

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[Alexis Swanson Traina]

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[Leslie Heaney]

Stay cozy. So you're on your bike or you're in your, your antique, you know, Mercedes convertible and you're tooling around or, or your truck or your pickup truck. You've got an old pickup truck. You do, do you? What about places to visit that are not restaurants or there are stores that you think are.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

One of my favorite things to visit is I love the Napa Valley Wine train.

[Leslie Heaney]

Okay.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

And I, I think that that's like a super must. So if you've got any friends who are coming to the Valley for a couple days. The Napa Valley Wine train is this kind of 1930s old, old Pullman car train. And they've been completely refurbished and modernized. So it's, it almost looks like it's the same kind of train as the Orient Express, if that matches.

So it's go around the Valley.

So it goes up and down the Valley. So I think there's like three or four trips a day and it goes up and then it comes. It's a train car and it comes with beautiful food service. Oh, that is awesome. And also really great wines. So like you have this crazy, beautiful experience. It's like you feel like you're on the Orient Express through Napa. It's not quite as loud as the Orient Express, but I'm saying like it's a throwback and it's so special to be in these old clickety clack trains that are so gorgeous and still in business. I love that experience. I think that's super, super special. I, I would encourage that all day long. There's the balloon riding. It's like the hot air balloons are like a real thing and incredible. Like you can't get over the morning skies. I mean it's just like you get out at dawn, and it's like, you know, it's usually right in that Youtville area, and it's like dozens of these incredible balloons.

[Leslie Heaney]

I love that. You could probably just find that online, or if you're staying at a hotel, the concierge.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

I think there's only two or three outfits that are. I love that. I think that's a super way to go. I mean, I think start. You know, start your day with the balloon ride. We have crazy farmers markets. I know you guys do, too, but, you know, Northern California has really kind of invented that as a sport. Those are amazing. Those are Fridays and Saturdays. You know, I think that there's just a lot of. There's crazy architecture, really interesting architecture there. I mean, I. I know we've all loved the whole movement of that kind of modern barn architecture that we've seen kind of crop all over the United States. That was started by an architect called Howard Bakken. And Howard was hired by Bill Harlan, who founded Harlan Vineyards, to come and create in the early days when he was first starting out, to come, create a vernacular for his. His brand, his buildings, his winery, then his hotel, which is Meadowood, and then. And really establish a vernacular, an architectural vernacular for this area. And so that whole kind of modern barn, you know, architectural style and movement really came out of here. And then from there, Howard kind of partnered with Restoration Hardware and took it in an. In a bigger way, mainstream across America. But, I mean, that's really the vernacular of Napa Valley. That incredible modern barn living indoor, outdoor. Yeah, living outside as much as inside. And I think, you know, when we think about. What's interesting about Napa Valley is, you know, we have such. This incredible European, high, low, agrarian culture. We are living outside and entertaining outside, you know, six to eight months out of the year, we, you know, we have this kind of whole kind of interesting food culture and farming culture and gardening culture. It's so embedded in every aspect of that kind of life. And we see it so much now. You know, it's become. That kind of commitment in community has become really real across America. But, you know, that's.

[Leslie Heaney]

What about art? I feel like it would be a place where there would be cool galleries or stores or ceramicists or artists, anything.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

I think what is kind of that combination of. There are all kinds of crazy collectors. There's not a singular superstar gallery, but you can start to see that there's gallerists that are coming out and seeing that audience is here.

[Leslie Heaney]

Right.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Audience is listening. So, you know, when you start to think about kind of who's coming, what are the core things they like. Shopping is becoming something that's new. So, like we started to see like high end shopping. Veronica Beard showed up, you know, two years ago. Yeah, we were super excited about that. She took this beautiful spot and we were like delighted to have her there. It meant so much. And so she's in St. Helena, and that was a great anchor for her to show up. Elise Walker, who's got kind of one of the great superstar shops in Los Angeles, brought her shop to Napa Valley too. So that was great. I mean, we started to see a lot of amazing kind of fashion. And, you know, we're seeing gallerists pop up. We're seeing like beautiful furniture and ceramicists. You know. One of my favorite stores is a shop called Vintage Home. And she has this extraordinary space. It's all home interior stuff. But she is one of the most celebrated, famous curators of Christmas. So she.

[Leslie Heaney]

This is right up your alley.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

She transforms Christmas and it's like people from all around the country come to her store. It's called Vintage Home. And it is like, it's like she brings Austria and Germany and the Midwest, and you name it, Every kind of, you know, ornament, tinsel, trinket, anything you could imagine that you love, high to low. She packs her store at Christmas time and it's like a true destination. So that's one of my super favorites. There's another place I'm crazy about too. It's this amazing place called the Napa Olive Oil Factory. And it's like bitty. It's run by a family who's owned it many, many generations. They haven't done a single upgrade. And they like it that way.

[Leslie Heaney]

Yeah.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

And you like it that way. And they sell the most delicious, crazy good olive oil in every size. Like the double gallon. The gallon, the leader, the court, the half court, the. And it's the greatest place to go and go there, buy a case of olive oils. The packaging is awesome. Send it to your home and give them all year long as your hostess gift. That's like one of my favorites. That is like I was gonna ask or what it.

[Leslie Heaney]

You know what would be like your gift giving? Would it be that olive oil? Like, what is your gift?

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Sure. It's like bang for your buck. It's like, I don't know, like $25. And it's like, it feels like you went to some far exotic location and it looks great and it's delicious. So, yes, that would Be one.

[Leslie Heaney]

That is awesome. So what are you. So you've.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

So I was going to say too Les. Another thing that I really want to get across. So before we part ways on this, I think cocktailing is special.

[Leslie Heaney]

Yeah. So let's talk about that.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

So I'm going to go. I'm going to go all out. If you're going to do the splurge and you're coming to Napa Valley and it's special, I would book ahead. The Auberge. The Auberge. Hotel patio. And I'd go there for cocktails. It's the most beautiful little spot in all of Napa Valley. Get there.

[Leslie Heaney]

It's got a really pretty view.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

It's got the best view. It's like up, up, up. Have a glass of champagne. Have a glass of. It's like super special. I would beg you to consider that.

[Leslie Heaney]

So St. Helena or St. Helena is a potato. Potato. Does it matter? That. Is that sort of the shopping mecca, would you say? Or. It's kind of everywhere.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

I mean, I think that it's becoming right now the shopping kind of destination.

[Leslie Heaney]

Like fashion kind of shopping.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Yeah, it's got all kinds of things. It's got like great interiors, it's got the ceramicists, it's got the barber shops, it's got the old school delis, it's got the taco. The taco spots. Another place I'd love to tell you about is one of our favorite spots of all times is Gotts. And Gotts was kind of like these guys run the most extraordinary old school hamburger stand. Not stand. They basically inspired Shake Shack. So like they have. They took over an old school drive in hamburger joint, made it super chic and modern and they kind of blew it out and just crushed it. And it's like beautiful food. It's like ahi tacos. It's like the best burgers, crazy corn dogs, hot dogs, shakes up the. Of every variety. You know, it's like street corn, you name it. I mean, and these guys have figured it out. And they kind of surprisingly just kept their business very like, you know, probably just very strictly California. Which they should have taken it all over the country and Shake Shack jumped in and grabbed it. But these guys were the original pioneers of taking that old world of kind of that drive in burger joint and make it like super special and chic. Like it is good looking and delicious and it's like Napa Valley good. So I'd go there, I'd make sure you get there, get in line early. That's Fun. That's super. Like, on the right kind of track. Yes.

I mean, I.

[Leslie Heaney]

Thinking about it. I mean, it's only 10 o', clock, but I did have some A to Z last night. You're talking about.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

I love it.

[Leslie Heaney]

I'm like, maybe it's talk about smash burgers. I. Maybe I should dialing up here to the office.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

I don't think. And then I think, always, you know, it's like when we talk about restaurants, it's always kind of goes back to Thomas Keller. It's like, yeah, if I close my eyes and I think about, you know, there's a handful of people who are representing Napa Valley in such interesting ways. You know, on the winemaking side, I think that Thomas is so interesting. When we were living abroad, I was amazed by, first of all, how many people responded so wildly to Napa Valley. Like, the brand Napa Valley had so much strength. And then oftentimes, whenever we'd be talking about Napa Valley, it would quickly turn to, and do you know Thomas Keller? Yeah. Have you dined at Thomas Keller's establishments? And I think, you know, he's been such an elegant representative of this valley, and he's really been just a different voice. You know, it's like there's been so many amazing voices in the wine world, but Thomas has really, like, just brought that world of fine food to America. I mean, I think that's really. That's the other thing. It's like, you know, Napa's had so many incredible people who have come in and said, I'm gonna take this niche wine and make it the best and make it be from Napa. From Napa Valley, Thomas was the same. You know, he kind of really invented this world of exquisite food, exquisite service, and kind of a comfort palette. So he took kind of comfort food, made it exquisite, and created extraordinary experiences in a way that we'd only seen in Europe. And then he kind of made his own twist on it. So he runs several restaurants. As we talked earlier, I mean, French Laundry is a restaurant to visit on your bucket list in a lifetime.

[Leslie Heaney]

Yeah, Yeah, I love that.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

I mean, it's like, it's a very special, like, you know, once every few years type situation. I love his bouchon in Yountville. It's my favorite kind of easy go to. My other most favorite go to is the Rutherford Grill, which is owned by Houston's. Those guys are, like, exceptional all day long. So I, you know, it's like, I'm always somebody who kind of really likes It High to low. Their ribs are amazing.

[Leslie Heaney]

Yep.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Houston's knows how to do business and how to delight people with food. So there's Rutherford Grill. That's in the Valley. And then they also have another one that's called R D Kitchen. Both of them are kind of super lovely, but like, killer food.

[Leslie Heaney]

I just love how you. You know it, you. You can really, as you kind of talked us through all of this, like, you can hide a low end and have incredible experiences in Napa. Whether it's, well, I think drive in.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

And going to a French laundry or life is high. Low. Yeah, it's like in the low, like you said. It's like your friend who owns William Selliam said his favorite roses are super cheap with screw tops. And so low doesn't mean low. Low means that people miss. Either people in the know know about it.

[Leslie Heaney]

Yeah. Or.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Or the mainstream missed it because they're chasing what they think is high. Yes. So I think that, you know, you're always looking for that killer balance of high, low. And I think what else we've got is killer food trucks. You know, just as. As that's become such a big part of culture, but, you know, that was such a part of. That's such a big part of California culture.

[Leslie Heaney]

What about. Are there any, like, summer events or festivals or. Certain times. There is.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

There's a crazy, amazing music festival. Kind of a little bit like the Salzburg Festival. There is an amazing music festival that lasts two weeks in Napa. And it's all classic. It's like all classic music and. And jazz and like kind of all the. Kind of fine. The world of that kind of music style.

[Leslie Heaney]

And then what time of year is that? Is that.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

That's usually July. I mean, we've got. We've got the. The Bottle Rock Festival. That's always Memorial Day, and that's kind of like Coachella Bottle rock. So Napa's got its own. And it's a crazy. It's always a good. It's always a good festival. Like, it's. It's not as young.

[Leslie Heaney]

Yeah.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

But that's what makes it nice. Like all of our. All of our.

[Leslie Heaney]

My kind of festival. Wait.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Oh, this is the best. So it's kind of one of the crown jewels in the festival group. And why? Because they've really captured an audience that's like, I don't know, let's call it 40 plus. And the entire fairground is.

[Leslie Heaney]

I mean, we're people, too.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

We're people. Exactly. The entire fairground is covered and carpet.

[Leslie Heaney]

Oh, Stop it.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

There's no dirt. It's like covered in like turf. Carpet. It's not carpet and it's not turf. Okay. And then, like, then Napa Valley's got all of its, like, best, you know, food trucks and its best restaurants doing all the, like, you know, the little pop up restaurants and you know, it's.

[Leslie Heaney]

Oh, that sounds right.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Then it's got all the great kind of vendors. You know, it's like all your favorite vendors. Aviator Nation, all they figured out, they have a deal with Instagram. They figured out all of our algorithms. Like, what are they spending money on? Late night. Let's bring them all there.

[Leslie Heaney]

Yeah, like A to Z and A to Z.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

A to Z is definitely not there.

[Leslie Heaney]

All right, so you've got that Memorial Day, you've got the music festival in July, and there are any kind of fall, you know, for people that.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

I mean, fall is the time to come. I mean, it's like, it's like, if I were gonna say come, it's like that's when to come. It's like Indian summer weather for, you know, all of September, all of October, pretty much to Thanksgiving. And it's quieter and you can move around easily. It's not super, super congested. You can get easy reservations. Maybe not easy, but easier. It's a beautiful time. Like, you know, the. Like we were saying, there's the biking, there's the driving, there's the. There's the crazy walks. You know, it's like they're the most beautiful trails. It's just a really amazing.

[Leslie Heaney]

It.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

It scratches an itch for so many people. You know, like, you can do this, you can do that. And the amazing thing is, is I think what I loved about my book was, is like, obviously we're here for the wine, but there's so much more beyond that. There's so many more interesting things and people who are contributing in such crazy, wild ways. Beyond just wine.

[Leslie Heaney]

Well, the book from Napa with love, everyone who's listening should actually get a copy of because it's such a great book and such a fun book and it also captures the people you were talking about. Like, you kind of really highlight the.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

People that I did. I dug into all those interesting people because there were so many of them contributing in film and architecture and food and wine. You know, it's like all of. All of these different people that were in the book, their fingerprints were across our everyday life, you know, in so many impactful ways, from the table to the TV to the. To how we live how we entertain, how we, how, you know, the cookbooks, you name it. I mean, it was just so extraordinary. It was as much about the, the place as it was really about the people.

[Leslie Heaney]

I thought it's all about you. It's all about you. Really. For me, I got to tell you, I'm not kidding.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Going to be our roadshow. I mean, really. What's the next topic we're going to cover?

[Leslie Heaney]

I know, listen, this is as, as listeners know, this is your second. Your second. You know, I don't know what I'm going to ask you to come back to talk about next. I mean, maybe how Trevor's truffle Truffle farm is going. But I, we, we need to get.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

I mean, Leslie, there's so many good.

[Leslie Heaney]

I know.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Topics.

[Leslie Heaney]

I know I could spend, you know, all day, all night, all weekend, all week with you, which I'll leave you.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

I'll leave you with two things that are like, I'm. My rabbit hole is all about right now. Yeah. In terms of what I'm doing in my Napa summer experience, I'm getting professional grade at growing tomatoes. And so we planted about 22 varietals and like, tomatoes is my preferred food group. So, like, I'm going to Night Shades. I'm going to really. Exactly. I'm going to really nail this in the next two, three years. And then I think I'm going to become even more professional about it. And then also we're like getting professional grade at growing dahlias. It's like, you can't do, like big gardens of all this stuff. It's like, you got to get really. Yeah, get your lane. So it's going to be tomatoes and dahlias. And I think we could be talking about that for a long time, too.

[Leslie Heaney]

I love it. Well, by the way, we didn't. I don't know if you recall when we had our house in Newport. We had our tiny garden and it was like, I mean, you know, the little garden that could. I mean, we had these Dirk Diggler cucumber situations happening. I had, I was, I was pickling things. You can take this tomato gig of yours. You could be doing sauces. There's a lot we could explore here with that.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Oh, yeah. Well, you know, I've got, I've got a full time gig with High Note, so I think we'll keep it there. I'll be sending out. Oh, my God, everybody should be sending out all theirs, too. But lastly.

Yes.

[Leslie Heaney]

Let's talk about that as a for summer because I sent you. The one that I sent to my dad for Father's Day.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

I love it so much. Okay, so for your. For your viewers, listeners.

[Leslie Heaney]

Yes.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

I started a company a couple years ago called High Note. And High Note is kind of a digital world combining the iconic universes of Hallmark of old school crane stationery, of paperless post and Canva in one app. So all of your essential communication for life that you might ever need is found on High Note. And it was an amazing journey of just understanding that we went from such a world of so much extraordinary ways of expressing ourselves. And then when we got on digitally, all of a sudden we went to a world of just emojis. Bitmojis means.

[Leslie Heaney]

Yeah.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

And how did we learn lose stationary? How did we learn lose personal representation? How did we lose greetings? And I just saw that this whole world that was offline hadn't come online. And so it made sense to bring the world of greetings and birthdays and thank yous and stationary and invitations to one source on your phone. And that's where we live.

[Leslie Heaney]

Yeah. And you. And. And we live, as you mentioned, like, really on text. But you have allowed us to communicate on text in such a special, custom, elegant, and fun way. I mean, I just. Well, I sent you the Father's Day card I sent to my father, but all week I get it's a birthday thing or come by. I sent to a friend. I'm like, are we playing mahjong? You've got a great mahjong thing happening now. Like, there's really. You can find every single kind of message. Message, note, invitation.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Well, because I think at the end of the day, it's like style and taste is what differentiates us. And it's like everything about our world telegraphs, you know, your glasses, that shirt, those earrings, everything telegraphs. Except the one place that we spend endless hours a day, which is our phone.

[Leslie Heaney]

Yeah.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

We're sending out blue and gray text bubbles. I mean, come on. Yeah, come on. We're trying to, like, make deals and introductions and hellos and I love you and I miss you, and I'm so sorry and congrats in a blue bubble.

[Leslie Heaney]

Yeah, no, you've. You have really revolutionized communication and just made, as you said, just made sort of the. The place where we spend all of our time special and unique and, like.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Individual, like we are. And I also think what's interesting, too, it goes back to the high, low. It's like who we are on any given day is high and low.

[Leslie Heaney]

Yeah.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Who I am at 7am is definitely different than 3pm.

[Leslie Heaney]

So much the fact we're having this conversation and it's. I told you, my husband was like, Alexis is. She's on the East Coast. I'm like, no, she's in California. She. She's an early riser. She's an early riser. She wants to. We're talking early.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Well, last. I think we're gonna have to take the show on the road. No.

[Leslie Heaney]

A hundred percent. Imagine the topics we covered a few. We covered a few. But I have, I mean, we've got.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

We'Ve got a lot under our belt.

[Leslie Heaney]

We'll talk. I mean, as you. We mentioned before, we were talking, you know that I, we're. We're recording, so we have to meet, have to go offline to pick up all of our topics that we're going to cover. But I really, I love you so much. I, I mean, by the way, for listeners, there is no one who is more Napa or Napa is more someone than Alexis Swanson Traina. And you gotta check out High Note. I. I know. We all know High Note. I mean, you need to get on it for this summer because there's so many great opportunities to send your special invite cards and your best. You got July 1st.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Send your best. Send your best.

[Leslie Heaney]

Yeah.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Listen, Les, I love you and how fun. And I'm always, I'm always just a zoom away.

[Leslie Heaney]

I can't put that. She's back. Who knows what other topics we're gonna have.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Thank you, my darling.

[Leslie Heaney]

That brings us to the end of this episode of the interview. Big, big thank you to Alexis for joining not just once, but twice on the pod.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

I could spend every waking minute with Alexis. I enjoy all the time I spend with her both on and off the.

[Leslie Heaney]

Pod had so much fun recording that.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Episode and getting all of the ins.

[Leslie Heaney]

And outs of Napa from her. Also, a big thank you to our.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Sponsor, 10 Mile Distillery.

[Leslie Heaney]

Don't forget to visit their website, 10.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

Mile Distillery.com for their incredible spirits, whiskeys, vodka, gin. And if you use the interview press promo code at checkout, you get 10 off and another shout out. And huge thank you to our newest sponsor, Cozy earth.

[Leslie Heaney]

They're offering 40 off to interview listeners.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

For visiting their site and purchasing their amazing cooling sheets.

[Leslie Heaney]

And also they have some terrific clothes as well, so check them [e-mail].

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

And don't forget to use the interview at checkout.

[Leslie Heaney]

40% off. And if you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Alexis Swanson Traina]

And tune in this Friday for a second drop of the summer series. This one we're featuring the Hudson Valley. So until Friday, this is Leslie.

[Leslie Heaney]

And thanks for joining the interview.