Napa’s Brannan Cottage creates getaway for food-loving couples
August 19, 20155:07 PM
If you and your significant other are looking for a romantic getaway where you can enjoy fine food, wine and each other, have we got a spot for you. It’s about the most mojo-inspiring place you can stay, a little cottage set in bucolic Calistoga, California. We’re talking about the charming Brannan Cottage Inn which just sent out a release about two new food and wine packages.
One is called “Culinary Calistoga” and includes a smorgasbord of local tasting treats from extra virgin olive oil and limited edition wines to appetizers and exclusive food and wine pairing experiences from legendary wineries, chefs and restaurants. The other , “Harvest Wine Experience capitalizes on the harvest season and is only available September 1 through October 31, 2015” and provides an intimate, rustic wine tasting experience at Coquerel Family Wine Estate with lunch and a vineyard stroll. “Culinary Calistoga” comes with a welcome gift of Calistoga Olive Oil Company EVOO and Balsamic 100ml gift pack to set the mood, locavore-style; seasonal appetizer at Calistoga Kitchen (just down the street) where legendary Chef Rick Warkel wows Brannan Cottage Inn guests with an ever-changing treat for the taste buds; appetizer available Thursday-Saturday dinner and Sunday brunch or a comp charcuterie plate provided at the Inn. Additional amorous amenities include a private wine tasting at VGS Chateau Potelle’s St. Helena Tasting House & Gardens of four varieties served in specially designed Reidel glassware and paired with tasty bites from Napa’s legendary La Toque restaurant for an additional $45. Rates for this plan start at $319 a night with a charming rom equipped with free WiFi and charging dock, plush Frette linens and robes, in-room illy espresso machine, convenient mini-fridge, 48” flat screen TV with complimentary streamed entertainment, and downtown adventures just outside the door.
The “Harvest Wine Experience” sounds heavenly with priivate flight tasting for two hosted by Stacey Pytlewski on Coquerel’s “Walnut Wash Vineyard” of four whites and four reds; wines paired with a gourmet box lunch prepared by Winery Chefs of Napa Valley; a stroll through the vineyard to discuss the varietals planted on the property and learn about wine making techniques used at this tiny (2,000 total case production) winery. Rates for this begin at $359 a night mid-week for Historic Queen accommodations and are offered from September through the end of October.
Picture yourself and your lover in a historical Brannan Cottage that was built way back when Abe Lincoln was President where you can take the waters of Calistoga’s hot springs, sip fine wines and play house in adorable Victorian-style four guestrooms that sit in the main 1860 building furnished in new and antique appointments with dark floors and ornate wallpaper that blend seamlessly with contemporary amenities like espresso machines, flat screen TVs, rain showers, and heated tile floors in the ensuite bathrooms. Two elevated Deluxe King rooms in Brannan House, a second building added to the property in the 1950s, offer more contemporary décor and extra comforts like a private garden entrance, fireplace, terrace and a bit more living space. Each room takes on a personality of its own reflected by unique color schemes paired with carefully chosen furnishings and wall art depicting Calistoga’s past through historic photos. It’s love at first sight.