Enjoying an outdoor summer concert at one of Napa Valley’s wineries may just be the ultimate opportunity to savor some of the best things in life all at once: warm summer air; soul-stirring music; a stunning natural setting; and the region’s outstanding, world- famous wines. Every year, especially in summer, Napa Valley offers this combination of winemaking and musical performance artistry, the two high arts merging to create experiences of complete transcendence.
Alycia Mondavi is the granddaughter of the late Napa Valley wine pioneer Peter Mondavi Sr. Her family’s Charles Krug will host a wide variety of concerts throughout the summer. She explains her family’s commitment to the musical performances this way: “We believe wine is an artistic expression of the land,” Mondavi says, “best enjoyed when paired with all forms of cultural arts integral to the quality of life here in the Napa Valley.”
And in a development that’s great news for the cultural landscape of Napa Valley, starting in summer 2022 Charles Krug is partnering extensively with Festival Napa Valley.
This year, all but one of the evening concerts of the festival will take place at Charles Krug. This year’s nationally famous Music in the Vineyards chamber music series will feature internationally known artists-in-residence playing both new and classic chamber music repertoires in intimate winery settings—including barrel rooms and wine caves—perfect for the chamber music genre.
“Music and wine are such a beautiful pairing,” says Nora Feeley, Silverado Vineyards’ vice president of marketing. “Now that most of the COVID mandates have been lifted, Napa Valley residents and visitors seem ready to enjoy wine and the arts together as a community once again.”
Another of Napa Valley’s annual musical events, BottleRock, traditionally comes on the Napa Valley scene over the Memorial Day weekend.
John Anthony Truchard, the founder and CEO of BottleRock sponsor JaM Cellars, says “BottleRock Napa Valley brings people together over music, good food and delicious wines,” adding that “music is such an integral part of JaM Cellars, from our wine and music studio—complete with live JaMSession performances and a full recording studio—to our iHeartRadio Summer Festival JaMs playlist.
“We love offering our family, friends and Napa Valley community an experience that turns everyday moments into a celebration and ties together two of our favorite things, live music and delicious wines,” Truchard says.
Visiting wineries in Napa Valley, like the wines they produce, is about experiencing the expression of a very special place. Music enhances that deep sensory expression, creating memorable moments, rendering them magical.
