Quenching a Thirst for Art

“We’re under a giant black cloud,” my husband, Dick, observed as he turned our car into this Napa Valley village. We were looking for the Vintage Inn, where we would spend the next three nights, and we hoped the rain would hold off until we unloaded our car.

Drenching rain and cold days were not what we had in mind when we and 11 other art-loving couples from Los Angeles planned this visit. It was late October, harvest time, when sun-filled days are the norm. Vineyard workers were surprised by the weather too and were struggling to finish bringing in the grapes.

We did enjoy one day of typical Napa autumnal beauty, when endless fields of yellow and bronze vines contrasted dramatically with a sapphire sky. But in a way, the soggy days were appropriate, turning our attention to the art and artists we had come to see.

The making and collecting of fine art is a less well known aspect of Napa life than its top-notch vineyards and restaurants. But art is a happy corollary to a world that revolves around the enjoyment of the best food and wine.

The Vintage Inn turned out to be a good choice--cozy and comfortable--for a gloomy day. Although the two-story inn looks like an upscale motel, the accommodations were first-rate.

Our first-floor room was spacious and bright, with large windows on three sides, a king-size bed and wood-burning fireplace. Hidden behind custom cabinet doors were a refrigerator and a television with cable. A further look around revealed an easy chair and reading lamp; a small table with two chairs; a comfortable window seat; a back door to an outdoor sitting area; and terry robes hanging in a wardrobe closet. The big bathroom held a large whirlpool tub and a long counter with a double sink. The complimentary toiletries were a bit underwhelming, but not impossibly chintzy. There was sufficient cabinetry in both the bath and the bedroom to have held everything the Duke and Duchess of Windsor might have brought with them for a week in the country. We were happy campers.

We dropped our suitcases and drove up California 29 to the village of Rutherford to meet our friends at the Niebaum-Coppola estate. There, we toured Francis Ford Coppola’s impressive collection of movie memorabilia and the contents of two retail shops, all housed in a grand 1887 stone winery (formerly Inglenook). As it began to rain in earnest, we moved on to a private winery tour down the road and, later, to a private tour and dinner at the Robert Mondavi Winery in Oakville.

After our damp Thursday, we were happy to gather in the sunshine the next morning at the di Rosa Preserve art collection in Napa. Once we were inside the first barn-like gallery, an older man dressed in a work shirt and battered cap waded into our group and hollered, “Blah! Blah! Blah!” This was Rene di Rosa, and he was welcoming us to his creation: a complex of four rustic buildings and outdoor sculpture garden housing his collection of 1,600 pieces of art, all produced by contemporary San Francisco area artists.

Di Rosa was a journalist in San Francisco when he became immersed in its art scene. In 1960, he bought 460 acres of land around Yountville, reestablishing vineyards and converting an old stone winery into a home for himself and his wife, artist Veronica di Rosa.

Now a widower, di Rosa lavishes his affection on art. He sold his vineyard in 1986 to finance the building of his galleries. The property, including the old stone residence, is part of 216 acres he has deeded to the Napa County Land Trust to preserve open space.

A self-described “party guy,” di Rosa is a large presence in the art community in the Napa Valley. Absorbing his collection proved to be a mind-expanding and pleasant experience for our group.

The potential visitor should be aware that the sheer number of works and the size of the property are a bit wearying, and the sexual nature of some of the pieces might offend. With that in mind, make a reservation to visit and check your preconceptions about what art is at the door.

We had been advised that touring the preserve takes about 2 1/2 hours. Dick and I hurried and were out the door in 90 minutes, leaving the group behind so we could make two quick, art-related detours. We blitzed the architecturally stunning Artesa Vineyards (formerly Cordorniu) on a nearby hilltop, then ran through the top-flight Hess Collection of art, housed in the Napa winery of the same name. Here we enjoyed fine examples of such contemporary masters as Robert Motherwell, Frank Stella and Francis Bacon.

The sunny day cooperated with our group’s plan to dine early, al fresco, at the Sinskey Vineyards. We all sat at one long table, dipping into dishes of pasta and roast chicken, family style. Like the Mondavi dinner, it was privately arranged. And it was an amusing contrast to the five-course Mondavi feast, each with a different wine, all accompanied by a tuxedo-clad pianist.

In the middle of a downpour the next morning, Dick and I drove to Calistoga, in the north end of the valley. Numerous hot springs in backyards and vacant fields steamed in the rain, reminding us that Calistoga is at the foot of a dormant volcano, Mt. St. Helena. A string of motels along the town’s old-fashioned main street advertised mud baths. We also spotted the entrance to the “Old Faithful Geyser.” As inviting as these Yellowstone-like attractions seemed, we were looking for the studio of Carlo Marchiori, trying to follow his directions to the unmarked property.

At the end of a lane we came upon the fantastic Ca’Toga, a Palladian villa surrounded by steaming hot springs.

Among his many talents, Marchiori is a master of faux, a painter of ancient replicas and trompe l’oeil frescoes. His work decorates several new and chic Las Vegas hotels and many other public buildings across the map.

A tall and gracious man in his 60s, Marchiori greeted us as each couple straggled in separately, drenched but determined to see this man’s handiwork. Our group of 24, plus perhaps 25 other people, were scheduled on Marchiori’s once-a-week tour of Ca’Toga.

I would have driven through 10 downpours to experience this villa. It is built with whimsical and classical references, in Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassic styles. Every wall is covered with the kind of murals he paints for a living. Giants or gods appear to be holding up the ceiling in the living room. A fresco features Marchiori as a Venetian Doge, being paid homage by splendidly outfitted envoys from the Far East. Some rooms could have been transported from Pompeii. Step into an upstairs bedroom and become a bird, looking out from the inside of a bird cage, complete with cuttlebone.

Our host said he doesn’t “waste time with interior designers.” There are no carpets or rugs, and few closets or creature comforts. It’s all about what covers the walls.

After we finished the house tour and sloshed briefly outside to peer at an ancient-looking pool and faux ruins in the garden, several of us drove back to town to visit the Ca’Toga gallery. There we gaped at a stunning ceiling mural of allegorical figures of the zodiac. The floor beneath it also was a work of art--a pre-Copernican version of the universe. The shop was full of fantastic designs in pottery, murals, tiles, painted furniture, cast stone garden ornaments and such. We oohed and aahed and then we were on our way. In the rain.

Ira Yeager’s magical, up-valley studio was our next art stop. Yeager, a tall, thin, Ichabod Crane kind of fellow, greeted us warmly and charmed us with conversational whimsy and zest.

Yeager and his art are full of the magic of other times and places. Some of his paintings fairly glow with the spirit of such romantic venues as 18th century Sweden and Venice, or the American Wild West. In his dream world, Yeager lives in whatever period he is painting. Many of his “18th century Swedish court paintings” are signed “Von Yager” and dated between 1780 and 1795.

There is a breathtaking range of styles and subjects among the hundreds of paintings Yeager has stored at this studio and several other barn-like studio spaces we visited. Among his subjects are elegant shoes and teapots, as well as powerful animals, such as the totemic American buffalo. Richard Diebenkorn was an early teacher of his, and some of Yeager’s works reminded Dick and me of Diebenkorn’s abstract landscapes. Yeager calls himself an artist of the “Bay Area Figurative School,” but that summary is too neat and simple.

Anyone who thinks eccentricity is a positive attribute in artists will be happy with a visit to Yeager’s studio. After several hours in this puckish maestro’s private world, my husband and I walked away with smiles on our faces and two of Yeager’s paintings tucked under our arms.

Our final dinner was at Joachim Splichal’s Pinot Blanc in St. Helena. The meal, starting with roasted beet salad, was both elegant and winter-comforting.

The next day was Sunday, time to go home. We were sorry to miss a few things on our group’s Sunday schedule, especially the tour of Clos Pegase, a winery in St. Helena known for its art collection and its Michael Graves design. But we had been driving around Northern California for eight days and were bone-tired.

Next time. And not in the rain.

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GUIDEBOOK

Painting the Town in Napa Valley

Getting there: Restricted round-trip air fare from LAX to Oakland, the most convenient airport, runs $114 on Southwest, American and United airlines. Napa is less than an hour’s drive north on Interstate 80 and California 29.

Where to stay: Vintage Inn, 6541 Washington St., Yountville, CA 94599; telephone (800) 351-1133, fax (707) 944-1617, Internet https://www.vintageinn.com. Prices during the prime harvest season, August through November, are $250-$385. Rates for December through July are $250-$335.

Vintage Inn is affiliated with the Tuscan-inspired Villagio Inn and Spa, 6481 Washington St., tel. (800) 351-1133, fax (707) 944-8855, https://www.villagio.com; rates $250-$710 during harvest season. Golf is available to Vintage and Villagio guests at discounted rates.

Another choice: Yountville Inn, 6462 Washington St., tel. (800) 972-2293, fax (707) 944-8661, https://www.yountvilleinn.com; $225 to $325 during summer and the fall harvest.

Where to eat: Brix, 7377 St. Helena Highway (Highway 29), Yountville, local tel. 944-2749. Big and busy. Fusion cuisine. A typical meal with one drink and a tip is $42.

Pinot Blanc, 641 Main St., St. Helena, tel. 963-6191. Dinner, drink and tip, about $45.

Where to see art: The di Rosa Preserve, 5200 Carneros Highway, Napa, CA 94559; tel. (707) 226-5991, fax (707) 255-8934, https://www.dirosapreserve.org. Because of neighborhood restrictions, tours are by reservation and limited to 24 guests. Admission is $10, free on Wednesdays. The preserve is closed on Saturday afternoons and Sundays.

The Hess Collection Winery, 441 Redwood Road, Napa, CA 94558; tel. (707) 255-1144, fax (707) 253-1682, Internet https://www.hesscollection.com. Open daily, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Villa Ca’Toga, 3601 Myrtledale, Calistoga, CA 94515; tel. (707) 942-3900, fax (707) 942-3939, Internet https://www.catoga.com. Saturday tour only, 11 a.m., from May to October. Reservations required; $20, children under 12 not admitted.

Ira Yeager’s studio, 3061 Old Toll Road, Calistoga, CA 94515. Admission is free, but by appointment only. Contact Brian Fuller, studio director, (707) 942-5395, or see Internet https://www.irayeager.com.

Clos Pegase Winery, 1060 Dunaweal Lane, St. Helena; tel. (707) 942-4981, Internet https://www.clospegase.com. Open daily, 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Niebaum-Coppola Estate Winery, 1991 St. Helena Highway, Rutherford, CA 94573; tel. (707) 968-1100, fax (707) 967-3355, https://www.niebaum-coppola.com. Open daily; tours at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.; $20.

Other Napa art sources: Napa Valley Arts Council, 68 Coombs St., Napa, CA 94559; tel. (707) 257-2117, fax (707) 257-8563, https://www.artscouncilnapavalley.org.

Napa Valley Museum, 55 President’s Circle, Yountville, CA 94599; tel. (707) 944-0500, fax (707) 945-0500; https://www.napavalleymuseum.org.