The Whine Train

Shortly after moving to California, I wanted to thank a friend who helped me find a position with a new company. We settled on treating Paul and his wife, Heather, along with their two children, to a dinner on the Napa Wine Train. Paul and Heather had lived in Walnut Creek years ago, then moved around a bit for Paul's career, and I met them when Paul and I were working for GE Employers Reinsurance in Overland Park, KS. Paul subsequently took a new position in California, and he and his family relocated to Napa, or more accurately, American Canyon in Napa Valley. They had never been on the Wine Train and we all thought it would be great fun.

The two kids were tucked securely away in the children's car, so the adults could have fun in the dining car without worrying about errant tater tots and spilled Kool-Aid, or whatever it is they feed children on a Wine Train.

Now, as I recall, we had some expectation of getting wine on the Wine Train, that somehow it would be included in the astonishingly exhorbitant price for a ride in what turned out to be THE DARK, and a dinner of average catering food. But no! To our everlasting and bitter surprise, the wine was extra, and that meant extra for everything from tastings in the club car to wine with dinner. And of course the prices were marked up so high one needed a limitless credit card to consider any of the bottles. We ended up getting one glass of wine each, having bought enough California wines by then to know how much profit the Wine Train was making on their wines. Paul, as always, was quite gracious as this was our treat for Heather and him, but my husband and I were quietly seething throughout the trip.

Then there was the timing of the trip. A ride on a train through one of the most beautiful regions in California - in the dark. Why the heck didn't I think to check the time of the sunset and compare it to the time of the dinner, I will never know. We were only ten minutes into the train ride when we saw a pretty sunset and then nothing but our own reflections in the darkened glass. All I can remember of the food was that it was okay - not horrible but certainly not worth the price, even including the train ride. Of course, having just found out yesterday that a trip from Sacramento to Seattle on Amtrak is $755 for two people in a private car...and 22 hours to boot...it does give me a bit of perspective about just how much railroad companies think traveling by rail is worth.

In summary, don't waste your time or money on this tourist rip-off, if it still happens to be in business when you find yourself in Napa. You'd be better off renting a limo and partying in real comfort, whether in the dark or light of day.