We are spoiled. Our family lives in the best spot in California in my eyes. We’re less than 30 minutes from the Monterey/Carmel coast line and beautiful Pacific Ocean. We are just 90 minutes from San Francisco and only 4 hours from the beautiful Lake Tahoe in the Sierras. Along with those beautiful cities we are a short 2 hours from the most gorgeous wine country our state boasts! As you can imagine, our year includes many weekend trips to these iconic travel destinations and lucky for us some can even be conquered in a day. We love Napa’s wine country and who doesn’t, even our kids have enjoyed a ride on the fabulous Napa Valley Wine Train and my youngest still talks about taking our next train trip, “but longer!”
On a recent romantic getaway, my husband and I had the chance to experience the Napa Valley Wine Train once again but this time for their Gourmet Dinner ride that included watching the sunset over gorgeous vineyards and a moon-rise that could put love into anyone’s eyes.
Each ride begins at the McKinstry Street Station in Napa. Here you pick up your boarding pass and you can also visit the gift shop for clothing or the wine shop for area wines and the chance to purchase a lock for the Love Lock Bridge and have it engraved a personal message. Also there is a bar inside the station to whet your appetite.
Once the train arrives you head over the Love Lock Bridge and snap on a memento of your love. Don’t worry, your seats on the train are reserved, take you time and and read some of the notes on the locks, I think it’s such a romantic gesture! Whether it be for an anniversary, birthday, or “just because” the locks’ sweet messages are something you should plan on bringing or purchasing in the station!Photos are taken of your party before you board and you can purchase them at the end of the night.
Stepping onto the train you jump back in time to circa 1915. Our Gourmet Dinner Express package had us in the the 1915 Pullman Lounge Car for “second seating” which means appetizers and our taste of either a local red or white wine traveling north to St. Helena. Expertly refurbished, the cars offer large picture windows on either side to maximize the view along the way. Honduran mahogany paneling, etched glass partitions, and brass accents provide an authentic feel and just add so much to the overall experience. The swivel chairs face the windows but also can face your company for eye contact and smiles throughout the ride.
Summer months offer beautiful twilight views on the first half of the 3 hour ride. 
An appetizer plate for each person includes a plethora of items such as fruit, meat, cheese, fish, bread, and spreads. One thing I can tell you is that you must ride the train hungry because you get such an amazing amount of food! 
During this time, you also have the option to wine taste and walk about the train. Wine tasting can be done at your seat with a white, red, or mixed wine flight or you can walk to the tasting bar in the Zinfandel lounge car (at an additional cost). 
You can also choose watch the master chefs at work in the Kitchen Viewing car as they prepare each feast to order.
Right before we reached our midway point, we grabbed our wine and rode outside our car and felt the summer breeze against our skin. Once stopped, the locomotive disconnects from the north facing side of the Train and reconnects to the south facing side of the Train in preparation for the return journey. It’s here we enjoy seeing parents with young children parked alongside the tracks to watch the action! Okay, even for us adults it’s pretty neat to watch.
Our return trip has us gathering our belongings from the Lounge Car and heading to our assigned tables in the 1917 Dining Car. Here we have dimmer lighting, the sun has set, and the bread and butter, salad, entree, and dessert is served. 
This gourmet restaurant on the tracks is just something you need to think about for a minute. The kitchen team is led by Chef Kelly Macdonald and he and his staff use environmentally responsible ingredients; humanely raised, hormone-free meats and fresh, and line-caught fish for a freshly prepared meal for each guest. All while on a moving train! I have trouble getting up from my seat and walking 5 steps without holding on to the chair next to me!
First course is your choice of soup of the day or a baby lettuce salad with candied walnuts, smoked goat cheese and a honey cider vinaigrette. Unfortunately my photos were too dim to show, but both were delicious and so very flavorful. Wine pairings are listed on the menu for each course and can be purchased for an additional fee. Just before dinner is served you get a cool and refreshing palate cleanser consisting of 3 mini scoops of raspberry, coconut, and lemon sorbet. Remember, pace yourself because the best is yet to come!
Dinner is a choice of 5 phenomenal dishes that includes a beef, pork, salmon, ravioli, and ‘special of the day.’ We really wanted to try something different so we could share but we had the roasted beef tenderloin on our brain and it was so moist and tender it just melted in our mouths. Served with baby vegetables, shiitake mushrooms and a tangy balsamic onion marmalade, it was over-the-top delicious! Clearing our plates with happy stomachs we were left with one final choice between desserts. Creme brulee has the best crispy topping that I love to crack through, while my husband hardly left any of his chocolate tiramisu truffle for me to sample!
At this point we are so happy that we walked to the train station from our hotel, the amazing meal from start to finish was divine and so very filling. The darkness was upon us and the moon rise was spectacular!
The remainder of the ride had us sitting next to eachother snuggling with our coffee as the car’s lights dimmed to enjoy the moon and lights prevail out the windows. Sometimes I wonder how each of our date nights or getaway weekends can be topped after adventures like this. 
Walking back to our resort, we vowed to indulge in this romantic escape every few years because it doesn’t get old, only better. If you want to book a Napa Valley Wine Train Gourmet Dinner ride, visit http://winetrain.com/ to plan your getaway. This package is available for $119 per person and it’s worth every last penny, I promise!
We enjoyed our hosted ride and gratuity was ours, all opinions 100% our own.
This looks absolutely amazing!! I would love to take a trip like this – especially with all of that good wine!
Wow this looks so exciting, gorgeous, and great for adventure. I would love to do this with my husband, the train looks so pretty. Great place to visit, I wouldn’t want to leave.