Though Napa Valley has a huge reputation, it’s actually pretty small. The Northern California valley stretches about 30 miles from north to south, and is only between one and five miles wide. In many ways it seems like a small town or, rather, a series of small towns. Among the valley enclaves, quaint St. Helena is known for its style and prestige. Even smaller, Yountville is best known for its famous restaurants and still-modest properties. While Yountville has few amenities, it is close to Napa—the largest city in Napa Valley, which has a population of only 75,000. Calistoga, at the north end, remains a working-class town, and has an unpretentious, Wild West sense that appeals to many visitors. That could change somewhat with a newly opened resort, Solage Calistoga from Auberge du Soleil, likely to draw more upscale visitors and residents.

The other famous names—Rutherford and Oakville—are simply hamlets defined by post-office boxes and a few homes and wineries surrounded by vineyards. The ever-popular country and vineyard properties lie mostly outside the towns. County regulations designed to protect agriculture—namely grapevines—limit new parcels in the outlying hills to 160 acres and in the valley to 40 acres, with land costing more than $300,000 per acre for prime estate property. A minimum lot size of 10 acres is needed to establish a winery building, but many owners simply grow grapes and have their wine made at one of the valley’s custom crush facilities.

REALTORS
Good property is tight, and many homes sell before they are even listed. That requires top Realtors to be local and well-connected.

Barry Berkowitz and Gail Morgan Lane (Saint Helena Real Estate, 707.967.9570, www.winestates.com). Both brokers have the reputation of knowing about properties before they hit the market, and buyers actively court them for their attention. "People plead, ‘Sell my property, but don’t tell anyone it’s for sale," says Berkowitz. He has a couple of high-end properties on the market: one at $15 million and one at $18 million. Both have vineyards; one has a winery, the other a high-end label made elsewhere. "People demand quality," Berkowitz adds.

Chuck Sawday and Jane Garassino (Pacific Union, St. Helena, 707.967.1348, www.nvestates.com). He specializes in vineyards and land; she in luxury estates. Sawday notes that Napa Valley’s luxury homes are primarily a second home market. He explains, "Not much land is left for development in the Napa Valley, so you have to buy existing vineyards in most cases and not start from scratch, as was once popular." Sawday also says few wineries are for sale, with a handful sold in the last year.

Steve Gregory (Morgan Lane Real Estate, Napa, 707.252.5528, www.stevegregorynapa.com) has many top vineyard estates on his roster of properties, most as exclusives. "The majority of my inventory is luxury property, including homes at Silverado Country Club and country estates," he says, adding that most properties with more than two or three acres have vineyards. "They range from ‘gentlemen’s vineyards,’ which are almost considered landscaping, to commercial vineyards." Gregory sees much demand for wineries, since it takes so long and is so expensive to develop a vineyard and build a winery. "The most valuable have both real estate and an existing brand and inventory, so you get immediate cash flow,"
he advises.

Charles Bogue (Coldwell Banker Brokers of the Valley, Napa, 707.258.5221, www.cbnapavalley.com) is a luxury specialist for the largest real estate firm in the valley.

ARCHITECTS
"A lot of people want Tuscan villas in Napa," reports partner Thomas Fahery of Valley Architects. "Great rooms and gourmet kitchens are also in demand." This is not surprising, seeing the similarity of the geography and culture to the Tuscan countryside, but a few architects privately groan when another prospective client asks for that style. Those homes are often suited to sit in the middle of a vineyard, perhaps on a low rise, but not necessarily in the rugged mountains, where many top estates are now going up. Some clients choose traditional Victorian farmhouses, or estates of native redwood or local stone, and a few of the more adventuresome have commissioned contemporary styles that complement their rugged sites.

Whatever they want, it is not necessarily easy to get it designed. Architect Jon Lail says all the local architects are booked up for years; he had to turn down $16 million in commissions last year alone.
Howard Backen (Backen Gillam Architects, St. Helena, 707.967.1920, www.bgarch.com). Napa Valley’s most famous architect, Backen is responsible for many wineries, restaurants and private homes. His work is defined by large, barnlike rooms that are almost completely open to the outdoors. "You know where you are in reference to the outside surroundings," Backen says. His exteriors reference many styles—farmhouses, stone, contemporary, even Tuscan—and are then adapted to the Napa climate. "True Tuscan homes have no large openings," Backen offers. "And they don’t fit the lifestyle we lead here in California." Backen Gillam also has an interior design department.

Jon Lail (Lail Design Group, St. Helena, 707.963.1565, www.laildesign.com). Architect Jon Lail and his wife, Robin—daughter of John Daniel Jr., the owner of Inglenook in its heyday—have their own winery, Lail Vineyards. Lail notes that many of the projects he’s working on are for people who want privacy and choose inconspicuous sites. "My clients have learned that they can’t keep up with the Joneses, and we have a lot of Joneses here," he says. "They just do their own thing." Lail says that 60 percent of the homes he designs are second residences for people coming from many different places. "We’re in a very fortunate position," he admits. "People want to live here."

Thomas Faherty and William Bylund (Valley Architects, St. Helena, 707.963.1466, www.valleyarchitects.com) have been in business since 1984. "We’ve done everything from kitchen remodeling to luxury homes," Faherty says. They have created designs in many styles—California Mission, farmhouses, contemporary homes and the inevitable Tuscan villa. "I don’t know if that will ever go out of style," he says. Faherty adds that he has recently done a number of combination homes and wineries.

Juliana Inman (Napa, 707.226.5304) is a member of the Napa city council and was a member of the planning commission. "My work tends to be pretty low profile—mostly residential and commercial restoration or rehabilitation projects," she says.

DESIGNERS
Erin Martin (Erin Martin Design, St. Helena, 707.963.4141) is ubiquitous for her wine country interiors. "I’m best known for bringing unusual elements to the home—unexpected but classic touches," she says. "It’s all about the clients. I get to know them and how they live, and try to create a home that works for their life." Martin also has a showroom.

Thomas Bartlett (Thomas Bartlett Interiors, Napa, 707.259.1234, www.thomasbartlettinteriors.com) is another popular designer, whose work ranges from elegant to simple.

BUILDERS/CONSULTANTS
Mark Grassi (Grassi Construction, Napa, 707.255.3232, www.grassiconstruction.com) is known for his high-end residential construction.

Bob Alton (Ryan Associates, St. Helena, 707.967.1938, www.ryanassociates.com). Ryan Associates started 28 years ago in San Francisco, and opened a satellite office in Napa almost a decade ago. One current project is a 10,000-square-foot Tuscan-style home in Soda Canyon. "Everyone wants Tuscan. They rarely want contemporary," says Alton.
John Mitchell (Mitchell Construction, St. Helena, 707.963.2458). Mitchell Construction has been building in Napa Valley for 30 years. Although his clients’ demand for Tuscan-style homes is strong, Mitchell has seen other interests lately. "A lot of what we’re seeing now is California vernacular," he notes. These include contemporary, turn-of-the-century post Victorian–style homes and Greek revival mansions. Most are hidden in the hills.

Tim McDonald (Centric Building, St. Helena, 707.968.2900) bucks the Italian trend. "We do a lot of modern homes, but we have a healthy cross section," says McDonald, who has been in Napa for 30 years.

Frank Bleuss (Frank Bleuss and Company, 775.786.9022, www.frankbleuss.com) isn’t based in Napa, but he might as well be. Bleuss not only constructs high-end homes there, but even sets up his own cabinet shops on site. "I’m old school," he says. "I don’t sub out anything I don’t have to." Bleuss is now building a 12,000-square-foot home that the owner requested be as authentic as possible: "He took us to Italy for two weeks to study the construction, so we could get it right," he explains. The home is built with beams and stone, with tile ceilings just like those found in Tuscany.

David Easton (Rammed Earth Works, Napa, 707.224.2532, www.rammedearthworks.com), constructs rammed-earth houses, a type of building being adopted for its environmental advantages, such as energy savings due to efficient natural heating and cooling.

Gary Jenanyan (Gary Jenanyan and Company Culinary Consulting and Design, St. Helena, 707.963.0707) is a local chef and caterer who assists homeowners with kitchen design and equipment.

Napa Valley Wine Hardware (St. Helena, 707.967.5503, www.winehardware.com) designs custom high-end cellars.

LANDSCAPE DESIGNERS/CRAFTSPEOPLE
Jack Chandler and his daughter, Jennifer (Chandler and Chandler, Landscape Architects, Napa, 707.253.8266, www.jackchandler.com) are well-known for their high-end residential landscapes, always matching gardens with the style of the house. "I try to stay away from trends and create timeless designs," Jack says. "But if someone has a Tuscan house, we can give them a European garden. However, lately everyone seems to be embracing green concepts with native plants and less water." Jennifer adds that they are "seeing a number of historical restoration projects at old homes, too."

Jonathan Plant (Jonathan Plant and Associates, St. Helena, 707.963.8313, www.jonathanplant.com). His signature projects have a subtle interface with the surrounding environment. "It’s clear that the use of water has to be rethought," Plant says. "I try to minimize lawns." He has also been known to incorporate edible plants—in the form of vegetable gardens and fruit trees. "I think a garden should be bountiful," he adds.

Gordon Huether (Napa, 707.255.5954. www.gordonhuether.com) is known for his architectural art glass, which is featured in many dramatic installations and estates.
SHOPPING
Napa Valley—St. Helena in particular—has a bevy of high-end shops, many featuring home furnishings. Most include antiques as well as reproductions, as French country and colonial styles are particularly popular, as is contemporary furniture.

Sterling & Lee Design at Venue (St. Helena, 707.967.9000) offers interior design services through their showroom. "We set out to be a fine furniture gallery, but soon discovered that our clients wanted interior design services also," says the firm’s Susan Vick. "Our designs are based on classic Italian or French country style, but everything is bigger. We try to achieve a relaxed elegance with nothing precious or kitschy about it."

Charles Gautreaux (Vanderbilt and Company, 707.963.1010, www.vanderbiltandcompany.com) has had his shop in St. Helena for 23 years. "We specialize in European and domestic furnishings for the home," he says.

Jan de Luz (St. Helena, 707.963.1550, www.jandeluz.com) specializes in antique southern French furnishings, reproductions and accessories. Architectural elements from staircases to fireplaces are also abundant.

Findings (St. Helena, 707.963.6000) has antique and new country furnishings.

Napa Valley Vintage Home (707.963.7423) offers European country home furnishings, one-of-a-kind antiques and accessories. "Many of our customers are in-terior designers," says owner Laura Rombauer.

EVENTS
Napa Valley teems with events, with charity functions held almost every week. Auction Napa Valley (707.963.3388, www.napavintners.com) is held each June by the prestigious Napa Valley Vintners to raise money for local charities. The V Foundation Wine Celebration (707.963.0611, www.winecelebration.com) in August raises money to fight cancer. The Music Festival for Mental Health (707.944.0477, www.musicfestival.org) is sponsored by Staglin Vineyards every September to raise money for research into mental health problems.

Charitable home and garden tours include Kitchens in the Vineyards (707.258.5559, www.napavalleymusic.org). Each April, five homes in the heart of wine country
open for a home tour benefiting Music in the Vineyards, a chamber music festival. Napa Valley Symphony League’s Home and Garden Tour (707.226.6872, www.napavalleysymphony.org) in May invites visitors to tour some of the valley’s most impressive private homes. Napa County Master Gardeners Garden Tour (707.253.4147) in June visits six unique Wine Country gardens to benefit community education programs.