Thank you to Kathy Chin Leong for this tea time train adventure piece.
Napa? For tea? You betcha! While thousands flock to Napa Valley for decadent wine flights, I go to Napa for afternoon tea. And not in a vineyard, mind you, but in a vintage Pullman train car. This is the Napa Valley Wine Train, where the Secret Afternoon Tea is on the docket for this Saturday with my daughter-in-law Grace. At least once a year, we tackle a special experience together, and food is usually included.
This time, I was curious about how servers would handle pouring hot tea on a moving train. Let me tell you, they did it with ease, not spilling one drop outside my floral tea cup.
Available every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until the end of October, the liquid adventure, also known as Afternoon Tea X Chandon, starts at $271 per person and includes a commemorative tea pin and photograph. On the Saturday we came, the tea manager escorted us to our train car, shading me with an umbrella. Inside, the high-end, service-with-a-smile continued to flow, as did our pours. The team was gracious from beginning to end. Since the tea car seats fewer than 20 people, you are attended to quite nicely by two or three hosts.
Of the connected cars on the wine train, only the Chandon tea car is festooned with silk flowers amid red-orange walls, velvet navy swivel chairs, and gold dining booths. Once seated, servers offer a refreshing Garden Spritz, an aperitif which is the result of a partnership with Chandon, a major maker of bubbly in Napa Valley. The drink consists of Chandon sparkling wine, plus a Chandon liqueur made of oranges, spices, and herbs.
During the ride, guests can try one or all three Darjeeling, Assam, or Ceylon teas. Fresh brews accompanied by milk and sugar, if requested, are served in dainty tea cups with gold-colored stirring spoons.
The order of the day begins with tomato soup with a gourmet cheese sandwich, followed by a selection of bite-sized savories. A tray of sweets concludes the meal.
During the ride, all are welcome to roam other cabins as simultaneous experiences are occurring. Others may be enjoying the three-course lunch, the wine pairing, and so forth. The layout of individual cars varies: some have booths and tables, others tout plush velvet chairs that swivel, and ours had both. The lookout area between cars features a platform where you can see vineyards in their glory and feel the wind on your face. Do visit the vista dome car, which is upstairs with vineyard and sky views.
Tea lovers can appreciate the aesthetic beauty in food presentation. In my mind’s eye, I picture a chef with long tweezers placing the chive strands and gold leaf bits perfectly atop each bite. Using a ruler or compass to ensure perfect symmetry? Perhaps.
Five pretty bites for each guest include: a pink deviled egg topped with salmon roe, a cucumber chive sandwich, a Coronation Chicken salad sandwich, a smoked salmon tartare on potato rosti, and a lobster salad on a cream puff shell.
The chef whips up yet another artsy platter for dessert. On the tray tower: lemon raspberry tart, honey pear mousse, orange cherry scone, tropical cheesecake, passionfruit marshmallow, and almond macaron. While I am not a marshmallow fan, the passionfruit treat was a welcome surprise, for the fresh fruit flavor popped, making it on my plus column. Grace said the tropical cheesecake got her attention as the best dessert on the menu.
Meanwhile, the ride itself is nostalgic and peaceful. As you admire your complimentary wine train tea pin, you roll past vineyards and wineries, and glean some valley trivia. Each car holds limited passengers, so you can chat with one another without shouting. The locomotive noise is subtle, in the background. Once you get to the terminus after 18 miles, the train stops, changes gears, and backtracks without turning around. Three hours go by quickly. You enjoy the tracks, food, and beverages, and uninterrupted conversation, just like train passengers did in the pre-airplane days.
Sure, you can indulge in tea time at a grand hotel or a garden setting. But consider a new tea experience on a train with exceptional service, stunning views, and eye-catching temptations. And snag your special someone for a three-hour trip of a lifetime.
- For more information and to book your tickets visit Napa Valley Wine Train
