Prepare to Napa Gras.
If you notice a slight red glow over the Napa Valley tonight, chances are the source would be none other than Raymond Vineyards. There, an epic party once again kicks off the weekend here known as Premiere Napa Valley.
Hosted by gregarious, well-dressed wine magnet Jean-Charles Boisset, Napa Gras is the kind of thing you might normally find on a standard weeknight in Silicon Valley: models dipped in chocolate, go-go dancers, lions randomly placed between servings of sushi and swaths of exotic cheeses, Champagne served by acrobats hanging upside down, and pulse-pounding electronica courtesy of hipster DJs.
Yes, it is fairly tame, everyday sort of stuff.
That red glow? You can thank the infamous Raymond “Red Room” for that — lush reds as far as the eye can see, and an inviting place to unwind with some friends, perhaps even discover who that mysterious person is behind the mask.
Stark Insider shot a video inside the annual Napa Gras, and this is exactly how it went down:
On Saturday, after we’ve danced, talked, tasted our way into the St. Helena evening, things get slightly more pragmatic. The Culinary Institute of America (at Greystone) once again serves as the hub for what is one of the year’s biggest (and most watched) wine auctions.
MORE STARK INSIDER: Premiere Napa Valley stories, photos and videos
QUICK TIP: Follow Premiere Napa Valley
Follow the action from Premiere Napa Valley:
— Napa Vintners web site for #PNV15
In the morning wineries across Napa will be pouring special barrel samples of the upcoming vintage. Later in the day, a live auction takes place. The results of the PNV auction are often a good indicator of what to expect from the fine wine market for the remainder of the year. In 2014, a lot of Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon, made by famed winemaker Celia Welch, went for about $4,300 per bottle. Will we see records broken this weekend in Napa?
Team Stark hopes to see you in wine country!
WATCH: Napa Gras at Raymond Vineyards
Napa Gras: ‘A Sensory Odyssey’ at Raymond Vineyards (Premiere Napa Valley) from Stark Insider on Vimeo.
