Raymond Vineyards and Napa Valley Wine Train Team Up on New Tour

NAPA, CA, September 02, 2010 (Press-News.org) The Napa Valley Wine Train has literally gone off the tracks for its newest visitor offering - a new tour and wine tasting that takes guests up the East (and trackless) side of the Napa Valley, into a comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at a family winery, and then on to the historic Wine Train for an amazing gourmet lunch.

This tour is an exciting partnership between Raymond Vineyards and the Napa Valley Wine Train, whereby visitors to Napa Valley are offered the opportunity to see the east side vineyards in the mid-morning light and then embark on a 90-minute comprehensive tasting and tour of the Raymond behind-the-scenes winemaking experience.

Upon arriving at Raymond's "Theater of Nature," the winery tour will begin with an introduction to Raymond's history and organic farming practices. After sampling Raymond's Sauvignon Blanc, guests will walk between the vine rows, sample the grapes, and discuss winemaking practices with the winemaking team. As they continue to sample Raymond wines, both reds and whites, they can embark on a unique activity with a sensory evaluation designed to help identify the flavors and aromas in wine.

The tour then joins the Wine Train at one of the Train's scheduled up valley stops. The next two hours are spent leisurely savoring a three-course gourmet lunch and viewing the west side of the Valley as the Train slowly returns to Napa.

The Napa Valley Wine Train is one of the most unique and best Napa restaurants. This top dining establishment is housed in an antique train that runs on 25-miles of track in the heart of the Napa Valley. The train itself has two engines, three kitchens on board and a collection of early 20th century rail cars that are pure Americana. It offers guests great regional food and fabulous, hard-to-find wines.

Cost is $139 per person and includes: winery tour, bus transportation, gourmet lunch, sales tax, and train fare. Tour starts at 10:15 am and finishes at 2:30 pm. For more information: winetrain.com/winery-tours/valley-first-tour

Passenger capacity for the tour limited to 20 people. For reservations, call (800) 427-4124.

ABOUT THE NAPA VALLEY WINE TRAIN
The Napa Valley Wine Train (winetrain.com) is a one of Napa's most distinctive restaurants. Enjoy wine tours, wine tasting and great dining aboard meticulously restored antique rail cars during a leisurely 3-hour journey through the beautiful vineyards of Napa Valley.

ABOUT RAYMOND VINEYARDS
Raymond Vineyard & Cellar (www.raymondvineyards.com ) is a winery with a rich Napa Valley heritage. The Raymond family arrived in Napa Valley in 1933 and became connected to the Beringer winemaking family via marriage in 1936. Raymond Vineyards began in 1971 when Roy Sr., Roy Jr. and Walter Raymond decided it was time to put their own name on the label. The family purchased 90 acres in the Rutherford appellation of Napa Valley, planted grapes, and celebrated their first harvest in 1974. Today, with five generations of viticultural and winemaking expertise, Raymond cultivates over 200 acres of estate vineyards in the heart of Napa Valley. In August 2009, Raymond Vineyards was purchased by Boisset Family Estates.