Saturday,
June 30, 2007
Wine Train Icon in
The
ANNOTICO Report
Today, the Napa
Valley Wine Train is a major attraction in Wine Country, drawing up to 1,200
tourists on weekends and nearly as many on weekdays. At one time a proposal
called for nine round trips a day. But that was shot down by residents
and vintners, who felt that the train would turn the bucolic valley into an
even hokier version of
In 1987, Vincent DeDomenico, a feisty
DeDomenico and his wife, Mildred,
had ridden on the Orient Express when they traveled to
They made sure
that the chairs would face outside to the scenery, unlike the seats on the
Orient Express. Passengers are then treated to an uncensored view of the valley
-- rows of picturesque vineyards and charming farmhouses (next to dilapidated
trailers and backyards strewn with rusted old cars and equipment. )
Then
came 20 years of fighting, name-calling and court battles. Residents feared that not
only would the train bring more crowds and disrupt the peace with its noisy
whistle, but would turn the
[RAA Note: I
"We felt it
was on the lower end -- practically a Denny
It
Thanks to
Pat Gabriel
San Francisco Chronicle
Stacy Finz,
Chronicle Staff Writer
Friday, June 29, 2007
It
The protesters
have moved on, the anti-train signs along the tracks have blown down and the
boiling resentment of the residents has been dialed down to a low simmer.
"It
Today, the Napa
Valley Wine Train is a major attraction in Wine Country, drawing up to 1,200
tourists on weekends and nearly as many on weekdays. At one time a proposal
called for nine round trips a day. But that was shot down by residents and
vintners, who felt that the train would turn the bucolic valley into an even
hokier version of
And the locals
have learned to live with it. But it
20 years of
fighting, name-calling and court battles.
In 1987, Vincent DeDomenico, a feisty
The company
wanted out and DeDomenico wanted in. The former pasta
salesman always knew a good business opportunity when he saw one and he liked
trains -- a lot. He and his wife, Mildred, had ridden on the Orient Express
when they traveled to
But the locals
didn
When opening day
came in September 1989, protesters lined the tracks carrying anti-train signs.
They parked a flatbed truck, carrying an 8-foot-by-8-foot poster with the words
"Wine Train" circled with a big slash through the middle, at the
site.
"I think the
original proposal scared so many people," remembers former St. Helena
Mayor Lowell Smith about a plan that would include passengers disembarking in
towns and wineries along the route. "At one point they were talking of it
bringing 500,000 extra people into
The California
Public Utilities Commission, at the urging of the community, blocked the Wine
Train from making stops in towns along the tracks, which parallel Highway 29.
And many wineries decided that they didn
Lara Abbott, a
spokeswoman for Chandon, said the partnership has
been so successful that the winery recently signed a new contract with the Wine
Train.
"We
That notion might
appeal to travelers stuck on the valley
Residents feared
that not only would the train bring more crowds and disrupt the peace with its
noisy whistle, but would turn the
"We felt it
was on the lower end -- practically a Denny
He admits,
though, that he
"I think if
I got on they
It
Passengers can
choose from a wine menu that lists some of
The train, which
holds 300 people, harks back to a romantic time when riding the rails was done
in luxury. Mildred DeDomenico designed each car with
lavish Victorian details -- richly upholstered, swiveling club chairs, dark
mahogany trim, plush floral carpets, thick velvet curtains and brass train racks.
The bathrooms have marble sink counters and white hand towels. The tables are
set with white damask linens, china and crystal.
The cars, says
the 92-year-old DeDomenico, were made in the early
1900s -- the perfect era for his vintage railway line. He purchased 20 of them
from train museums in the Southeast for $2,500 apiece.
"Each one
cost $200,000 to strip and deck out," says DeDomenico,
adding that they made sure that the chairs would face outside to the scenery,
unlike the seats on the Orient Express. Passengers are then treated to an
uncensored view of the valley -- rows of picturesque vineyards and charming
farmhouses next to dilapidated trailers and backyards strewn with rusted old
cars and equipment.
During the
three-hour tour, riders are free to roam, walking from car to car, as the train
travels 18 mph. They can watch the cooks prepare lunch or dinner in the kitchen
or make their way to the tasting car. That one seems to get the most action.
Julie Vann and
nine others from her neighborhood in
"It may seem
like a tourist trap," Vann said. "But it
Sylvia Espelage, of
"They were
all excellent," said Espelage, adding that for tastings the portions were generous. "I think one of
the wines sells for $40 a bottle."
Cadile also enjoyed her salmon
lunch.
"I would do
this again," she said. "But I do think it
In the Vista Dome
car, Amber and Matthew Ruiz-Stupi were holding their
wedding reception. They had come from
"I wanted
the scenic view," said the bride. "He wanted the wine."
Their guests
liked both.
William Hayes and
about 45 others from a spirits industry trade group also took the train. He
works for Jim Beam in
"I drank a
lot of it, actually," said Hayes, who particularly liked the Hagafen Riesling and thought the trip was excellent.
DeDomenico says he and his wife take
the train once or twice a month to make sure everything is running smoothly. He
won
A rough estimate
shows that 12 weekly trips, with 60 percent of seats filled and an average
ticket of $89, would gross just under $10 million in annual revenue -- without
counting amenities like the wine. In 2002, DeDomenico
said he had already invested $20 million in the venture, and he continues to
pay for upkeep on the tracks, cars and six locomotives.
He says he
"Then it
would be more like a real railroad," he says. For now the dream of
dropping off passengers in town is on hold. Earlier this month the California
Supreme Court refused to listen to an appeal from Wine Train attorneys asking
to reverse the PUC
DeDomenico counters that his lawyers
still have plenty of fight left in them. But longtime opponent Norm Manzer just wants it to be over.
"In recent
years we
An easy
beat for
The Wine Train
has its own police force. Napa Valley Railroad Police Chief Jeff Hullquist and two other officers patrol the tracks, the
yard and drive alongside the train in patrol cars to ensure safety.
The tiny police
department is funded by the Wine Train. He says railroad police have a long
history in the
The agents got a
reputation for being rough-and-tumble bullies with little regard for the law.
For that reason the railroad employees had a healthy distrust for the agents, Hullquist says.
But that all
changed when states began passing legislation that gave governors power to
appoint individuals to the position of railroad police and grant them peace
officer status.
"Today
As far as crime
on the
That
Saal blamed the incident on
bad service, no drinks and lousy air-conditioning. The staff said the party was
so drunk that they verbally abused train employees.
Two years ago the
train made news again when several passengers were hospitalized with minor injuries
after some of the cars became uncoupled and slammed into the engine, requiring
an emergency stop that knocked riders out of their seats.
E-mail Stacy Finz at sfinz@sfchronicle.com.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=
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