Coach Dick Vermeil Hosts an Insider's Harvest Tour of Napa Valley

The former NFL coach and Napa Valley winemaker will take guests on an insider’s experience of the country’s top wine region

(Sarasota, FL) A small group of wine enthusiasts will have the opportunity to experience the harvest period in Napa Valley—also known as the “Crush”—with Super Bowl-winning coach and winemaker, Dick Vermeil, as part of a select AuthentEscapes departure in October. The founder of Vermeil Wine Group and a Napa Valley native, Coach Vermeil has pulled strings at Napa's most celebrated wineries—and some less known—to create an insider’s collection of inspired experiences.

“This very special program offers guests the rare opportunity to spend time with a beloved NFL sports figure and passionate winemaker,” says Malaka Hilton, owner and president of AuthentEscapes.

“Napa Valley wines are part of a complex tapestry of history, culture, and food—all of which are dear to Coach’s heart. Our enjoyment of wine is enhanced greatly when we can talk to the winemaker, learn about its history, and pair it with the perfect dish.”

One of the highlights of the tour, says Hilton, is a champagne reception, private tour and paired, seated dinner at the acclaimed Opus One Winery in Oakville. Founded in 1979 by Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Robert Mondavi, the winery is celebrated for producing some of the best wine in the world, combining the traditions and methods of Old World French winemaking with the New World vigor of Napa Valley.

In addition to Opus One, guests will enjoy tours, tastings and paired dining at other celebrated wineries, including Far Niente, Castello di Amorosa (Sattui), Duckhorn, Vine Cliff, Paraduxx, Silver Oak, Chateau Montelena, and, of course, Vermeil Wines.

As a fourth-generation Napan, Vermeil grew up surrounded by the vineyards that had been owned by his ancestors since the early 1900’s. He used to help his grandfather, Albert Vermeil, make the family wine. In 2008 he returned to his roots, turning a longtime friendship with winemaker and founder of OnThEdge Winery, Paul Smith, into an exceptional wine venture. Grown from grapes harvested on the nearby Frediani Family Vineyard, Vermeil wines are praised by critics, including Robert Parker, who gave Vermeil Wines 2002 Cabernet a 93 rating.

In 2009, Vermeil Wine Group and Smith opened up the Vermeil Wines tasting room in Calistoga, which guests on the tour will visit for a reception and tasting. Vermeil will also take guests on a daylong excursion to the family-owned Pride Mountain Vineyards, a 235-acre estate with a stunning view of Mount St. Helena. Here, guests will have an opportunity to sample the latest vintages while taking in some delightful, off-the-beaten-path surprises Coach Vermeil has arranged.

"Harvest is an exciting time to be in the Valley," says Coach. “There's so much activity creating a buzz everywhere you go. This trip is going to capture that excitement with good friends, good food and great wines! I’m as excited about this tour as our guests will be.”

Guests traveling on the program will stay on property at Meadowood, one of the most distinctive resorts in wine country. Set on 250 acres of pristine mountainside, Meadowood offers luxurious guests suites, championship tennis, golf and croquet, miles of wooded hiking trails, a fitness center, and a wellness spa. The resort’s award-winning restaurant, headed up by two-star Michelin chef Christopher Kostow, enjoys longtime relationships with area wineries, dairies, farmers, and fisherman to offer the freshest seasonal fare.

AuthentEscapes’ Napa Valley Harvest Tour with Coach Vermeil is October 3 to 7, 2010. Bookings may be made with a Virtuoso-Member Travel Advisor or by contacting AuthentEscapes directly at 866-994-9814.  Click here for trip details.