Tastemaker: Leslie Rudd

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When you want to truly know a city you ask the locals. AVIA's Napa hotel did just that, and here are picks and tips for diving into Napa.

Like many tastemakers, Leslie Rudd spreads his influence quietly.
In food, he owns famed gourmet store Dean & DeLuca in St. Helena, and rescued Oakville Grocery, a food landmark that fell on hard times. He also bought Gordon’s Café in Yountville when it ran into financial problems and is restoring it for chef Sally Gordon. His PRESS steak house in St. Helena is a natural partner to Napa Valley’s famed Cabernet Sauvignons.

He also influences wine: He owns Rudd Winery on the Silverado Trail by such famed wineries as Screaming Eagle and Della Valle, and with his strong interest in preservation, he acquired the old Edge Hill Winery in St. Helena and restored it to its 1867 glory, donated to the Culinary Institute of America to renovate its dilapidated still house into the Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies, and owns a defunct tannery on the Napa River in Napa that he intends to develop when the Napa River flood-control project is finished.

Rudd comes from Wichita Kansas, where his family distributed wine and spirits.

Rudd Vineyards and Winery

DEAN & DELUCA^R

What is your city best known for, as far as the locals are concerned?
Obviously, Napa Valley is best known for its wine, but it’s also a national center for great food, too. We have more than 400 wineries and many famous restaurants including the French Laundry plus the Culinary Institute of America and many gourmet markets and cookware stores like Dean & DeLuca.
Where are some places our guests should go to taste local cuisine? Breakfast? Lunch? Dinner?
For breakfast, Gordon’s in Yountville is the favorite local hangout. It’s closed at the moment, but we expect it to reopen soon. For lunch, you can pick up a picnic at Oakville Grocery or Dean & DeLuca, and some wineries can allow you to enjoy them with their wines. Do check, however, for the county prohibits picnics at most wineries.For a heartier lunch or dinner, I like Thomas Keller’s French Bouchon in Yountville and French Angèle on the Napa River in Napa, Cindy Pawlcyn’s seafood restaurant Go Fish in St. Helena, and of course, PRESS where you can enjoy a great American steak or other grilled specialties.
Where is a great place to see and experience local architecture in your city?
The wineries throughout the valley can be both historical and modern depending upon where you go. If you want to experience historical architecture, I recommend the Culinary Institute at Greystone in St. Helena, which was once the Christian Brothers Winery, and is the largest and one of the oldest stone buildings in the county. The Still House at the CIA originally served as a distillery of spirits and fortified wine starting in 1889, but is now a home for professional wine studies since the restoration of the facility in 2003.
What types of family fun activities would you suggest to those you know?
There are many places to hike in the area to enjoy the outdoors, and I suggest taking a picnic to share for a mid-afternoon break. If there are young children involved, arrange a visit to Castello di Amorosa in Calistoga, but check the times, or visit the Oxbow Marketplace – but be prepared to buy them a cone at Three Twins Ice Cream.
Imagine you're planning a local day trip for your friends. What would it entail?
I suggest my friends take a leisurely breakfast followed by a walk and shopping in St. Helena or Yountville. I would take friends to Rudd Winery for a quick tour and bring in lunch from Oakville Grocery or Dean & DeLuca to enjoy on the terrace. Another winery or two after that would complete an enjoyable day with friends.
Hands down, what is your favorite local event or festival?
The Napa Valley Auction has an enormous impact on the community and raises funds each year to help support the surrounding charities. The auction helps create a sense of unity within the valley with everyone striving towards a common goal. You have to buy your tickets well in advance and they’re expensive, but it’s an unforgettable experience. If you can’t do that, there are charity functions almost every weekend, and many feature excellent food and wine as well as auctions with impressive lots of wine and travels.
If you were to do one thing that characterizes a true local experience in your city, it would be...
What makes Napa Valley special is enjoying good friends with good food and good wine.
What are some essentials that guests to your city should be sure to pack?
Be sure to bring – and wear -- layers of clothing as it gets cool at night even when it’s hot in the daytime. And wear comfortable walking shoes to walk the vineyards.

GREAT CITY FOR . . .

Tastemaker: Leslie Rudd

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