LUNCH WITH A VINTNER ON THE NAPA VALLEY WINE TRAIN can be enjoyable, educational and gastronomically satisfying — but it may also be the one Wine Train tour option involving the greatest element of chance.

One thing that’s a pretty safe bet no matter which of the numerous Wine Train options one chooses: The food is going to be good. Executive Chef Kelly Macdonald sees to it that every plate is exquisitely prepared.

Another consistent factor is the level of luxury on board. Each train car is beautifully restored and plushly furnished, each dining table formally set on white tablecloths and often bedecked with an arrangement of fresh flowers; last Friday, perfect purple orchid stems adorned the tables on my Vintner’s Lunch tour.

The overall tone of a Vintner’s Lunch, however, will probably hinge on the personality of the day’s host winemaker.

The Wine Train has partnered with several area vintners and offers a couple of ways to combine your elegant train ride with a particular winery experience. The Vintner’s Lunch package takes place along a leisurely round-trip ride between the depot in downtown Napa and the end of the line in Calistoga, and includes a series of gourmet tapas with wine pairings. An alternative is to combine the train ride with an on-site tour, for example at Domaine Chandon or Grgich.

On Friday, our Vintner’s Lunch host was Dario Sattui, proprietor of the Castello di Amorosa winery in Calistoga in addition to his long-standing namesake, Sattui Winery in St. Helena. Castello di Amorosa was the featured winery Friday.

I had imagined that on a Vintner’s Lunch tour, the winemaker would take the mic and say a little something about each wine as it was being poured, much as he might during a traditional winery tour. That certainly would enhance the on-board tasting experience. Instead, our host mostly sat with companions at his own table and spent only a few minutes visiting with each of the other guests.

As a result, I’m not sure why the 2011 Reserve Chardonnay was paired with the albacore crudo, for example, a first course of raw tuna with avocado, cucumber and heirloom tomato; or for that matter, what special attributes I might have looked for in the wine itself. I found the wine simple but pleasant, slightly buttery with hints of juniper and licorice.

Sattui was personable and good-humored during his pre-boarding presentation at the depot. He gave us an interesting history of how the massive Castello winery came to be built in the style of ancient Tuscan architecture.

Once on the train, though, Sattui seemed largely disinterested. He never addressed us as a group, electing instead to quietly greet each party individually by table. Seated as we were in the one car that is closed off to other passengers, as part of the exclusive ambience of the Vista Dome, the environment was somewhat stale and could have used an “emcee” to lend a little personality to the room.

As can be expected on any Wine Train excursion, the food was excellent. Unfortunately, the corresponding wine pairings were unspectacular at best.

The first selection, served prior to our first course, was a sparkling red of undisclosed origin. My guest and I agreed it tasted very much like grape Kool-Aid, only with bubbles and the slight sting of alcohol.

Following the aforementioned first-course pairing of albacore crudo with the 2011 chardonnay came a 2012 Los Carneros pinot noir, paired with a delicious crisp pork belly over rosemary salted ricotta, topped with a generous blanket of baby arugula. The pinot was the nicest among the four featured wines. It is a gentle, uncomplicated red that doesn’t linger, kind of vanishing as it is swallowed.

Our third and final savory course was a duo of lamb chops with eggplant jam accompanied by grilled fresh fig halves and crunchy chorizo cornbread. The lamb was paired with the winery’s 2010 Red Wine Blend, which I could generously describe as odd but inoffensive.

For dessert Friday, guests were treated to a lovely and delicate blackberry galette, presented alongside a small globe of creamy buttermilk gelato – and paired with a delicious cup of fresh brewed coffee.

The Friday Vintner’s Lunch ride is a pleasant and relaxing way to usher in a weekend. The overall quality of the experience, though, is dependent on the personality of the vintner and the quality of his wine selection.

If You Go
The Vintner’s Lunch is offered semi-monthly with any of several winemaker hosts. Tickets are $179. Visit winetrain.com or call 800-427-4124 for details and reservations.

Elizabeth Warnimont is a freelance writer specializing in the performing arts. She is also a substitute teacher for the Benicia Unified School District.