{"id":756,"date":"2019-11-25T18:14:38","date_gmt":"2019-11-25T18:14:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.frankfamilyvineyards.com\/blog\/?p=756"},"modified":"2021-12-21T23:16:35","modified_gmt":"2021-12-21T23:16:35","slug":"leslie-franks-guide-to-the-holiday-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.frankfamilyvineyards.com\/blog\/leslie-franks-guide-to-the-holiday-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Leslie Frank’s Guide to the Holiday Season"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The holiday\nseason has arrived once again and is teeming with joyful festivities. Leslie\nloves the holidays, especially in Napa Valley. It\u2019s a time to indulge, imbibe,\nand above all, to gather with those who matter most. Get inspired this holiday\nseason and feel prepared for the gifting, hosting, and celebrating to come with\nLeslie Frank\u2019s Holiday Season Guide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Go-To Wine <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Growing up in Ontario, Canada, the holidays to me are synonymous with cozy, snow-covered winter nights. There\u2019s nothing cozier than a fireside nightcap of our RHF Cabernet Sauvignon<\/a> to bring out those nostalgic holiday memories. This is a special wine named after a special man, Richard Harvey Frank, and for a limited time it is available in magnum format on the Frank Family website<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can\u2019t Miss Dining Spot<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Napa Valley is such a culinary scene that it\u2019s hard to pick just one! Rich and I love Chef Thomas Keller\u2019s Bouchon Bistro<\/a> for its timeless French dishes and intimate, Parisian chic atmosphere. We try to get a stool at their oyster bar, which is the spot where Rich and I shared our first bottle of wine together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where to Stay<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

One of my favorite things about the holidays in Napa Valley is that the pace becomes slower as the excitement of harvest wanes and the new vintage takes its long winter\u2019s nap. Take advantage of the break in the action and plan a sweet escape in wine country. I love the remote and luxurious feel of Meadowood Resort<\/a> nestled in the hillside of St. Helena. Head to The Grill and order their artisanal cheese board and a bottle of Frank Family Carneros Chardonnay<\/a>. It\u2019s one of my favorite pairings! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Must Visit<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I love visiting Yountville this time of year to get into the holiday spirit. Be sure to take a horse-drawn carriage ride through the town and take in the beautiful twinkling lights. Then, stop in for dinner and wine at Chef Michael Chiarello\u2019s creative Italian restaurant, Bottega<\/a>, or for casual Spanish tapas at his newest restaurant, Coqueta<\/a>. Turn your day trip into an overnight adventure with a stay at Vintage House<\/a> located off Washington Street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where to Shop<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Head to Forty Five Ten<\/a> in downtown Yountville for the best holiday shopping. This boutique has stylish clothing for men and women and also offers cosmetics and other small gifts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Favorite Dish<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

My homemade turkey stuffing is always a crowd-pleaser. I use my mom\u2019s recipe which calls for ground breakfast sausage, a spice called savory, and a combination of whole wheat and white bread. I prefer to not dry out the bread beforehand which makes my stuffing moist and flavorful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Charity of\nChoice<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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The holiday season is the greatest time to give back to those in need. Through December 3, Frank Family Vineyards is supporting Feeding America, a nationwide network that is leading the fight against hunger in the United States. We are donating 10% of all proceeds from each online purchase of our Carneros Pinot Noir<\/a> to help provide meals to children and families in need. Frank Family Vineyards is then matching the final donation amount to make our impact that much greater. For more information about our Frank Fights Hunger campaign please click here<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gifts for Her<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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I know I love receiving the gift of comfort. A cozy blanket is a small gift that goes a long way. I\u2019m partial to Frank Family\u2019s cable knit throw blankets <\/a>that are now available in black and champagne colors. You also can\u2019t go wrong with a beautiful coffee table book like our custom-cover Napa Valley Entertaining book<\/a>. The pages bring Napa Valley to life and is sure to inspire conversation at any gathering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gifts for Him<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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If the men on your shopping list are anything like Rich, then he\u2019ll love Frank Family\u2019s collection of three Rutherford-designate Cabernet Sauvignons<\/a>. I also think our Zinfandel Port<\/a> is a unique and delicious wine to gift to the cigar-loving man in your life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Stocking\nStuffers<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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I like to reserve stockings for small and practical gifts. After all, the best gifts come in small packages like Frank Family\u2019s leather wine accessory set <\/a>or a set of decorative coasters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hostess Gifts<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Holiday hospitality calls for a generous and thoughtful gift in return. I think there\u2019s no better way to express your appreciation than with a bottle of sparkling wine. Opt for Frank Family\u2019s Reserve Sparkling wine, Lady Edythe Brut<\/a> for the lady of the house. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Entertaining\nTip<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Holiday entertaining does not have to be overly complicated. I recommend choosing flavors and recipes you enjoy and offer your guests a few options in terms of food and wine. What matters most is relaxing and enjoying the meal and wine together with the ones you love. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Holiday D\u00e9cor Tip<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no need\nto splurge on elaborate centerpieces and d\u00e9cor elements when you already have\nthe colors and textures of the season sitting around and outside your house. Make\nyour tables festive and natural by adding in seasonal florals such as seeded eucalyptus,\npine cones, sprigs of pine, or red berries. I also like to incorporate a series\nof votives into my table d\u00e9cor for a warm glow and cozy feel.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wine Serving\nTip <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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I always start celebrations with a bottle of bubbly, and Frank Family Blanc de Blancs<\/a> is just the ticket. Opening the bottle has a sense of joy and celebration in itself, but most importantly, its crispness and vibrancy perfectly prepares your taste buds for the meal to come. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The holiday season has arrived once again and is teeming with joyful festivities. Leslie loves the holidays, especially in Napa Valley. It\u2019s a time to indulge, imbibe, and above all, to gather with those who matter most. Get inspired this holiday season and feel prepared for the gifting, hosting, and celebrating to come with Leslie […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":757,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,2],"tags":[7,160,175,14,30,33],"class_list":["post-756","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food","category-wine","tag-featured","tag-gift-guide","tag-holiday-guide","tag-wine","tag-wine-and-food","tag-wine-gifts"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.frankfamilyvineyards.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/i-c7q5m4R-X5-2.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/parYsd-cc","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.frankfamilyvineyards.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/756","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.frankfamilyvineyards.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.frankfamilyvineyards.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.frankfamilyvineyards.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.frankfamilyvineyards.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=756"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.frankfamilyvineyards.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/756\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.frankfamilyvineyards.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/757"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.frankfamilyvineyards.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=756"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.frankfamilyvineyards.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=756"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.frankfamilyvineyards.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=756"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}