In the two hours I spent with Triple S Ranch owner Derek Webb, he spoke of many things — of learning about a possible fire from a neighbor while eating a late dinner on a Sunday night, of seeing the smoke that removed any doubt, of the color of those hundred-foot tall flames (“dark red, almost purple”), of the sound of the blaze as it swept through the forest (“like a 747 taking off”). But he always returned to one phrase:
“Fire is fickle.”
Because though the October wildfires in wine country claimed 42 lives, and destroyed almost 9000 buildings, and even burned down two other resorts on the same road as the Triple S Ranch, Derek only lost an antiquated pump house.
There were three reasons why this property was spared from the devastation:
- Practical Preparation: After he bought the property, Derek waged an obsessive campaign to clear all brush and ladder fuels from the SSS Ranch.
- Dangerous Stupidity (also known as bravery): Derek (along with a team of his employees and neighbors) spent the night of October 8th fighting back the fire with shovels, pool water, and anything else they could MacGyver into firefighting equipment. They did all this despite the repeated (and quite reasonable) requests from the fire department that they evacuate to somewhere less apocalyptic. I could understand why Derek would so desperately want to save his property; besides the historical significance of the place (boxing legend Rocky Marciano stayed while training for a fight), Derek has also filled the resort with countless irreplaceable antiques, furniture, and fixtures that he collected during decades of travel. I was a bit more surprised, however, that so many of his employees would voluntarily risk their own lives (one even driving into an active wildfire to help out) with the somewhat dubious “worst-case scenario” plan of sitting in the pool and breathing through sections of cut hose until the flames passed. Derek is an undeniably likable guy, but I have never experienced a boss likable enough to defend against the fury of nature. Still, after speaking with the workers, it was clear that they felt the same strong connection to the property as its owner, and were proud of the night they spent smothering embers, wetting trees, and patrolling the grounds for rogue flames until the immediate danger had passed.
Which brings us to the last, and most important reason why the Triple S Ranch was spared from the fire:
- Luck: Despite Derek and his staff meticulously clearing brush from their property and fighting back the flames the night of the fire, the main reason that the Triple S Ranch came through the most destructive wildfire in state history relatively unscathed came down to luck. Or, as Derek put it so often during our conversation, because: “Fire is fickle.” A gust of wind. A rogue ember. An overlooked flame. Any one of these uncontrollable details was the difference between the Triple S Ranch being open for a wedding two weeks after the fire or suffering the same fate as his neighbors down the street, Mayacamas Ranch and Mountain Home Ranch. For Derek, and so many other business and homeowners in wine country, the overwhelming factor that separated a close call from losing everything was simple, fickle luck.
During my time in Napa and Sonoma County three weeks after the wine country fires, I discovered another truth: It’s not just fire that’s fickle. Tourists are, as well.
The stories are usually the same. A phone call from a concerned guest. An expression of sympathy for the devastated region, and the (presumably) smoldering husk of a hotel/winery/restaurant. A cancellation of their upcoming visit due to concerns of air quality or some such fear. A promise to reschedule to an indeterminate “sometime.” A refusal to listen to the repeated assurances that everything is fine, that the air is clear now and has been clear now for many days, that the fire was miles away, and has long been extinguished.
These cancellations are unfortunate, but still very understandable. Because after you have witnessed footage like this–
–A delightful vacation is probably the last thing on your mind.
In the aftermath of so much destruction, and suffering, and death, even the thought of going on a trip to a region that’s still recovering from a natural disaster can lead to some uncomfortable, yet unavoidable questions:
“Why should I seek out pleasure here when so many are in pain?”
“Why should I spend my money on such frivolous things as wine tastings and mud baths when so many people have just lost their homes?”
And finally, the question that is the most unflattering, but also the most unavoidable:
“Why should I come here, when there are so many other places to vacation that aren’t tinged with sadness?”
Though you may have certain moral or personal qualms about vacationing where so many have so recently suffered, just know that the people of Napa and Sonoma counties want you to come back. They need you to come back, and preferably come back soon. Because in an area that is so dependent on tourist dollars, where so many people work in tip-dependent service industries, or in hotels and wineries designed and staffed to accommodate an expected crush of humanity, a prolonged downturn in visitor traffic can be catastrophic. So even businesses that avoided all damage from the fire, and extended the world-famous hospitality of the region to the first responders and evacuees, are suffering from the fallout of the fires.
Granted, stagnant tourism is not anywhere near as tangible or devastating as the wildfire that swept through the area, but this downward trend still signals a major problem for Napa and Sonoma Counties. And unlike October’s firestorm, this looming economic disaster is easily avoidable.
People just have to visit. And people should visit. Not just for charity. Not just because visiting would help boost a tourism industry that has already helped so many others. But because wine country is open for business. And there’s never been a better time to go.
As cold as it feels to write these words, they are important: The fire will not impact your experience as a tourist. If you don’t actively seek out impacted areas, you can experience your entire vacation while barely seeing hints of the natural disaster — a charred hillside here, a singed tree there, a fenced-off parking lot that used to be a K-Mart. If you wish to see the full scope of the devastation, it is never far away, and all but unavoidable if you spend any time in Santa Rosa, but speaking as someone who drove through some of the most impacted neighborhoods, I would recommend against it. Because as I drove down the blocks of ash and signed smokestacks that used to be houses, I did not feel like a concerned and sympathetic visitor. I felt like a spectator of misery; a rubbernecker who had made a drive specifically to gape at roadside carnage.
During this part of the trip, I took many pictures of the burned neighborhood that I immediately regretted and will not be posting in this article. Because the impact of the fire has already been reported, and reported in some detail, and I believe the people of this region no longer wish to be defined by headlines of tragedy. I spoke about the fire with nearly every person I met on my trip, and without fail, they always steered the conversation away from loss and destruction to an optimism for the future and a desire to return to normalcy. But for so many people and businesses in this region, normalcy will only return when the flocks of tourists come back.
As fickle as tourists may be, it was entirely reasonable for them to have stayed away in the immediate aftermath of the fire. It is reasonable for tourists to still feel a certain amount of anxiety about going on a trip to an area in the active recovery of a major natural disaster. Because the headline that “EVERYTHING IS ON FIRE!” sticks to the brain much stronger than the headline that “EVERYTHING IS PRETTY MUCH FINE.”
But everything really is “pretty much fine” in wine country. As I drove through Napa Valley to Calistoga, the sky was just as blue as normal, the air was just as clear as normal, the views were just as abnormally beautiful as ever. The only signs that anything was different was the lack of traffic on the roads and the numerous handmade banners thanking first responders.
Most hotels and restaurants and vineyards were completely spared by the fire; many were miles away from a single flame. Even a property like the Triple S Ranch, a property that was within feet of an actual firestorm, still has beautiful views only a few weeks removed from the devastation. Some of those views just happen to be a bit more scorched than usual. That’s a minor inconvenience worth getting over.
Take a look at the grapevine above. I saw this grapevine while I was touring the property of Darioush in Napa with the winery’s president Daniel De Polo. As we walked, he told me about the night of the wildfire, how the flames that burned the facilities at neighboring Signorello Estate to the ground had only brushed against their own land. He showed me the charred bit of concrete where an outdoor tasting tent had once been, the new landscaping that had already replaced their burned plants, and the impressive Persian-inspired architecture of the tasting room that had somehow been spared by the fire.
Then he showed me this vine. Of the acres of vines on their property only a small number had been touched by the flames, and only a smaller number still had been lost. As I stared at this plant, it was hard not to see the greater symbolism at play. Because when you look at that grapevine, it’s easy to fixate on those few leaves that are brown and crisp. When you think about wine country, it’s easy to only focus on the headlines of destruction and the videos of apocalypse. But those headlines only tell a small part of a much bigger story. Because like that grapevine, wine country has been touched by tragedy, and still carries the visible scars of that struggle. But that vine — and this region — is still very much alive, and getting stronger every day.
It’s tempting to only focus on those parts that are damaged and changed, but that will blind you to the overwhelming beauty that surrounds it. Because wine country is still beautiful. The air is clear. The wine is chilled. The pillows are fluffed.Everything is ready for a wonderful vacation. All that’s missing is you.
GETTING THERE AND AWAY:
SLEEP
Napa and Sonoma counties have an abundance of amazing hotels (and a few “somewhat less amazing” to fit every price range), but one of the best also happens to be one of the newest. Las Alcobas in St. Helena is owner Samuel Leizorek’s second property (after his highly-rated Mexico City hotel of the same name), and perfectly combines the traditional look of the Georgian-style mansion that was originally on the property (used for the on-site Acacia House restaurant) along with the more sleek and modern hotel design by Yabu Pushelberg.
Despite these modern touches and ample nods to comfort (automatic blackout curtains, rainforest showers, complimentary mini-bar, and even a bathtub on the deck in some rooms like some kind of Cialis commercial made real), the best and most memorable part of Las Alcobas isn’t the hotel — it’s looking at the property next to it.
This view of Beringer Vineyards is almost omnipresent from everywhere in this hotel. The tasting room at Beringer is only a short walk away, that will soon be shorter after the hotel completes a planned bridge over the thin creek that separates the two properties.
Located only a short drive from downtown Napa, the Meritage offers luxury at an affordable price and a full range of amenities to keep both kids (swimming pool, lounge with bowling alley) and adults (full spa, vineyard walking path, and wine tastings from Trinitas Cellars in onsite cave) happy during their stay.
In addition, the Meritage offered steep room discounts to people impacted by the fire, and served more than 7500 complimentary meals in their ballroom to first responders and evacuees, so if anyone deserves to have their generosity rewarded with some extra patronage, it’s these guys.
Derek Webb’s boutique resort is only available to be rented out for weddings and private parties, and as such, has not been as severely impacted by the downturn in tourism as other businesses. After only being closed two weeks, the the Triple S Ranch was able to resume servicing its long list of booked weddings and corporate retreats.
The resort is not available for individual guests, but if you are looking to host a wedding or a private party, and you have a bit of patience, it’s hard to imagine a better place to do either thing than at the SSS Ranch. Besides the beautiful views that you will find anywhere in Calistoga, Derek’s property offers a Victorian-style home and a range of cabins for guests to sleep over (one even has a fancy triple decker bunk bed), along with a pool, outdoor pizza oven, and restored dairy barn turned roadhouse turned bar/dance floor/general partying space for the most dignified of rabble rousing.
EAT
The onsite restaurant at Las Alcobas is helmed by celebrity chef Chris Cosentino. The two meals I ate at this restaurant were both excellent (a chicken mole torta laced with escabeche, and a selection of homemade pastries and a mascarpone-infused yogurt with fruit and granola), but the most memorable item on the menu for me was the signature cocktail.
Owner Samuel Leizorek brought this recipe from the hotel’s sister property in Mexico City, and while the margarita itself is impeccable, the sea salt foam is what really makes this drink special. This margarita is like drinking a delicious, boozy ocean. I know that might not sound especially appetizing at first, but just trust me; this cocktail is fantastic.
In addition, this restaurant opened their kitchen as soon as possible to deliver free meals to first responders. So even if you’re not staying at Las Alcobas, I highly recommend you drop in for a meal, or at the very least, one of those margs.
This St. Helena mainstay (with another location in Napa’s Oxbow Public Market, among others) is the perfect spot to recharge after a long afternoon of wine tasting. Settle the cavern rave of chardonnay and pinot noir samples writhing about in your guts with one of their famous cheeseburgers.
This Calistoga restaurant in the Indian Springs Resort serves a full menu of elevated takes on comfort food (poutine, roast chicken, jalapeno macaroni and cheese), but the must-order dish at this restaurant is an inspired take on a street food classic: the churro. Sam’s Social club mixes ground candy cap mushrooms into their batter, which gives their churros such a light texture and delicate flavor, that it’s easy to forget you’re eating a stick of fried, sugary dough.
Any restaurant that features a complimentary coffee urn and porch swing chairs in their waiting area is clearly expecting a breakfast crowd, and after I tasted their signature eggs benedict, I could understand why.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BX_ac48hrAW/?taken-by=ciborusticopizzeria
This Santa Rosa Italian restaurant offered free bowls of pasta for people impacted by the fires (along with many other local restaurants who extended charity to those in need) and serves a full menu of Italian classics and excellent wood-fired pizzas.
DRINK
https://www.instagram.com/p/BXOyNOwHUMa/?taken-by=cooperagebrewing
Though wine country is most famous for…being the hometown of Uproxx favorite (and charity cooking superhero) Guy Fieri, they also make quite a bit of beer in the area. While heavy hitters like Lagunitas and Russian River soak up most of the spotlight (and for good reason), relative newcomer Cooperage Brewing Company is serving up a variety of tasty beers out of their Santa Rosa brewery/tasting room. After almost losing their business to the fire (they are only a few hundred yards from the K-Mart that was destroyed in the flames), Cooperage is now giving back to the fire relief with a “Sonoma Pride” collaboration with HenHouse Brewing Company (another local up-and-comer).
All proceeds from the sale of these beers will go to charity for fire victims.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BafBOPJHDBJ/?taken-by=cooperagebrewing
More information about Sonoma Pride, and the other breweries involved, is available HERE.
Despite their tasting room only being open for a little over a year, this Calistoga winery is already making a name for themselves with their gorgeous views and their highly-rated cabernets.
Darioush Khaledi’s winery has made a remarkable recovery from their brush with the wildfire, and are offering their signature wines and hospitality from their impressive tasting room (inspired by the architecture of Khaledi’s homeland of Iran) seven days a week.
