For a celebratory outing or luxury getaway, fly on one of the new luxury private Flexjet, LLC aircraft to Napa Valley for a decadent lunch at The Charter Oak. It’s a quintessential wine-country culinary experience. Napa Valley Wine Excursions awaits on the tarmac to whisk guests to St. Helena for a relaxed, yet decadent wine-country lunch at The Charter Oak.
Guests walk through the restaurant’s iconic door into a relaxed ambiance blending rustic charm with understated luxury. Ivy-covered brick walls, lush gardens, picturesque patios and a courtyard are dotted with fire pits. This creates an inviting backdrop for al fresco dining under California’s sunshine and galaxy of stars.
Guests who choose to sit inside will discover the inviting open dining room with a towering ceiling. The large viewing kitchen and handsome bar heighten one’s senses. Groups and couples gather over seasonally inspired dishes crafted from locally sourced ingredients. Menu items are complemented with a glass of wine or selected bottles from an extensive wine list. The Charter Oak is known for showcasing some of the valley’s finest bottles.
The atmosphere feels celebratory and distinctly wine country, where long lunches linger into the afternoon, and dinners become a festive shared experience. As one of Napa Valley’s most beloved culinary destinations, it’s a favorite for Hal Oates, founder and owner of Porthos Wine Insider. He is a bit of a celebrity in the valley, as he has been the first wine concierge service leading wine tours for over 25 years.
Sitting next to Oates for lunch at The Charter Oak, I learned the name Porthos is after the fun-loving, wine drinking musketeer from Alexandre Dumas novel, The Three Musketeers.
Porthos specializes in giving wine collectors access, adventures and advice when seeking luxury wines. He and his team discreetly provide highly customized Sommelier services for many of the most avid rare wine collectors in America. VIP benefits include access to some of the highest rated and most sought-after ‘Cult’ wines. “I am able to have my clients bypass multi-year waiting lists,” said Oates.
The Porthos team also provides honest advice and unbiased recommendations tailored to the VIP client’s unique palate. They taste and judge thousands of collector-level wines annually. Porthos Luxury Tours include private tours and tastings at preeminent wineries in Napa and Sonoma that are not open to visitors.
Collectors also value the complementary benefits such as hassle-free transactions, seasonal storage and satisfaction guaranteed.
When Illumination Wines’ Sauvignon Blanc was poured, Oates enlightened me about how this wine is one of Napa Valley’s most acclaimed white wines. Produced by Quintessa, the renowned Rutherford estate, it’s known for its flagship Bordeaux-style red blend, and also a cult favorite among Sauvignon Blanc enthusiasts.
Appealing aromas of grapefruit and Meyer lemon offer vibrance on the nose. The first sip provides the essence of ripe white peach and orange blossom with subtle tropical notes and touch of minerality. The wine’s acidity balances with its creamy, almost silky texture. This wine pairs nicely with salads, seafood dips and the roasted chicken.
The Charter Oak menu created by chef Christopher Kostow, focuses on simple, local ingredient-driven cooking. His produce comes from the restaurant’s own culinary 3.5-acre farm just down the road. Located at St. Helena Montessori School, the vibrant garden grows seasonal crops using organic and sustainable techniques.
Even though the restaurant is known for its extensive Napa Valley wine list, the large bar has a creative mixology. program.
Favorite starters include thick slices of house made Charter Oak Bread served with house cultured butter. Order the crudités plate served with a creamy fermented soy dip. These beautiful and colorful vegetables are from The Charter Oak Farm.
The flavorful Crab Dip is enhanced with tomatillo and chives and served with crisp corn tortilla chips to scoop or spread on top for a smooth and crunchy bite.
SALADS
The chefs make an elevated in flavor Yellow Miso Caesar Salad from their fresh and crisp farm greens and crusty sourdough croutons. They also prepare a Swiss Chard Salad dressed with stracciatella and an achovy vinaigrette.
ENTREES
Aged Bavette is grilled flat, providing flavorful, loosely textured steak with a sprinkling of fresh oregano and savory beef fat sofrito puree with onions, peppers, garlic, and fresh herbs. The hearth Grilled Chicken glistens from fat drippings and elevates with cilantro. It’s juicy, tender and flavorful.
SIDES
Another hearth cooked dish is mushrooms with shallots and garlic confit. Steamed California grown Komachi rice is a nice starch pairing with the hearth grilled proteins and mushrooms.
DESSERT
Be sure to order the Rhubarb Upside Down pumpernickel and rye cake. It’s served with a dollop of Chantilly crème fraiche.
The boutique Hazelle Vineyards produces small-lot, luxury Napa Valley wines that reflect both elegance and a strong sense of place. The Hazelle Sebella Pinot Noir offers an intense ripe stone fruit complexity and appealing aromas of pomegranate, Bing cherry, cranberry, wild blueberry, tangerine, cherry tobacco. Dense in flavor, this wine paired beautifully with the steak and grilled chicken. Notes of citrus and kumquat carried on a lovely velvety texture with each sip. This wine was fermented with 41% whole cluster, and its finish was long and delicious.
Cocktails have a flair and nod to wine country. The Old Fashioned is elevated with a beef fat wash, Chardonnay and cordial.
The Charter Oak is one of Napa’s must-visit restaurants in a beautiful setting, featuring an ingredient quality menu, and unique approach to casual luxury dining.
