Author and influencer Christina Najjar — known as Tinx to her more than two million social media followers — spent eight formative years in the Bay Area of Northern California, attended Stanford University, where she majored in English, and worked in San Francisco for the Gap, Poshmark and other companies. During her stay in the region, she regularly went to the wine country in search of revelry and tranquility.
“I’m a super fan of Napa,” she said during a recent phone interview. Ms. Najjar, who lives in Los Angeles, just came from BottleRock, an annual music festival held at the Napa Valley Expo. “I have my old favourites, but I’m always looking for the next big thing. Right now for me, that’s Realm Cellars, this premier cabernet producer that’s renovating its tasting rooms and reopening this fall. She’s also excited about NOMA, a café, market and hangout opening next month in downtown St. Helena. “It’s Napa’s version of Erewhon,” she said, referring to the high-end organic grocery store, “and you know we love Erewhon.”
For Ms. Najjar, the affluent places of Napa Valley exude “rich mom” energy — Ms. Najjar, 32, is internet famous for satirizing wealthy moms in different parts of the world; her Rich Mom sweatshirts routinely sell out. But you don’t have to empty your bank account to fully enjoy a romp down the Silverado Trail, the 45-kilometer route that skirts the eastern edge of the valley. “You can keep it casual, bike around or hop on a party bus with a bunch of friends and split the cost,” she said. “You do want to think about transportation if you’re going to have more than a few glasses.”
Ms. Najjar’s first book, “The Shift,” a guide to dating and self-reliance, was published in May and debuted at No. 3 on DailyExpertNews Best Seller List. (“BottleRock was my way of celebrating,” she said.)
Here are five of her favorite places to visit in Napa.
1. Faust
The tasting room of this highly acclaimed cabernet sauvignon producer is located in an 1878 Victorian home—locals call it Faust Haus—and each room has a unique style of art and decor. “It’s one of the coolest places to taste wine, period,” Ms Najjar said. “The environment is reason enough to go, but on top of that there’s their cab,” which hails from Coombsville, an area of Napa Valley known to produce cabernet sauvignon with a rich fruit flavor and refreshing acidity. “It’s for the best,” she said.
2. Carneros Resort and Spa
“This place looks like a Nancy Meyers dream come to life,” Ms Najjar said. Indeed, the Carneros Resort and Spa fits right into the aesthetic pioneered by the movie director and “quiet luxury” author known for movies like “Something’s Gotta Give.” Surrounded by rolling vineyards, the resort extends over 28 hectares. Rooms are in detached cottages (some with outdoor pools), and there’s a working farm, a spa that uses local lavender and sage, and a hillside pool that’s “perfect for Instagram,” Ms Najjar said.
On Highway 29, on a stone estate in the Oakville County, Cardinale produces and serves some of Napa Valley’s most prized cabernet sauvignon and sauvignon blanc: they only make one version of each variety each year. “Their wine has a serious, rich mom vibe,” said Ms Najjar. Cardinale’s tasting room, lined with large windows, overlooks Atlas Peak, one of Napa Valley’s preeminent wine-growing regions; on a nice day you can enjoy your wine tasting outside on the terrace.
Owned by two women, this wine bar in downtown Napa kicks off into high gear in the evenings, when most wineries have closed their doors. “It’s the perfect place to go if you’ve done a few tastings in the valley and want to continue the party,” Ms Najjar said. In addition to a plethora of wines from around the world, Cadet serves a variety of beers, teas and snacks such as trout roe chips, whose crispness and saltiness go well with a glass of champagne. This summer, Cadet’s owners plan to open Chispa, a tequila bar, across the street.
When hunger (whether through wine or otherwise) inevitably hits, few places satisfy the appetite quite like Torc, a farm-to-table mainstay in downtown Napa where chef Sean O’Toole reinterprets American classics with European techniques, said Ms Najjar. House-made pastas and a rotating cast of seasonal specialties like tempura pumpkin blossoms dominate the menu, but the move, according to Ms. Najjar, is the grilled cheese topped with unctuous shavings of black truffle. “Pair it with a glass of Realm’s the Bard,” a red blend inspired by Shakespeare, “and you’re doing Napa like a pro,” she said.
