Michelin names Napa Valley for its first wine selection in the United States

About this episode

Cole and Claire cover Michelin names Napa Valley for its first wine selection in the United States, The 2026 Napa Valley vintage was the earliest in recent memory, Wilfred's Lounge 5-Year Anniversary Celebration (Nov 11 to 15), An Intimate Evening With Michael Feinstein (Thu, Nov 12), Karachi: Stories from the City & the Pakistani Kitchen (Thursday, November 12), Winemaker Dinner with Innovatus Winery (Thursday, November 12).

Chapters

• 0:00 · Welcome to the Briefing
• 0:23 · Michelin Names Napa Valley for Its First U.S. Wine Selection
• 1:12 · The 2026 Vintage: Earliest in Recent Memory
• 1:55 · Vintners Social Club Opens in Yountville
• 2:45 · Wilfred's Lounge Marks Five Years
• 3:22 · Tonight: Thursday in the Valley
• 4:53 · Friday: Adam Carolla at the Uptown
• 5:18 · Saturday: Carolla, Flamenco, and the Holiday Market
• 6:39 · Worth Your Week

Full transcript

Cole: Alright, welcome to the Napa FYI briefing, your weekly rundown on everything happening in the valley. I'm Cole, she's Claire, and we've got a full one today.

Claire: Happy Thursday, everybody. November twelfth, and the November calendar is stacked. Let's get into it.

Cole: Let's start with the news. Three stories worth your attention this week.

Cole: First up: Michelin names Napa Valley for its first wine selection in the United States.

Claire: The MICHELIN Guide announced on November sixth, twenty twenty-six that it will unveil its first MICHELIN grapes selection in the United States on April twenty-third, twenty twenty-seven, dedicated to Napa Valley.

Cole: The valley keeps moving. Good to have the details.

Claire: The Napa Valley selection will be the first MICHELIN grapes selection anywhere outside Europe. MICHELIN grapes are awarded at three levels, one grape, two grapes and three grapes, alongside a group of Recommended estates, and the Guide's inspectors assess estates on quality of agronomy, technical mastery, identity, balance and consistency.

Cole: Next: The twenty twenty-six Napa Valley vintage was the earliest in recent memory.

Claire: Napa Valley Vintners and Napa Valley Grapegrowers published their joint twenty twenty-six Vintage Briefing on November tenth, twenty twenty-six.

Cole: That's a big one. We'll keep an eye on where it goes.

Claire: The briefing describes twenty twenty-six as the earliest start and finish to harvest in recent memory, with picking for white wines beginning in mid-July, three to four weeks ahead of schedule. Panel winemakers praised fresh, expressive white wines and elegant, structured reds from a season that brought a warm spring and a light crop.

Cole: And one more: Vintners Social Club by K. Laz opens in Yountville.

Claire: Vintners Social Club by K. Laz has opened in the historic Yountville Station complex in Yountville, and its own site lists it as now open daily from three P M to eight P M.

Cole: The valley keeps moving. Good to have the details.

Claire: Founder Kerrin Laz, who also founded Inspire Napa Valley, built the club as part private members club and part public wine bar, with walk-in service alongside member benefits including wine storage, specialty allocations and exclusive events. The club's founding Vintner Members include Screaming Eagle, Bryant Estate, Dalla Valle Vineyards, Opus One, Spottswoode Winery and Vine Hill Ranch.

Claire: Okay, from news to the calendar.

Cole: Alright, the calendar. Here's what's actually worth your time, from this Thursday through next weekend.

Cole: November eleventh through November fifteenth at Wilfred's Lounge, Wilfred's Lounge five-Year Anniversary Celebration. Wilfred's Lounge marks five years on the Napa riverfront with five days of specials, from one dollar mai tais for guests who bring a Wilfred's mug on Wednesday to one dollar wings and half price nineteen forty-four Mai Tais on Sunday.

Claire: Daily specials; see the venue page for each day's lineup. Free. Say less, I'm in.

Claire: Today, Thursday at Uptown Theatre, An Intimate Evening With Michael Feinstein. Michael Feinstein brings his celebration of the Great American Songbook to the Uptown Theatre for one night in downtown Napa.

Cole: Eight P M (doors seven P M). Check the ticket page for prices. That's a good-looking one.

Cole: Heads up: No prices listed on the official event page; tickets sold via Ticketmaster. All ages, twelve plus (under sixteen with adult).

Cole: Today, Thursday at PLAYTE Kitchen, Karachi: Stories from the City and the Pakistani Kitchen. Maryam Ahmed and Ryan Smolar lead an evening of hands-on cooking, chef demonstrations and storytelling, exploring Karachi through the people who shape its food.

Claire: Five thirty P M to seven thirty P M. From fifty-five dollars and twenty cents. Put it on the list.

Claire: Heads up: Tickets are fifty dollars on PLAYTE's own booking page and fifty-five dollars and twenty cents with fees on Eventbrite. Part of PLAYTE's Guest Storyteller series.

Claire: Today, Thursday at The Grove at C I A at Copia, Winemaker Dinner with Innovatus Winery. The Grove at C I A at Copia hosts a winemaker dinner with Napa's Innovatus Winery, pouring alongside a multi-course menu.

Cole: Seven P M. See event page. Say less, I'm in.

Cole: Heads up: Price not shown on the listings checked; see the event page for ticket details.

Cole: Tomorrow, Friday at Uptown Theatre, Adam Carolla. Comedian and podcaster Adam Carolla brings his stand-up to the Uptown Theatre.

Claire: Eight P M (doors seven P M). Check the ticket page for prices. That's a good-looking one.

Claire: Heads up: No prices listed on the official event page; tickets sold via Ticketmaster. All ages, twelve plus (under sixteen with adult).

Claire: Saturday, November fourteenth at Mystic Theatre, Adam Carolla. Comedian and podcaster Adam Carolla brings his stand-up to the Mystic Theatre, one night after his Uptown Theatre show in Napa.

Cole: Doors seven thirty P M, show eight thirty P M. Thirty-five dollars to one hundred fifteen dollars. Classic valley weekend material.

Cole: Heads up: Fully seated. twenty-one and over.

Cole: Saturday, November fourteenth at The Big Easy, FLAMENCO! L I V E! at The Big Easy. Singer Roberto Zamora, guitarist Mark Taylor and dancers Angela Arteritano and Devon LaRussa bring a flamenco dinner show to The Big Easy in Petaluma.

Claire: Doors five P M, show six P M. Twenty-five dollars. Say less, I'm in.

Claire: Heads up: twenty-five dollars at the door, cash or card, per the organizer. Dinner and drinks are separate; line forms at four thirty P M.

Claire: Saturday and Sunday, November fourteenth and fifteenth at Silverado Resort, Mansion Garden Lawn, Holiday Market at Silverado Resort. More than forty local vendors and artisans curated with NorCal Makers pop up on the Mansion Garden Lawn for a property-wide holiday shopping weekend at Silverado Resort.

Cole: Eleven A M to four P M. Free. That's a good-looking one.

Cole: Before we go, the one thing worth your week.

Cole: Mine is Wilfred's Lounge five-Year Anniversary Celebration, November eleventh through November fifteenth. And it's free, which never hurts.

Claire: Strong pick.

Claire: Mine is Adam Carolla, Saturday, November fourteenth.

Cole: I can get behind that.

Cole: That's the briefing for this week. Details for everything we mentioned are on napa.fyi.

Claire: We'll be back next Thursday. See you out there.

Mentioned in this episode