Wine Country’s Favorite Funky Finds
Author:Christina JulianWine Country is home to some of the sleekest designs around but it also abounds with spots that stray away from the mainstream. Check out some of our funkiest finds. From the outlandish looks of Quixote Winery and the tasting trailer at Behrens Family to St. Helena’s Baksheesh boutique, these digs are anything but static.
The Stags Leap based Quixote Winery reminds us that outlandish architecture isn’t limited to Spain’s Antoni Gaudí, we’ve got some out-there designs of our own. Viennese artist and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser waved his magic wand over the space to create a fanciful feel like no other in Wine Country. While the look screams free-spirit, Hundertwasser followed a strict set of self-imposed rules when it came to designing the winery. No straight lines allowed, all buildings would be capped with a golden turret, and color is king. One look confirms that these particular rules were never meant to be broken.
Quixote Winery
After a day or two on the tasting trail, one tasting room can start to blend in with the next, until you slip into the retro, 4-wheeling tasting trailer at Behrens Family Winery—the Wine Country way of roughing it, which isn’t very rough at all. The intimate setting paired with superb valley views perched at the top of Spring Mountain make this particular pit stop a stand out. We love the Sainte Fumee, with its bold wine and bottle that’s been dubbed “sassy and spicy.” Scoot over elaborate tasting rooms, this gem of a joint proves that bigger isn’t always better.
Behrens tasting trailer
View from Behrens Family winery
Bouncing from one shop to the next along the St. Helena strip can be as costly as it is daunting. But it doesn’t have to be. Baksheesh Fair Trade (with a sister outpost in Sonoma) beckons with fanciful flare and eye-popping displays that overflow with reasonably priced gifts and goods. From quilted throws and hand stitched pillows to scarves, geometric-patterned lanterns and accessories, the store boasts a bounty of eclectic finds sure to dazzle and dress up your digs. Just like the “fair trade” namesake implies, the owners opt to source products from businesses around the globe that adhere to fair trade principles.
Baksheesh
Quixote Winery – 6126 Silverado Trail, Napa
Behrens Family Winery – 4078 Spring Mountain Road, St. Helena
Baksheesh Fair Trade – 423 First Street West, Sonoma and 1327 Main Street, St. Helena
