Napa & Sonoma

CulinaryNorth America
Written By Norman Howe

Wine, Wellness & Wellbeing

Located just an hour’s drive north of San Francisco, this stretch of vine-covered valleys, fertile farmland and majestic redwoods offers a world of indulgence and pampering that few destinations can match. The valleys that provide a way of life for thousands of vintners are also the ultimate lifestyle retreat for wine and food lovers and romantics..

Locavores Delight: In Napa, the wine is from a local vineyard, the honey is from the hives out back and the heirloom tomatoes are picked at the perfect ripeness each day

Details: 5 days/4 nights; available Oct - May; from $2,995usd/person

Itinerary: San Francisco | Napa | Sonoma

 

Trip Ingredients

 
 

Favourite Hotel: Auberge du Soleil

HV Travel Member Benefits:

Our value proposition is simple. In return for your loyalty and membership, we will deliver tangible benefits and exclusive perks. You will have access to trip planning expertise and privileged relationships, and we will share travel intelligence and reviews. Choose from different levels of membership based on your budget and your travel needs.

Norman Howe

Norman is an Oxford-educated lawyer and itinerant wordsmith who stuck with law long enough to prove that he was tough enough to handle the pressure, but not long enough to be stupid about it (about 3 years, for the record).

He then made the fatal mistake of guiding for Butterfield & Robinson (B&R), the world’s best luxury travel company, during the supposedly brief interregnum prior to taking up a career in academia. Shortly thereafter, he abandoned all pretence of responsibility and embraced the peripatetic pursuit of pleasure on behalf of B&R.

After a decade of nomadic explorations and travel innovation, having exhausted the possibilities for trying out new roles within B&R, he took a seven-year sabbatical during which time he bought, reinvented and sold Horizon & Co, one of Canada’s oldest and most storied travel companies. Along the way, he also managed to marry an awesome wife (Emily) and produce three delightful offspring – Grace, Max & Oscar.

Norman eventually returned to B&R as President & CEO, where he found the company in a downward spiral and was able to turn it around, doubling revenue and travellers and returning it to profitability. Most importantly, he did it without sacrificing the culture of creativity or the commitment to excellence (NPS increased by 20% and B&R won the coveted #1 spot on the T+L list of world’s best travel outfitters).

After a successful 8-year run, the inevitability of a founder-driven, family-business dynamic kicked in and Norman left B&R in 2019. He now spends his time advising and working with entrepreneurs and luxury travel brands to help them grow and innovate.

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