Napa Valley Wine Train Pride Ride

The Napa Valley Pride Ride is a special wine dinner on board the Napa Valley Wine Train featuring some of the Bay Area's most prominent LGBT wine experts. Host Committee: Sister Roma, Ken Henderson, Skye Paterson After Party Mistress of Cerenmonies: Daft-Née Gesuntheit Saturday, March 19, 2016 $195 /person– Gourmet Express car $270 /person – Vista Dome CALL RESERVATIONS TO BOOK: (800-427-4124) Or online at http://reservations.winetrain.com/details/91988/the-napa-valley-pride-ride Includes: Sparkling Wine Reception Multiple Course Gourmet Dinner 3 Glasses of Wine Guest Experts and Chef Macdonald will be on Board 3 Hour Journey Aboard Our Vintage Train Funky Town After Party The evening will begin with a sparkling wine reception in the station followed by a culinary adventure on board our vintage train. Each train car will feature a guest wine host who will be available to share their wine expertise and guide you in your wine selection throughout the train ride. The Pride Ride is a traditional rail seating event which creates the perfect environment for meeting new people and mingling. After the train, join us in the station for a Funky Town after party with VJ, go-go dancers, and entertainment by Daft-née. A portion of the proceeds from the Pride Ride will go to the Richmond/Ermet Aid Foundation. The Champagne VISTA DOME is a two story rail car that was built in 1952 and was one of the first ten full dome cars constructed by Pullman Standard. It originally seated 68 people on the upper level and the lower level was a cafe that sat 28. It weighed 224,000 pounds and has 625 square feet of glass. The Wine Train’s Dome Car was originally Number 52 and went into service on the Olympia Hiawatha in 1952. It was dubbed “The Columbia” when sold to Canadian National in 1965 and in 1978 was sold again to Via and remained in service on the Super Continental. Tour Alaska purchased the car in 1983 and renamed it “Mt. McKinley.” In 1989 the car went to California for the Sun Express and in 1990 was sold to Amtrak and numbered 9311. In 1995, it was bought by Wine Train and named the “Champagne Vista Dome.” It’s exterior was refurbished at the Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus train yard and joined the line in 1997. Today, the Champagne Vista Dome offers exclusive luxury dining upstairs and a state of the art kitchen downstairs. The GOURMET EXPRESS Dining Car was built in 1917 and was originally a reclined seating coach. It was purchased by the Wine Train in the late 1980s from a private citizen. This was one of the four cars on the the first Wine Train that ran through the Napa Valley on September 16th, 1989. Today, it is one of our two main dining cars for our Gourmet Express Dining Journey, with tables for two on one side and tables for four along the other. THE WINE EXPERTS Cezanne Hendricks, DWS Educated in photography, Cezanne's first career was with the Houston Post. When she moved to California she became a production artist for a computer software company in the Bay Area. After moving to Napa Valley, she enrolled in the WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) program as a way to get a leg up and learn from seasoned wine professionals. She eventually earned the Diploma of Wine and Spirits (DWS), Level 4 certification. Cezanne currently works in hospitality for Raymond Vineyards, owned by Boisset Family Estates. Christopher Barefoot Christopher is the Vice President of Communications and Guest Relations for one of the most prestigious wineries in Napa Valley. Other notable positions included Estate Director for Flowers Vineyard and Winery, where he was responsible for the winery’s domestic and international sales and marketing, and Brand Director for Robert Mondavi Winery in Oakville, managing the Napa Valley and Reserve labels. Ryan Graham In addition to being a Fine Wine Specialist, Ryan is a Key Account Specialist for American Wine & Spirits. From the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, Ryan has a Level 3 award in Wine & Spirits. He attended Kent State University for Liberal Arts and Journalism. Eric Murray Eric is a marketing and sales professional with thirty years experience in the retail, wholesale, and producer segments of the wine industry. He focuses on sales, trade marketing management, and consumer-direct marketing for super-premium to luxury wines, both domestic and international. David Mahaffey, Winemaker David has been making wines in the Napa Valley for 30 years, and has been the winemaker for Heron Lake since its first vintage. His primary goals are to create wines that are balanced, elegant, and age beautifully. He thinks of himself as a craftsman with occasional lucky intuitional leaps into something like art. Funky Town After Party Entertainers Daft-née Gesuntheit Daft-née Gesuntheit has taken San Francisco by storm in the five years of her existence. Since her inception in Galilea’s legendary show, Hayes Valley Follies, she has performed at most every other venue in San Francisco including Heklina and D’Arcy Drollinger’s hot new club Oasis, Sunday's A Drag at The Starlight Room, and Dottie Lux’s Red Hots Burlesque at SupperClub. A tireless fundraiser, she participates in galas for the Academy of Friends; she is a Princess of the Imperial Court, a miracle worker, and shiny gem in the community.