The building that now houses the Blue Note Napa has had a number of iterations over the years, most notably more than a century of life as the Napa Valley Opera House. Today the Blue Note occupies only the first floor; the club cultivates an intimate space that has become a great spot to see live music. Local, regional, national, and international acts book the space -- on any given night the performances might range from jazz to blues to folk and more. Blue Note also runs a full-service restaurant and bar, making it a destination for a romantic night on the town. Upstairs, a local winery has rebranded the main stage of the old Opera House as the JaM Cellars Ballroom; it is open periodically throughout the year for big-name concerts and events.
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Opera and More in Napa Valley
The Napa Valley Opera House, squat in the center of town, provides a cultural benchmark for the community. The 500-seat theater offers one of the best venues for music in the valley—the calendar offers ballet, opera, classical, and contemporary performances.
The City Winery Rocks Napa
In some ways it makes perfect sense for Michael Dorf, the founder and owner of the successful City Winery in Manhattan, to open a third location in Downtown Napa. Napa Valley is, after all, one of the sources for the 200 tons of grapes he transports from California to Tribeca every fall. Napa is also a burgeoning city with a serious need for nightlife. It also makes sense that he is moving into the historic but fledgling opera house. But the very concept of an urban winery in wine country doesn’t really make sense at all. So there won’t be one. Instead, the focus will be on the 100-seat restaurant, live music, and the 35 local wines on tap. As well as putting on their own productions in this very intimate space, City Winery will also serve food and drinks during opera house performances.
