CampoVelo (www.campovelo.com) is probably one of the most diverse and exciting wine & food events that I’ve ever attended (out of 50+) over the past few years. It had a never ending supply of great wine and food and some serious sports activities for all to enjoy over 3 days at some amazing venues (Clif Family Winery, Las Alcobas Hotel, Brasswood Cellars, Charles Krug Winery). It also had a nice lineup of sponsors like Lexus, Giant Bikes, Clif Bar, and many others.
Because CampoVelo believes in benefiting global, national and local issues close to the heart (one pedal stroke at a time), it supported the following charities: Chefs Cycle, a No Kid Hungry program, World Bicycle Relief, the Napa County Bicycle Coalition and the Napa Valley Vine Trail. I was happy to see that these good causes, which help kids and bikes, were provided booths at CampoVelo and had representatives available for questions.
Unlike most other wine and food events, CampoVelo included an extensive array of activities like hiking and yoga as well as enjoying the spa or learning more about cooking and viticulture. Attendees also got a chance to listen to some legends (like Bob Roll, Tour De France commentator and Gary Erickson, Clif Bar founder) tell their stories.
Most of all, as the name suggests, CampoVelo offered some outstanding biking for all levels. If you did nothing else, any cycling activity was enough to make it a worthwhile adventure. Many pro/elite cyclists participated in the well curated selection of world-class rides (fast flat, climbing, mountain trails) that were easily 30+ miles in distance passing thru some picturesque wine terrain.
While I appreciate the venues for most events located in the wine country, I was especially impressed by how well suited these properties were for all of CampoVelo’s various activities. As an example, how often do you get to enjoy a yoga class on a bamboo floor at a winery resort. At Brasswood, a state-of-the-art winery with 17,000 square feet of caves, I did just that (yoga) after flying down the Silverado Trail with the peloton passing glorious vineyards and billowing palisades.
As this year’s guests can attest, CampoVelo was an unparalleled wine, food and biking experience. It was unlike most other wine & food events where you simply show up to eat and drink; everybody at CampoVelo was an active participant. And each of the venues provided an unforgettable day long (and night) of world class wines (Flora Springs, ZD Wines, Beringer, Charles Krug, Hill Family, Priest Ranch) and the neighborhood hospitality of St Helena.