A Gourmet Blend

by Kira Devitt, Napa Valley Wine Train Marketing (May, 2010)

My grandfather, Vincent DeDomenico, was an epicure — from Sunday morning brunches, to the glass of red wine at dinner. This would come as no surprise to you if you know that he was one of the Wine Train’s founders and the CEO for 18 years. But something that you may not have known is that he was also a connoisseur of coffee. My mother remembers that when she was a child, coffee always came from the inside of a can. At breakfast, when my grandparents would make the morning coffee, they would complain that the grounds would lose their flavor a couple of days after opening a new can. “Why does the coffee taste so good when we first open the can, but after that, a new brewed pot is never the same?”

One day, in Sausalito at a gourmet food store they came across a coffee grinder and immediately bought one. Grinding your own coffee was so rare at the time that they had to special order the coffee beans. When my mother’s friends would come over, they would often ask what the grinder was and beg for a demonstration. My grandparents were always ahead of their time when it came to food. So recently, when my mother found out that the Wine Train has its own blend of coffee, she wasn’t surprised.

The Wine Train Blend, a blend made by Paupaiz Fine Coffees, was designed especially for Wine Train guests by a local coffee company. In order to create this special blend, Ward and Dorothy Clark, the Paupaiz founders, along with a member of the Wine Train culinary team sat down for three hours and tasted different types of coffee. Just like when tasting wine, you are supposed to spit after sipping to get a nice feeling for the flavors. But on this particular day, the coffee was so good that they all just drank it. Dorothy remembers that by the end of the tasting, all three of them were “swinging from the rafters.” They eventually developed two blends, which were brought back to the Train’s executive chef and to my grandfather, who together made the final selection.

This is the same coffee that is served on board today, and it has made a huge impression on some of our guests. About once a month, at the Paupaiz warehouse in the industrial area in Napa, a smiling person (or group) pops their head into the offi ce and says, “We just rode the Wine Train and had the best coffee. Can we get some of that Wine Train Blend.” And quite frequently, they call Paupaiz later to re-order. This coffee seems to be a simple and effective way for our guests to bring the Napa Valley experience home. I’m glad that it makes such an impression. My grandfather would be proud.

Paupaiz Fine Coffees is locally owned and operated by Rebecca Flores and Curtis Susuki. It is another Napa-based company rich with history and interesting stories (not to mention, their coffee is divine). And although the warehouse is hard to find (you may want to call first to get directions), it is really fun to visit. 978 Kaiser Road Napa, CA 94558. (707) 224-7434. www.paupaiz.com.