Alexis Swanson Traina, the San Francisco-based author and renowned authority on wine, style, and entertaining, celebrates the launch of her new book, From Napa With Love. This story appears in the November 2017 issue of Town & Country. The landscape architect Madison Cox, who created the elegant treillage-framed white gardens, suggested that the front doors be painted lacquer red, an antic touch that hints at the drama inside. You may opt-out by. Trevor's latest Internet venture is DriverSide.com, a Web site focused on car maintenance. This fall, Claiborne and I shared an amazing story,inspired by my book for Town & CountrysNovemberissue, where she shot all the portraits and that was super special for us both. Trevor Traina becomes ambassador in Vienna ceremony, Designated US ambassador to Austria Trevor D Traina and his wife Alexis S Traina arrive at the airport in Schwechat near Vienna, Austria on May 18, 2018. Just down the block are Oracle's Larry Ellison, Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman, Zynga's Mark Pincus and Apple's design genius, Jony Ive. Theres so much growth in being able to explore new creative endeavors, and thats what I think is so fascinating about life, says Alexis Traina. Advertisement . Three years later, Traina sold CompareNet to Microsoft for a reported $100 million. Trainas' two children, Johnny and Delphina, play with their cousin Daisy on the back lawn. Alexis Traina, creative director at Swanson Vineyards, is one busy person. Gina Gallo and Jean-Charles Boisset were the only ones audacious (and legit) enough to purchase the Wappo Hill home that belonged to Bob and Margrit Mondavi. One of our favorite family traditions is bringing out our collection of Bavariannutcrackers, candelabras, smokersand pyramids. Feb 3, 2011, 07:05 PM EST | Updated Dec 6, 2017. Travel essential number one." Magic that celebrates ones surroundings. Of course, if you want someone to design and furnish your own Pitti Palace, Traina can undoubtedly find the luminaries to do that, too. He chose Nicholas Nixon's View West from Park Avenue and 55th Street, New York City, and when the photograph came up for auction years later Traina acquired ittogether with a Weegee that had hung in the hall outside his office. ", At the time it was a breakthrough idea. And the thing is, we come from wicker. (Well, almost. I wanted to tell a new story about Napa Valley, one that illuminated the talent, spirit, and creativity that enriches our kitchen tables, wine cellars, homes, closets, book shelves, and celebrations. Since then, the Trainas have made plenty of their own memories at the estate. Trevor wanted his entrance gallery, for instance, to suggest "the idea of a grand entrance in a Venetian palazzo leading up to the piano nobile." Many of the guests stayed at the super-luxe Hotel Sacher Vienna, the birthplace of the famed chocolate and apricot cake, the sachertorte. The drive from San Francisco to the Napa Valley takes only a little more than an hour, but for tech entrepreneur and IfOnly CEO Trevor Traina and his wife, Swanson Vineyards creative director Alexis Swanson Traina, the two places feel as far away from each other as possible. My parents house is an enchanted, imaginative and romantic world with donkeys, sheep, chickens, playhouses and banana trees along the Napa River, says Alexis. IfOnly takes 20 cents of each dollar spent, while the luminary and charity split the rest, with a required minimum of ten percent of the gross going to the charity. Raise a glass to the artists, rebels, and dreamers who call this storied California paradise home. Month. I tried my hand in the vineyards and the cellar but found my niche in marketing. Consider, for example, some of her favorite pairings: Oreos and merlot, cake and Sancerre, barbecue chips and ros, chocolate bonbons and a bottle of Modern House Wines, a project that she started at Swanson in 2000 with the help of Andy Spade (another contributor to the book and one of her favorite partners in crime). 22 Black-Tie Wedding Guest . Situated in the heart of To Kalon Vineyard (which supplies grapes to Opus One, Schrader and Paul Hobbs), the area is considered sacred ground in the wine world. My fantasy was to be a gentleman farmer with three grapevines and art. The Trainas friends were treated to several parties, including a sit-down dinner with live accordion players, and tours of Viennas top attractions like the Palais Liechtenstein as well as a glimpse of the famed Lipizzaner stallions. Being curious and eccentric was normal. Alyssa and I have worked together successfully on many projects and this book was going to either make or break our friendship/ creative partnership. Alexis's ethnicity is unknown, whose political affiliation is currently a registered American Independent . "This was the idea behind the house: Let's fill it with children! From Napa With Love by Alexis Swanson Traina From Napa With Love , Traina's book is a small (97 inches) paperback tome meant to be easy to throw into a suitcase for a quick trip to the Valley. Alexis and Trevor Traina tapped into San Francisco's design historyand the talents of iconic family friendsto create a dramatic setting for their young family. So with $300,000 in funding from friends and family (and receiving a credit from Haas for writing up the business plan), Traina hired a small team of programmers, moved them into the upstairs nursery of his father's house and launched CompareNet. Beloved fashion designer Andrew Gn, who is based in Paris, but has a considerable following in San Francisco, was also in Austria for the soire. Something special that you can build anticipation for. The wife and mother of two also runs a carefully curated How many times has Trevor Traina been married? Trevor, Todd and their mother, philanthropist Dede Wilsey, who now has a home in the next town over, relied on their memories and photographs to rebuild the residence as it once was and took the opportunity to modernize some of the wonky layouts. Though Traina was approved by a unanimous voice vote of the United States Senate in March, he could not officially go to work in Austria until his credentials, in the form of a sealed letter from the president of the United States, were accepted by Dr. Alexander Van der Bellen, federal president of the Republic of Austria. He says, In 1975, I bought an old cabin, put a cupola on the top, and called it Tucker Farm Schoolhouse to make it sound legit-ish. Like Napa, Alexis latest travel and lifestyle guide is enchanting, full of hidden treasures and favorite spots not to be missed! Alexis and Trevor Traina tapped into San Francisco's design historyand the talents of iconic family friendsto create a dramatic setting for their young family. The sale marked the end of a chapter in the journey that has defined my adulthood, one that tested my fathers patience daily as I discovered a love of product design and creating new tasting experiences. Alexis Traina, "Gucci aviators are always sexy, mysterious, and full of fun. The house we built together in San Francisco is very contemporary, with my photography collection and objects weve inherited and purchasedits a more sophisticated mix, in a sense, Trevor says. From there, he and his wife, Alexis Swanson Traina, hopped over to the Hamptons, joining designer Oscar de la Renta and director Baz Luhrmann at a soiree hosted by Vogue Editor in Chief Anna Wintour. This was not the first time a Traina had dynamited the hills in this region. It. I wondered if wed live near Lorenzo Lamas. We spend our weekends tinkering with old cars. "I suddenly realized that that's what people ultimately want when they've filled their closets with baubles: experiences. Talking with Roni Frank co-founder of Talkspace. Britt felt that this emphatic backdrop would help the art to popwhich, against all odds, it does. Picking up where Robert Mondavi left off, the Harlan family has completely rewritten the playbook of American wine. of the instant wedding, the instant summer cellar, the instant pantry necessities, the instant dinner for two and the instant "He thinks on a much grander scale!". The holidays are defined by so many charming rituals and ceremonies that become a part of the fabric of our senses, memories and associations an endless stream of magical moments sprinkled over five weeks. And the rest was history.. Do you have info to share with HuffPost reporters? I knew the house prior to the fire, and I was so crazy for it, says Alexis, who moved from Florida with her family to the region in the mid-1980s. Crabb, a Napa Valley pioneer who founded the To Kalon winery. One of my very favorite parts of the holiday season is the revolving door of sweet tokens, gestures, and gifts delivered by friends and family. President Donald Trump nominated Traina last January, and in the spring the Senate confirmed his appointment. Music, entertainment, wineries and golf are among IfOnly's other categories. Alexis inherited her fanciful joie de vivre from her Cuban mother, Elizabeth Swanson, who is fondly referred to as the madam of ceremonies and the Wizardress of Oz.. By the time the company was sold, a few years ago, I was its longest-serving employee. He started as a feature writer in the People section, which was anchored by Herb Caen's column, and has written about people ever since. [14] [15] Traina made a major loan of photographs to the Albertina museum in Vienna for the Fall 2021 exhibition American Photography. He went on to become winemaker at Harlan Estate and Bond, producers of some for the most sought-after cult wines ever made in the United States. Shop Our Favorite Saks Friends & Family Deals, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. It took a leap of faith to get the family house before the family." There's this incredible mix of business and art and creativity that's producing a new Renaissance." Previously cities included Oakville CA and New Orleans LA. The crimson velvet is dusted with gold; "at night, by candlelight, it's really potent," says Alexis. [13] His hobby is collecting photographs, an exhibition of his collection in summer 2012 at the Fine Arts Museum was discussed in the media. Alexis parents, Elizabeth and W. Clarke Swanson, uprooted their family (Alexis sisters, Veronica, a clothing designer, and Claiborne, a photographer, are based in New York) from Naples, Fla., in 1985, when they purchased 100 acres on Oakville Cross Road and started Swanson Vineyards. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. They ran the winery for more than 30 years before selling it in 2016, and it's where Alexis honed her instincts for celebrating the ceremonies and rituals of winefirst, with the introduction of a salon-style tasting room, then a modern sip shoppe. Trevor Traina, Alexis Swanson, Veronica Beard and Jamie Beard attend The Museum of The City of New York, The Directors Council 20th Annual Winter. It is an impressive roster. Alexis own style of entertaining is charmingly high-low. by Alexis Swanson Traina (Author) 68 ratings See all formats and editions Kindle $2.99 Read with Our Free App Paperback $26.94 Other new and used from $4.25 Napa Valley is a wonderland boasting beautiful weather, exquisite vistas, bespoke hotels, Michelin-rated restaurants, and world-class wineries. Trevor Traina has not been divorced. I could often be found doing business at my roll-top desk, shuffling papers and stamping voided checks; flipping through Harpers Hideaway Reports researching my parents travels; or at my mothers knee in dusty antique shops, that always played quiet AM radio. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Weekends in Oakville are generally spent sans guests and are passed mostly outsideby the pool or on the tennis courtsin the company of the Trainas two children, Johnny and Delphina, and their Jack Russell terrier, Honey. Christopher Kostow, seen herewith his wife Martina and their two daughters, grew up near Chicago in a food-forward family that, he says, traveled to eat. After working in some of the best kitchens in the world, he opened the Restaurant at Meadowood in St. Helena, which has been awarded three Michelin stars. "We had absolutely no idea what we were getting ourselves intothe project just grew and grew," admits Alexis; but, she adds, "for Trevor and me, the house was a shameless love poem to each other.". All rights reserved. This website is a curation of past articles. So if you want to, say, play a round of golf in Big Sur with Greg Norman or have Alice Waters oversee the catering for your private dinner party, it can be arranged. Haute Living 2023 - All content and source 2019 Haute Living |, Social Media Management for Interior Designers, Social Media Management for Real Estate Developers, How Tennis Star Caroline Wozniacki Is Acing Life On And Off, 6 Skin Myths Debunked Courtesy Of The Red Door Spa, Haute Living Celebrates Rob Lowe At Grant Cardones, Haute Living Celebrates Chef Pierre Gagnaire With The, Haute Living Celebrates Katie Holmes & Her New IFC, A Celebration Of Cover Star Emily Hampshire With The, The Karl Lagerfeld Hotel Will Open Its Illustrious, Lenny Kravitz Is The New Face of Jaeger-LeCoultre, Cooking For A Cause: Out Of The Kitchen South Florida, How Padma Lakshmi Is Stirring The Pot In The Second. His hobby is collecting photographs, an exhibition of his collection in summer 2012 at the Fine Arts Museum was discussed in the media. The odyssey even involved an overnight stay in Pyongyang as a guest of the late Kim Jong Il, who, among other things, was a car aficionado. Trevor Traina has been married once. This is a family home; its very comfortable and familiar., The decor is an assemblage of styles, though most are heirlooms and antiques set in place by Trevors mother. They are confident and bold in how they live. I will not be revealing where we hid beers as teenagers, though!, The Trainas spend their days between their house and Trevor and Todds late father John Trainas property across the street (which is now shared among Johns children with Danielle Steel: Samantha, Victoria, Vanessa, Max and Zara) and Alexis parents place at the intersection of Oakville Cross. ", His first Big Idea came in the mid-'90s, when he tried to buy a cordless telephone. One hundred percent! she says. When they rebuilt it, they modernized it and reworked some of the space. Meadowood just opened their new spa, and it is pretty incredible and special. We are bound to one another by the kind of esprit de corps that comes with the pursuit of magicmagic in the vineyards, on the table, at the drawing board. Hair and makeup by Sherrie Long (Molly Chappellet and Thomas Keller) and Bianca Rubi (all others). Inside the Home of San Francisco's Most High-Profile Couple For tech entrepreneur Trevor Traina and his wife Alexis Swanson Traina, a historic Napa Valley home is an ideal respite from city life Written by David Nash Photographed by Douglas Friedman View the gallery Located inOakville, in the Napa Valley, the home was built in the 1860s by H.W. Lanier Residence was a stunning, historical backdrop for our cover shoot with Katie Holmes More, The St. Regis New York Debuts a Chevalier Suite, Kelvin Harrison Jr. Is Riding the Fame Wave, Dont Miss The VeuveClicquot Polo Classic, Cartier Design: A Living Legacy Opens at Museo Jumex, Julia Roberts Expands Her Role As Chopards Global Ambassador, Were Over The Moon About This New Travel Registry, Our Favorite New Tech Gadgets and Devices Right Now, Carbone Opens in The Dallas Design District, Stylish New Reads From Louis Vuitton and YSL, Get behind-the-scenes pictures on Instagram. And for the past few years, Traina has been holding that center--linking the Bay Area's tech titans with the city's Old Guard. Alexis Traina and Elena McAllister . Both Trevor and Alexis grew up absorbing exuberant taste as a baba soaks up rum. Now comes our first glimpse into their glamorous new lives in Europe. At a charity auction, he bought an hour of tennis with John McEnroe. I was at boarding school when my parents (pictured here) called to say, We just bought a vineyard in Napa Valley! "We didn't want to fix everything; we wanted to maintain the patina while adding vitality." "We didn't want flashy-new," he says. I wasnt quite sure what that meant, just that I wanted to work with them.. Each property offers a different backdrop that suits the personality of its owner. It was part of a Christmas gift to my now husband, Kurt. The dining-room table belonged to my great-grandmother, as did the sideboard next to it, and [the nearby] secretary belonged to my mother., Though theres no denying his familys pedigree, Trevor cant help but make fun of some of the houses inherited features: It reminds me of that great comment by Marella Agnellimade after the socialite toured Sid and Mercedes Bass apartment in New Yorkwhen she said, It will take her another lifetime to understand wicker! Theres nothing more WASP-y than lattice and wicker. We all have different reasons for coming to Napa Valley: the light, the air, the soil, the vistas, and, of course, the wine. "Most of the luminaries are doing this for charity, so most, if not all, of their part is usually donated," Traina explains. "It's a handsome, dignified house," he says modestly. It was here that Trevor Traina and Alexis Swanson, gilded children of the city (he a dashing Internet entrepreneur, she a dynamic beauty who works with her family's self-titled Napa winery), set about house-hunting. Here, the eighteenth-century Portuguese chairs and seventeenth-century Chinese shrine set on a dramatic black-and-white marble checkerboard floor are brought vividly into the twenty-first century with the bold vertical stripes of Keith Tyson's monumental History Painting (Baden-Baden, 1942). "The possibilities are endless," says Traina, who has already sold 2,000 experiences. For tech entrepreneur Trevor Traina and his wife Alexis Swanson Traina, a historic Napa Valley home is an ideal respite from city life Written by David Nash Read the Full Story ≫ Photographed by Douglas Friedman. Traina made headlines for his collecting in 2004, when he bought an original print of the iconic Diane Arbus photo "Identical Twins" for $600,000. Allison Speer, whose PR firm has been instrumental in bridging the fashion and technology worlds in San Francisco, wore Dolce & Gabbana, while Alexis Traina was in Zimmermann, Mary Beth Shimmon. When the winery sold, she decided to put some of her best ideas down on paper: From Napa with Love (Abrams, $25) released in September, takes readers on a whimsical armchair tour of the valley through the eyes of some of its most notable denizens (filmmaker Roman Coppola, wine proprietress Ann Colgin, artist Ira Yeager and the like) with scrapbook-style itineraries, entertaining tips and a glimpse inside Alexis magical life at the end of a private road off Highway 29. And what better place for a Renaissance man to play than amidst the dizzying variety of activities offered by IfOnly? RSVP OUI to our newsletter and get all the latest scoop on beauty and wellness trends, tips and features. Ad Choices, Where to Watch the 2023 Met Gala Livestream, 47 Best Mothers Day Gifts to Give Mom This Year, Everything You Need to Know About the 2023 Met Gala, The Inn at Matteis Tavern Is a Leisurely, Luxurious Ode to California Days of Yore, Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan Bring a Rarely Seen Lorraine Hansberry Gem Back to New York, Mumbais Breathtaking India in Fashion Exhibition Celebrates the Countrys Artisans and Designersand the Interaction Between Them, 84 Incredible Gifts to Give the Women in Your Life, From Pocket-Size Luxuries to Thoughtful Tokens. With this in mind, they were careful to create "public spaces separate from our private spaces.". "She was so patient and kind." HiNote provides a reimagined alternative to digital communication, offering a vast collection of personalized templates that can be used to send messages. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Nena Woolworth, Alexis Swanson Traina and photographer Claiborne Swanson Frank attend the Veronica Beard Spring 2015 dinner at Petit Ermitage on March 10, 2015 in Hollywood, California. . "On her watch we were really able to discover our styles and blend them," says Alexis. [16] Subscribe. The To Kalon vineyards, which are all around us, have several different owners now, but fetch some of the highest prices in the world for grapes, Trevor explains. His passion for philanthropy, business and adventure converged in 2012 while he was looking for a Christmas present for his younger brother, film producer Todd Traina, a tennis fanatic. Its a really amazing thing to do, to stroll on a warm night with a glass of wine.In a place like this, it certainly is. With cheeky wine labels like Help Is Here, Expensive and Mazel Tov, Modern House Wines epitomizes Alexis oenophile ambition to take away the stuffiness and formality around wine culture. . Her high-society family pioneered the frozen. ". Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Instagram: @sfchronicle_art. Start typing to see results or hit ESC to close, At Home With: Designer Isabel Lpez-Quesada, Madrid, At Home With: Stylist Colin King, Tribeca, At Home With: Derkan & John, the Gooi, Netherlands. Trevor's childhood homes were concocted by his vivacious mother, Dede Wilsey, in collaboration with the innovative Michael Taylordramatically pretty backdrops for dramatically pretty Impressionists. My name is Alexis Swanson Traina, I am a wife, mother of 2 young children, blogger, and also Creative Director at Swanson Vineyards, where I have worked with my dad since graduating from college. It is a perfect gift for this holiday season. For Trevor, raising a family at his childhood home is twice as sweet. Michael Taylor decorated Trevors parents homes, and his grandmothers house in Newport, Rhode Island, was done in the 1960s by Valerian Rybar; Thomas Britt decorated the homes of Alexis parents. As the daughter of Elizabeth and W. Clarke Swanson, former owners of Swanson Vineyards, Traina spent most of her adult life in the family wine business, ultimately assuming the role of Creative Director. Veronica Swanson Beard and Veronica Miele Beard. It was as if true refinement had sprung to life. Creative Director, Swanson Vineyards. ), For Alexisthe daughter of Elizabeth and W. Clarke Swanson Jr., a renowned vintner, whose grandfather started the national food-production company that bears the family namewhats outside of the house is equally important. Parker Thatch always makes the best summer totes loaded with personality and charm." He lives in San Francisco and walks three miles a day on the steep city streets. Instagram feedswere inundated with pictures from the over-the-top events. Traina is married to Alexis Swanson Traina and has two children. These little collections tell the story of a person, their taste and sense of humor, but more importantly, what kind of fantasy they are creating.. (Trevor found a Proustian double-peacock bench at Steinitz in Paris to set against it.) , $25) released in September, takes readers on a whimsical armchair tour of the valley through the eyes of some of its most notable denizens (filmmaker Roman Coppola, wine proprietress Ann Colgin, artist Ira Yeager and the like) with scrapbook-style itineraries, entertaining tips and a glimpse inside Alexis magical life at the end of a private road off Highway 29. Back in 2020, Traina an author ( From Napa with Love ), former vintner and influential creative found herself glued to her phone, checking on friends and family via texts: "I'm embarrassed to admit the hours I spent reading and sending those blue and gray bubbles." The morning mists roll in from the bay far below, shrouding the prettily fretted Victorian houses that clamber up the hill and the stately Beaux Arts mansions that crown it. Heres how. Every year, the day after Thanksgiving,we assembleour entire collection on a table in our front foyer, and each night of the holidayseason we light the colored candles and marvel at the magic illuminating the room. "So many memories are connected to being outdoors," Roman says. It wasn't all work. A life-size black-and-white Hiroshi Sugimoto photo of Queen Elizabeth rules over the Cool Britannia red hand-blocked velvet-lined living room. His own parents bought the land around 1969 from the Rainier Brewing Company. How many times has Trevor Traina been divorced? A writer and filmmaker (Golden Globe for, By Alexis Traina. Traina, 50, is the son of Dede Wilsey, longtime president of the board of trustees of the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco. Traina is married to Alexis Swanson Traina and has two children. In the blink of an eye, Napa was no longerjusta destination for wine lovers but a haven for conviviality, hospitality, peacockery, tastemaking and soul-seeking. At his behest this was transformed after-hours by Linda Fargo into a softly lit bower, echoing to birdsong and filled with ornamental lovebirds and white peacocks, orchids, chandeliers, and silvered Venetian grotto furniture (some of which has made its way into their airy dining room). Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. All of our good times were up here, Trevor, son of the late shipping mogul John Traina and the philanthropist Dede Wilsey, says of the six-acre property. Instead of counting his inheritance or riding the express lane to Wall Street like so many of his peers, Traina transformed his silver spoon into a full platinum table setting through a series of Internet startups. Trevor also applauds his wife's passion for "grandmother chic." My sisters and I each found our creative passions early in life. Alexis Traina, "Who isnt a sucker for a chic camo canvas bag for summer? "The house became a case study for all of us," Alexis explains, "asking the question, How do we live with young children, romance, and fantasy with all of this art?" "We were both so passionate about creating a home and a family and a life," says Trevor. Home Design Inside the Home of San Franciscos Most High-Profile Couple, For tech entrepreneur Trevor Traina and his wife Alexis Swanson Traina, a historic Napa Valley home is an ideal respite from city life. Some of my annual favorites include the spectacular homemade fudge from our favorite nun; the sweet, seedless Satsuma oranges from our neighbors; the addictive salted Virginia HUBS peanuts from good friends; and lastly, the Enstroms world-famous dark chocolate almond toffee from my aunt. The book offers a glimpse into the world of Napa through the eyes of a true native who has a passion for this magnificent valley. Photographed by Douglas Friedman / via DuJour.

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