How many times has Trevor Traina been married? 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. 1999 Traina started his career as brand manager at Seagram's. Here, time slows down, and things like cars, wine and friendships evolve and improve with age. Britt felt that this emphatic backdrop would help the art to popwhich, against all odds, it does. Parker Thatch always makes the best summer totes loaded with personality and charm." Aside from being a wine connoisseur, author, and entrepreneur, Traina is also a well seasoned traveler, and now that the official first day of summer is around the corner, she wants to share her favorite summer travel essentials. "We wanted its look to give a nod to history and tradition, but also a sense of youth and wit." Alexis Traina Shares Her Summer Essentials. 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. Previously cities included Oakville CA and New Orleans LA. "It's a handsome, dignified house," he says modestly. gh-low. A donor to Republican causes, Traina had sought the posting in Austria because his maternal grandfather, Wiley T. Buchanan, had served in the same post under President Gerald Ford. Is this socializing, is it business? He arrived in Napa Valley at age 12 when his parents, Eleanor and Francis, bought a house and moved the family up from San Francisco. 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. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. Trevor Traina has been married once. 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. Soon I too succumbed to the valleys charms and convinced my dad that he needed to hire me. When they rebuilt it, they modernized it and reworked some of the space. It was as if true refinement had sprung to life. Heres how. 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. In San Francisco, its unapologetic old-world glamour; in Oakville, its the perfect combo of chintz and prints, totally comfortable without ever sacrificing style.. [16] Downstairs in the green-and-white conservatory filled with lush trees, a Richard Serra circle painting and a giant skylight. ", It was Britt who set the gutsy tone of the house when he advised the couple on the look of their living room. Mine was wine; Claiborne (center)s, photography; and Veronica (front)s, fashion. 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. Alexis Traina, "Who isnt a sucker for a chic camo canvas bag for summer? 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. WHILE ON THE TOPIC OF decorating with chinoiserie wall panels, came across the wonderful Victorian-style summer home of tech entrepreneur Trevor Traina and his wife, Swanson Vineyards creative director Alexis Swanson Traina, an hour outside of San Francisco.Located in Oakville, in the Napa Valley, the home was built in the 1860s by H.W. The scion of one of San Francisco's grandest families, Trevor Traina was born into a family that arrived here during the Gold Rush. 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. "So many memories are connected to being outdoors," Roman says. "I had a dirt bike and loved exploring the mountainside on it." "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.". Vogue may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Crabb, a Napa Valley pioneer who founded the To Kalon winery. I wasnt quite sure what that meant, just that I wanted to work with them.. ". Last Name. Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. 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. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. It was the treat and experience of a lifetime.". They come in a dozen or so colors and are perfect for summer.- Alexis Traina, "This white enamel David Webb ring is my summer go-to statement piece of jewelry. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. 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. He lives in San Francisco and walks three miles a day on the steep city streets. 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. Hamish Bowles is entranced. Trainas' two children, Johnny and Delphina, play with their cousin Daisy on the back lawn. "And while each of them was very different from the others, their common thread was the love of drama, romance, and imagination. Today, it is all chintz and chinoiserie, bright colours and white wicker, lovely lattice walls and chic perfection . These two works formed the nucleus of a sophisticated collection that now spans the decades from Eggleston and Arbus to Gursky and Wall. All rights reserved. His own parents bought the land around 1969 from the Rainier Brewing Company. Crabb, a Napa Valley pioneer who founded the To Kalon winery. 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. Alexis Traina, creative director at Swanson Vineyards, is one busy person. In the end, it enriched our friendship deeply. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Instagram: @sfchronicle_art. Crabb. Alyssa and I have worked together successfully on many projects and this book was going to either make or break our friendship/ creative partnership. A favorite excursion entails piling everyone into an old Woodie for burgers at Gotts Roadside and praying the transmission doesnt fall out on the way there. 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. 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. Since then, the Trainas have made plenty of their own memories at the estate. Feature photography by Clairborne Swanson Frank, Katie von Strasser is a former ballerina with a background in fashion and art. Photo: Photographed by Drew Alter. . "That was a pretty serious acquisition, but it would probably go for a lot more than that now," he notes. 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. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. 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). We keep the valleys mechanics quite busy, Trevor admits. Shop Our Favorite Saks Friends & Family Deals, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. 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. One of Trevor's charities is Venetian Heritage, and the magic of that city informs much of the house's decor. Travel essential number one." Along with Britt, Ann Getty worked with the Trainas to realize their specific vision. There was a knock on the door, and the company's photography conservator came in to offer a print for his office. Then he was out until the wee hours having dinner with a Disney executive and some tech-mogul friends at Spruce, a cozy, Michelin-starred Presidio Heights restaurant in which he is a co-investor. Since her family moved to Northern California in 1985, Alexis has shuffled between her city home in San Francisco and her idyllic vineyard spread in the Valley. New to Traina's list of endeavors is becoming CEO of messaging app, .css-gegin5{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#9a0500;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-gegin5:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}HiNote. 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. A favorite excursion entails piling everyone into an old Woodie for burgers at Gotts Roadside and praying the transmission doesnt fall out on the way there. 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. Traina is married to Alexis Swanson Traina and has two children. After Swanson Vineyards was sold in 2016, Traina continued to pursue her connection to the winery world, publishing her lifestyle guide From Napa With Love, which features coveted insight into. Many of the guests stayed at the super-luxe Hotel Sacher Vienna, the birthplace of the famed chocolate and apricot cake, the sachertorte. Alexis's ethnicity is unknown, whose political affiliation is currently a registered American Independent . To accommodate the photography, Trevor boldly decided to dynamite the granite rock on which the house was built to excavate 3,000 square feet of subterranean space that would prove perfect for the light-sensitive prints. His wife, Alexis Swanson Traina, who was at the ceremony, will return to Vienna from San Francisco with their two children after school is out. Traina has his own Napa vineyard, "but if you want to be friends with your wife," he explains, "you drink her wine. "During the days, we'd work on little painted-rabbit tables and pack everything away when the kids had to go to bed," Traina says. "Philanthropy has always been very important to my family, and I firmly believe in giving back," he says. .css-188hsmf{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#fff;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;display:inline-block;background-color:#9a0500;font-family:Termina,Termina-bold-fallback,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:0.75rem;line-height:1;font-weight:bold;letter-spacing:0.02rem;padding:0.6rem 0.7rem;text-transform:uppercase;width:auto;}.css-188hsmf:hover{color:#fff;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;background-color:#030929;}.css-188hsmf:focus-visible{outline-color:body-cta-btn-link-focus;}Subscribe Now, .css-1fgik18{color:#323232;display:block;font-family:NewParis,NewParis-fallback,Georgia,Times,serif;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:0.3125rem;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;-webkit-font-smoothing:auto;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-1fgik18:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-1fgik18{font-size:1.0625rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-1fgik18{font-size:1.0625rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-1fgik18{font-size:1.3125rem;line-height:1.2;}}The Best Luxury Luggage for Traveling in Style, The Best Room at Tuscany's Augustus Hotel, A New Bemelmans Gallery Is Opening at Ocean House, 29 Getaway Spas for Every Type of Retreat, The Perfect Honeymoon Isn't All Over InstagramYet, The Best Carry-On Backpacks for Every Traveler, The Best Rolling Luggage for Your Travels, Inside the 60th Anniversary of the Ocean Club. WHILE ON THE TOPIC OF decorating with chinoiserie wall panels, came across the wonderful Victorian-style summer home of tech entrepreneur Trevor Traina and his wife, Swanson Vineyards creative director Alexis Swanson Traina, an hour outside of San Francisco. [14] [15] Traina made a major loan of photographs to the Albertina museum in Vienna for the Fall 2021 exhibition American Photography. "I suddenly realized that that's what people ultimately want when they've filled their closets with baubles: experiences. Right now some 150 charities--including Meals on Wheels and Stand Up to Cancer--are benefiting from IfOnly. "I knew that this big thing was happening across the Bay [in Silicon Valley] and that I was going to leave business school with a startup Internet company," he recalls. ), 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. This is a BETA experience. Trevor Traina, Alexis Swanson, Veronica Beard and Jamie Beard attend The Museum of The City of New York, The Directors Council 20th Annual Winter. That's the ultimate luxury.". Sam Whiting has been a staff writer at The San Francisco Chronicle since 1988. "Trevor has vision that I don't," says Alexis. Its the idea of multigenerational families, farmers, winemakers, artists and chefs all coming together, bound by a love of creativity and the pursuit of magic, Alexis says. Yes, tourists still pack tasting rooms and trek wine trails, but Napa Valley has also become a haven for entertaining, hobnobbing, creating, and soul-searching. He is heir to a name that has long been synonymous with Napa. For me it has always been the peoplea tapestry of interwoven multigenerational tribes made up of families, farmers, field-workers, wine- makers, chefs, and creative talent of all sorts. Raise a glass to the artists, rebels, and dreamers who call this storied California paradise home. Trevor Traina has not been divorced. I already know the best trees for climbing, the ultimate hide-and-seek spots and where to build a fort, he says. "The salesman was this expert in a red blazer and name tag, and couldn't tell me the individual features of the different phones. Aside from her professional title, she is also the wife of It is a perfect gift for this holiday season. And the rest was history.. Do you have info to share with HuffPost reporters? 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. 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. The acquisition was part of a complex transaction whereby vintner Robert Mondavi purchased the vineyards and Trainas parents received the property and the house. "We didn't want to fix everything; we wanted to maintain the patina while adding vitality." Month. One hundred percent! she says. Something special that you can build anticipation for. Weve just bought a vineyard in the Napa Valley. As we hung up the phone, I wondered just how far Falcon Crest was from this new vineyard. With this in mind, they were careful to create "public spaces separate from our private spaces.". The old house had less room, but was very charming., Even with its updates, the Napa Valley getaway is a far cry from the couples primary residence, in Pacific Heights. Trevor in turn applauds his wife's "fabulous and whimsical eye," informed by legendary decorators including Tony Duquette, Michael Taylor, and Thomas Britt. "It really was a living fairy talecomplete with Prince Charming," says Fargo, who had gilded the store's skeleton key and placed a heart with the couple's initials in one of the windows. 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. Johnny sits atop "Herby," a . We all have different reasons for coming to Napa Valley: the light, the air, the soil, the vistas, and, of course, the wine. "The house is the embodiment of that commitment to each other. We keep the valleys mechanics quite busy, Trevor admits. "Eventually my father said, 'You have a dozen employees now--it's time to get an office.' Located inOakville, in the Napa Valley, the home was built in the 1860s by H.W. 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. If you purchase an Italian wine apprenticeship with master sommelier David Lynch ($3,200), the box will be lined with corks. It. (The grotto furniture has sentimental meaning for the Trainas--it was used as part of his surprise marriage proposal in Bergdorf Goodman's handbag rotunda.). He hired Andre Tchelistche , godfather of American wine, and his young apprentice, Marco Cappelli, to make elegant and refined wines under the label Swanson. Courtesy of Trevor Traina From left: Alexis Swanson Traina, Johnny Traina, Katie Traina, Ruth Buchanan, Trevor Traina, Todd Traina, Daisy Traina, Dede Wilsey, Delphina Traina. We were lucky; the point of entry was much different then than it is now, Alexis says. 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. Its a space that was designed for good times; Trevor and Alexis, who met via a family dinner thrown by their parents at the nearby Bistro don Giovanni, were married in the backyard, where they entertain frequently. My parents always had friends around and there was a lot of entertaining, and summer was spent hereall summer.. "She married a man with 300 photographs!" Alexis own style of entertaining is charmingly high-low. 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. 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. His late father, John, was a San Francisco shipping magnate, art collector and legendary bon vivant. This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. 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. Top Image: Carlo Mondavi is equal parts entrepreneur, winemaker, and goodwill ambassador. She chronicled it all in a blog, Alexis' Napa for the Curious and Eccentric. "Over the years I've reached out to the people I care about and recruited them to colonize the coolest and best part of the city," says Traina, who matches friends and nearby real estate with the enthusiasm of a high-commission broker. After Swanson Vineyards was sold in 2016, Traina continued to pursue her connection to the winery world, publishing her lifestyle guide From Napa With Love, which features coveted insight into the region's highlights, along with entertaining tips, recipes, and itineraries from Napa notables.

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