Top 100 cultural trends shaping the West

The ideas, people, places, and things that are making life out here better right now

Wineries as playgrounds
Photo by Thomas J. Story

#1-2: Wineries and tea

1 | Wineries as the ultimate playgrounds: It started with a bocce court or two (Robert Mondavi Winery) and some medieval turrets (Castello di Amorosa) in Napa Valley, but the winery-as-theme-park trend hits its stride at Sonoma County’s Francis Ford Coppola Winery (pictured), which has a pool, cabanas, two full bars, and a museum’s worth of movie memorabilia. Nab a table on the terrace for lunch and then—yes—hit the bocce court. franciscoppolawinery.com

2 | Tea hits the big time: We’re riding a tea wave here in the West: tea drinks, tea-flavored chocolates, tea soaps, all kinds of cool new artisanal teas, green teas, herbal teas, biodegradable tea containers—and that’s just in the grocery store (actual teahouses offer even more). One of our favorite sips is pu-erh, a large-leaf Chinese tea that’s aged for extra-rich, deep flavor.


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