Below the house is something almost as dramatic: a 3,000-square-foot basement blasted out of solid granite to display the photography collection away from sunlight. 3/8. You may opt-out by. A renowned artist, entertainer, and major league raconteur, Ira Yaeger also happens to be my mothers best friend. 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. "My name was still scribbled in pencil on the back," he says with a smile. 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. 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. In the 1880s, Crabb added an addition to the home,and after a terrible fire in 1997, the home was nearly completely rebuilt. 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. Thirty-two years ago my serial entrepreneur father, Clarke Swanson, got an itch, a romantic notion of the American dream, and in the blink of an eye purchased a hundred acres in Napa Valley, on Oakville Cross Road. Alexis Traina, "These street-legal house slippers are some of my favorite summer accessories." The silver-haired free spirit is known for amassing one of the most legendary prop closets in the valley, filled with trinkets and tchotchkes to. It took a leap of faith to get the family house before the family." Happy birthday to Mr. 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. Photo: Photographed by Drew Alter. Go to Appearance > Customize > Subscribe Pop-up to set this up. Raising $3 million from angel investors, including his neighbors Mark Pincus and Jeremy Stoppelman, plus Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and Russian billionaire Yuri Milner, Traina launched IfOnly (ifonly.com) late last year. Trevors dads house is a 19th-century homestead with an old-fashioned water tower and a collection of carriages and gypsy wagons., For the familyfull-time residents, weekenders and summer folk alikeNapa Valley has evolved into a place that is about much more than wine, though there happens to be a glass at most meals. Alexis Traina opens the doors to the best of wine country living, Words by KELSEY McKINNON Photography by DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Instagram: @sfchronicle_art. With this in mind, they were careful to create "public spaces separate from our private spaces.". "The salesman was this expert in a red blazer and name tag, and couldn't tell me the individual features of the different phones. confetti, party hats, miniature American flags and a collection of tap-dancing shoes for after-dinner amusement. Lorenza rose is produced by Michele Ouellet, a Napa Valley native and fashion model, and her mother Melinda Kearney. There was a knock on the door, and the company's photography conservator came in to offer a print for his office. At Dedes, theres a full-scale hedge maze and an old-fashioned train that the kids ride all over the property. In fact, we planned a big outdoor christening, but it rainedand it never rains in Napa. The quick-thinking couple cleared out all the furniture in the seldom-used formal parlor to allow about 60 guests to gather inside for the ceremony. "On her watch we were really able to discover our styles and blend them," says Alexis. 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. Often well put the kids to bed and then take a walk, he says. Feature photography by Clairborne Swanson Frank, Katie von Strasser is a former ballerina with a background in fashion and art. Downstairs in the green-and-white conservatory filled with lush trees, a Richard Serra circle painting and a giant skylight. 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. She resides in San Francisco with her family. Trevor Traina is married to Alexis Swanson. 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. Start spreading the news: The "New York, New York" star is ready to make it anywhere More, Sir Richard Bransons Mahali Mzuri camp in the world-famous Masai Mara game reserve is the trip you've been waiting for More, The "Bad Cinderella" star is the first Latina originating a leading role in an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical More, An inside look at the hottest hotel in the U.S. capital, housed in a former bank in the Penn Quarter More, The Tony-award-winning actor is starring as King Arthur in a new revival of "Camelot" at the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center this spring More, With roles playing B.B. "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. Year. Alexis also answers to Alexis S Farrer, Alexis K Swanson and Alexis King Swanson, and perhaps a couple of other names. Photo Credit: @allisonspeerprEarlier this year San Francisco man about town, Trevor Traina, took a new job as the US Ambassador to Austria. (Trevor found a Proustian double-peacock bench at Steinitz in Paris to set against it.) 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. Her husband echoes the sentiment. Wake up to the day's most important news. "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. "I had a dirt bike and loved exploring the mountainside on it." There were no databases of products where you could compare television sets or phones and that sort of thing. Each property offers a different backdrop that suits the personality of its owner. 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. His hobby is collecting photographs, an exhibition of his collection in summer 2012 at the Fine Arts Museum was discussed in the media. Those who can't find their dream experience in Traina's impressive lineup can fill out a "wish list." Heres how. 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." My whole life I have wanted to be an ambassador because it was what my grandfather did, Traina told The Chronicle before his departure. Feb 3, 2011, 07:05 PM EST | Updated Dec 6, 2017. Below, shop a few of the items that the talented multi-hyphenate will be bringing along with her on her summer adventures. (Photo by Darryl Nitke). " Alexis Traina, Suzie Kondi makes these amazing French terrycloth jumpsuits that are an easy, comfy travel essential. It goes with absolutely everything and brings me endless joy." After graduating from Princeton and Oxford, he became a brand manager for Seagram's wine coolers in New York. Elizabeth and Clarke Swanson. "We have specialists for our categories to reach out to luminaries," he explains. Over the weekend, Traina celebrated his 50th birthday with a series of lavish parties attended by San Franciscos high society. "That was a pretty serious acquisition, but it would probably go for a lot more than that now," he notes. My fantasy was to be a gentleman farmer with three grapevines and art. The Swansons' 50th Anniversary Celebrations May 31, 2019 | By Bev Church | St. Charles Avenue June 2019 Liz and Clarke Swanson's 50th anniversary celebrations began on Thursday with a private concert at Preservation Hall, a second-line to Napoleon House and a beautiful cocktail buffet and dancing. Subscribe. 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. 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. Alexis Traina and Elena McAllister . Getty's three full-time seamstresses were set to work on the Trainas' maharaja library, sewing a dense tapestry of the eyes of peacocks' tail feathers to its gently curving wall. "Trevor has vision that I don't," says Alexis. "The possibilities are endless," says Traina, who has already sold 2,000 experiences. The silver-haired free spirit is known for amassing one of the most legendary prop closets in the valley, filled with trinkets and tchotchkes to adorn her candy-colored tablescapesthink confetti, party hats, miniature American flags and a collection of tap-dancing shoes for after-dinner amusement. "And while each of them was very different from the others, their common thread was the love of drama, romance, and imagination. We were lucky; the point of entry was much different then than it is now, Alexis says. It is an impressive roster. 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. Just about the only member of Traina's clan who seemed to have escaped the blessings of providence was President James Buchanan, who had the misfortune of being followed in the White House by Abraham Lincoln. We all have different reasons for coming to Napa Valley: the light, the air, the soil, the vistas, and, of course, the wine. 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. 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. 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. From Hollywood talents to art-world tastemakers to tech titans, each month we interview the leading lights who make this state the creative and entrepreneurial center of the country. 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. 1999 Traina started his career as brand manager at Seagram's. "Ode to Joy" has been edited for Vogue.com; the complete story appears in the December 2009 issue of Vogue. 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. We spend our weekends tinkering with old cars. Previously cities included Oakville CA and New Orleans LA. As my temporary unemployment began, I knew I wanted to use my free time to tell the story of the valley, and to do it in a way that would illuminate the fact that life here is no longer centered exclusively on wine. 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. Alexis and I were married there on the front lawn, Trevor recalls, and our son was christened here. 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. These two works formed the nucleus of a sophisticated collection that now spans the decades from Eggleston and Arbus to Gursky and Wall. Just down the block are Oracle's Larry Ellison, Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman, Zynga's Mark Pincus and Apple's design genius, Jony Ive. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. Month. 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. 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. It also helped that Getty "runs a true atelier, filled with acres of ancient textiles, books, and furniture from every corner of the Earth." 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. Although the house had survived the 1906 earthquake that devastated the city a year after it was built, it had been in the same ownership for a half century, and its patina of genteel shabbiness had confounded most prospective purchasers. I always intended to collaborate with my youngest sister, the photographer Claiborne Swanson Frank, on the project. Larry Lovett, Nicole Hanley, Alexis Swanson and Trevor Traina attend Venetian Heritage MAN RAY Photo Exhibition at VBH on May 4, 2006 in New York. "Most of the luminaries are doing this for charity, so most, if not all, of their part is usually donated," Traina explains. 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. Over the course of the next decade, he and his partners founded and sold three more tech companies: SchemaLogic (a document-management service), StepUp Commerce (which connected retailers with online shoppers) and DriverSide.com (a site on which car owners could manage their vehicle maintenance). Alexis Swanson Traina, creative director of her family's winery, Swanson Vineyards, lives a life that is rich in delight. 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. He is heir to a name that has long been synonymous with Napa. I was at boarding school when my parents (pictured here) called to say, We just bought a vineyard in Napa Valley! 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. Trevor's latest Internet venture is DriverSide.com, a Web site focused on car maintenance. Crabb, a Napa Valley pioneer who founded the To Kalon winery. Music, entertainment, wineries and golf are among IfOnly's other categories. "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. I felt that story needed to be told. The Trainas also looked to some iconic tastemaking neighbors for inspiration. The goal was to create a useful guide to the place and to offer a look at the people who make it special. Trainas' two children, Johnny and Delphina, play with their cousin Daisy on the back lawn. 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. 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. Traina and his wife, Alexis, packed up their two children and moved to Vienna. So much of HiNote is about self expression in technicolor, and its the idea of being able to tell your story digitally.. Wishes are delivered via cleverly devised themed packaging--a quarterback experience with Joe Montana ($43,000) will arrive in a box with a note resting on a piece of turf. They were seduced by a light-flooded Edwardian mansean appropriate setting for Alexis, whose cameo looks seem fashioned for a John Singer Sargent canvas. And living in a house like this, you realize that a great big kitchen and a great big porch are really where you want to be., For his part, Trevor adds that even the houses indoor living can feel somewhat alfresco: I joke that were camping here, because we have 18th-century wallpaper. Though they both grew up in high-style households, Trevor says, were very casual and we arent at all fancy here., Trevor and Alexis are undoubtedly the chicest couple I know, says design impresario Ken Fulk, a close friend. One of HiNote's recent projects is a special collaboration with JJ Martin, founder of Milanese brand La Double J, offering 16 vibrant templates from cocktail hour invitations to sweet messages of encouragement. Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. In 2008, to generate publicity for DriverSide, he drove an Audi R8 in the Gumball 3000 rally from San Francisco to Beijing (with the help of a cargo plane). "Our tennis person used to do all the tennis sponsorship for Reebok. Soon I too succumbed to the valleys charms and convinced my dad that he needed to hire me. Five O'Clock Somewhere: Riverside Sundowners At Zambia's Luangwa Safari House, Designer Mara Hoffman on Her Vibrant New Activewear Line, Cara Delevingne, Tag Heuer Raise Funds for Cecil the Lion Researchers, This 50 Million Vertical Ship Will Revolutionize Ocean Exploration, Vatican For Sale: Very Wealthy Rent the Sistine Chapel, Dine with the Pope and Buy Secret Archives, Mido Launches Watch Design Contest With Famous Timepiece Designers. That's the ultimate luxury.". 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. Elizabeths favorite place to entertain is a 1904 utility barn on her property, which she describes as Marie Antoinettes poor sisters ballroom, complete with a special perfume thanks to the henhouse thats attached to it. Buy Me! I opened the French Laundry to celebrate the work of the farmers, fishermen, winemakers, foragers, and other purveyors who work directly with the land of this beautiful place. Travel essential number one." Half of IfOnly's business is now bespoke. Trevor's collection had its genesis when, aged 22 and newly graduated from Oxford and Princeton, he found himself at the Seagram Building in Manhattan on the first day of his first job. For Trevor, raising a family at his childhood home is twice as sweet. "This was the idea behind the house: Let's fill it with children! 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. Mine was wine; Claiborne (center)s, photography; and Veronica (front)s, fashion. 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. 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. Creative director for her family-owned Swanson Vineyards, Alexis Swanson Traina is quite familiar with all things Napa. Crabb, a Napa Valley pioneer who founded the To Kalon winery. Traina has his own Napa vineyard, "but if you want to be friends with your wife," he explains, "you drink her wine. Creative Director, Swanson Vineyards. It is a perfect gift for this holiday season. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. In 1997, the home was destroyed by an electrical fire (thankfully, no family members were present). Alexis Traina, "Gigi Burris makes insane hats all year round, but Im particularly fond of this straw stetson with an extra broad rim." The ceremony took a half-hour, according to Daniel S. Mattern, public affairs official with the American embassy. He will discuss Elsie de Wolfe's oeuvre with as much enthusiasm as the capabilities of his beloved Audi R8which he drove in the infamous Gumball 3000 Rally from Shanghai to Beijing, a trip that also involved one night in North Korea as a guest of Kim Jong Il (who loves cars). The home was built in the 1860s by H.W. A life-size black-and-white Hiroshi Sugimoto photo of Queen Elizabeth rules over the Cool Britannia red hand-blocked velvet-lined living room. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ", It was Britt who set the gutsy tone of the house when he advised the couple on the look of their living room. "It was interesting to see how many people at dinner were also at the Academy Awards," he says as he settles in to a vibrant-blue Etro-upholstered chair. Part of HuffPost News. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images There is madcap Dodie Rosenkranz, whose villa was decorated by Michael Taylor in a style that Britt characterizes as "palace in Calcutta." I wrote andproduced the book infive months. "I suddenly realized that that's what people ultimately want when they've filled their closets with baubles: experiences. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Trevor Traina has not been divorced. Instagram feedswere inundated with pictures from the over-the-top events. I wondered if wed live near Lorenzo Lamas. But, if you ask Alexis Swanson Traina, that s exactly why she launched a line of $12.99 wines at Target. How many times has Trevor Traina been divorced? "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. Situated in Pacific Heights, one of the city's most rarefied neighborhoods, the home, which Traina shares with his wife, Alexis, and their two children, was decorated by his neighbor Ann Getty. "It was too good to be true," he remembers. And the rest was history.. Do you have info to share with HuffPost reporters? Creative Director, Swanson Vineyards. Theres an appreciation for simple pleasures, like swimming at sunset, water-balloon fights, cookie baking and bike rides. "It used to be embarrassing to go to bars and demand Sunset Passions," he remembers, as he sips a glass of cabernet from his in-laws' Swanson Vineyards in the Napa Valley--his wife, a wry Southern beauty, is from the frozen-foods family. All rights reserved. The mother of two is married to entrepreneur and philanthropist Trevor Traina, attends many society galas and. Crabb. "We got the house in April, were engaged in May, and married in August," he says. "So many memories are connected to being outdoors," Roman says. One of our favorite family traditions is bringing out our collection of Bavariannutcrackers, candelabras, smokersand pyramids. My mother-in-law, here with my daughter Delphina, is known for philanthropy, her collectors eye, and, in Napa Valley, her vineyards in Rutherford surrounded by gardens and a miniature train station. 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. "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.". Located inOakville, in the Napa Valley, the home was built in the 1860s by H.W. Last Name. Talking with Roni Frank co-founder of Talkspace. 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. 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. Fantasy environments are certainly a leitmotif in the couple's life together; Trevor proposed in the handbag rotunda of Bergdorf Goodman. The acquisition was part of a complex transaction whereby vintner Robert Mondavi purchased the vineyards and Trainas parents received the property and the house. Traina's business instincts also apply to the arts. 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. The scion of one of San Francisco's grandest families, Trevor Traina was born into a family that arrived here during the Gold Rush. 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. Working out of a bright penthouse watched over by a giant stuffed bison head in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood, Traina has gathered a team of 35 engineers, account managers, marketers, copywriters and, most important, "talent wranglers" like himself.
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