Pictured from left to right: Alexis Swanson Traina, Claiborne Swanson Frank, Veronica Swanson Beard; photo by Trevor Traina. So when a chance to team up with Town & Country presented itself later on, we leaped at the opportunity and set out to capture the Napa Valley we love. Two years ago, his collection was exhibited at the de Young Museum, where he is a board member. The enormity of the renovation might have defeated some newlyweds. 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. They are confident and bold in how they live. 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. A signed pair of golf pants worn by Gary Player in the 1960 British Open ($10,000) will come wrapped with white golf tees. 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. A renowned artist, entertainer, and major league raconteur, Ira Yaeger also happens to be my mothers best friend. This story appears in the November 2017 issue of Town & Country. I had originally hoped to collaborate with my sister on the entire book, but she was 8 months pregnant when I wasoffered the opportunity, so we just worked on the cover andspecificportraits together. We have a number of family portraits, of my grandparents and my mother, and pieces of furniture I grew up with in various houses, he says. Just down the block are Oracle's Larry Ellison, Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman, Zynga's Mark Pincus and Apple's design genius, Jony Ive. On October 10, she emailed us an .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;}update after evacuating from Yountville, and this week, she sent us news that she and a number of local winemakers, chefs, and other concerned citizens (including many profiled in this story) have partnered with Tipping Point to form Napa & Sonoma Relief, a fund that will provide support to those most impacted by the fires. I worked late at night, on plane rides, or whenever I could find the time, and designed the book with my longtime graphic designer, Alyssa. 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. Trevor also applauds his wife's passion for "grandmother chic." To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. All I knew about Napa was what I learned watching Falcon Crest. 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. 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. 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). I tried my hand in the vineyards and the cellar but found my niche in marketing. In the magnolia-scented heights of San Francisco's Gold Coast, the air seems more rarefied. "We wanted its look to give a nod to history and tradition, but also a sense of youth and wit." 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. 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. When I first arrived at the French Laundry, Napa Valleys iconic images of vineyard-latticed hills dotted with chateaus and bountiful farms and orchards resonated with me. Since then, the Trainas have made plenty of their own memories at the estate. So much of HiNote is about self expression in technicolor, and its the idea of being able to tell your story digitally.. This was not the first time a Traina had dynamited the hills in this region. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. It is an impressive roster. 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. Our food guy is a well-known food critic." Of course, if you want someone to design and furnish your own Pitti Palace, Traina can undoubtedly find the luminaries to do that, too. "That's such a specific moment in life and time. 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. Johnny sits atop "Herby," a . Alexis Traina, "Gigi Burris makes insane hats all year round, but Im particularly fond of this straw stetson with an extra broad rim." "T. Anthony has always made travel stylish and special. The Art Of Living: Inside Trevor Traina's Pacific Heights Home - Forbes "Collecting is a disease that runs in the family," he says. Alexis Traina, "These street-legal house slippers are some of my favorite summer accessories." Magic that celebrates ones surroundings. 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. 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. Swanson Traina, the creative director of Swanson Vineyards, a sprawling estate known for . Elizabeth and Clarke Swanson. 1999 Traina started his career as brand manager at Seagram's. Search for either member of the lucky couple. Trevor Traina Celebrates 50th Birthday In Vienna - Haute Living I am obsessed with a pine scented candle called Frasier Fir by Thymes. 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. Alexis Traina's favorite Bay Area places - sfgate.com Alexis Swanson Traina, Contributor. 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. Alexis Swanson Traina, creative director of her family's winery, Swanson Vineyards, lives a life that is rich in delight. Photographed & Styled By Claiborne Swanson Frank Published: Oct 26, 2017 Alexis Traina's ode to Napa Valley, which appears in the November issue of Town & Country,. It. I felt that story needed to be told. Travel essential number one." This story appears in the April 13, 2014 issue of ForbesLife. By boarding school, things had started to come around: Id found a new hairdo, zip code, Benetton, whole new set of friends, and pool of suitors. "The salesman was this expert in a red blazer and name tag, and couldn't tell me the individual features of the different phones. Creative Director, Swanson Vineyards. The mix is no coincidence. Alexis Traina considers the vintage cars at her familys weekend home in Napa Valley to be perfectly acceptable home offices. The mother of two is married to entrepreneur and philanthropist Trevor Traina, attends many society galas and. He commissioned Venice-based textile maven Sabina Fay Braxton to create a stamped crimson velvet and, in the tradition of grand eighteenth- and nineteenth-century establishments, "bathed the whole thing in itwalls, curtains, sofas, the works." Inside Alexis Traina's 'From Napa With Love' Book Launch - Haute Living 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. Photo Credit: @allisonspeerprEarlier this year San Francisco man about town, Trevor Traina, took a new job as the US Ambassador to Austria. Alexis Traina was reunited with her familyher sisters, fashion designer Veronica Swanson Beard and photographer Claiborne Swanson Frank, and parents were in Austria for the celebration. Years later, he saw the image for sale at an auction and purchased it. Ambassador! His own parents bought the land around 1969 from the Rainier Brewing Company. In a Thursday morning ceremony at the historic Hofburg imperial palace in Vienna, San Francisco tech entrepreneur and socialite Trevor D. Traina was officially installed as the U.S. ambassador to. 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. Is this socializing, is it business? 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. 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. Tokalon, as the house is named, was Trevor and his brother Todds childhood home, and, long before that, the original residence of one of Napas founding pioneers, H.W. HiNote provides a reimagined alternative to digital communication, offering a vast collection of personalized templates that can be used to send messages. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Advertisement . One of our favorite family traditions is bringing out our collection of Bavariannutcrackers, candelabras, smokersand pyramids. Trevor Traina has not been divorced. We all have different reasons for coming to Napa Valley: the light, the air, the soil, the vistas, and, of course, the wine. 78 Alexis Traina Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Images Editorial Video Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 78 Alexis Traina Premium High Res Photos Browse 78 alexis traina photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more photos and images. "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. In San Francisco, its unapologetic old-world glamour; in Oakville, its the perfect combo of chintz and prints, totally comfortable without ever sacrificing style.. My parents always had friends around and there was a lot of entertaining, and summer was spent hereall summer.. Below, shop a few of the items that the talented multi-hyphenate will be bringing along with her on her summer adventures. "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. One of Trevor's charities is Venetian Heritage, and the magic of that city informs much of the house's decor. His 1905 Georgian town house defines that nexus. Alyssa and I have worked together successfully on many projects and this book was going to either make or break our friendship/ creative partnership. Traina's business instincts also apply to the arts. Arriving at their historic, Victorian-style Oakville home, its easy to understand why the pairknown for their notable art collection, philanthropy and omnipresence on the San Francisco social scenepack up their kids almost every weekend and head here to unwind. "It was too good to be true," he remembers. They were seduced by a light-flooded Edwardian mansean appropriate setting for Alexis, whose cameo looks seem fashioned for a John Singer Sargent canvas. . The airy dining room overlooking the garden is balanced by two custom-made banquettes, Venetian grotto furniture and a proud pair of peacocks. Alexis Trainas ode to Napa Valley, which appears in the November issue of Town & Country, went to the printers before the devastating fires broke out in California earlier this month. 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. Britt felt that this emphatic backdrop would help the art to popwhich, against all odds, it does. In the end, it enriched our friendship deeply. Traina firmly believes in taking Richard Branson's "funtrepreneurial" approach to his businesses. The ceremony took a half-hour, according to Daniel S. Mattern, public affairs official with the American embassy. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. "She was so patient and kind." His late father, John, was a San Francisco shipping magnate, art collector and legendary bon vivant. In the book we talk a lot about the idea of collecting, whether its stocking a bar or a prop closet, says Alexis. With this in mind, they were careful to create "public spaces separate from our private spaces.". 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. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Instagram: @sfchronicle_art. Traina and his wife, Alexis, packed up their two children and moved to Vienna. I thought that at the time I would never have the kind of wallet to have a great collection, so I turned to photographs." 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. THROUGH WINE." -ALEXIS SWANSON TRAINA, SWANSON VINEYARDS CREATIVE DIRECTOR SWANSON SIP SHOPPE is delightfully whimsical Shoppe, a candy store for adults, showcases sips of Swanson Vineyards' nest library vintages . Like Napa, Alexis latest travel and lifestyle guide is enchanting, full of hidden treasures and favorite spots not to be missed! I wasnt quite sure what that meant, just that I wanted to work with them.. Along with Britt, Ann Getty worked with the Trainas to realize their specific vision. Mine was wine; Claiborne (center)s, photography; and Veronica (front)s, fashion. 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. 22 Black-Tie Wedding Guest . We spend our weekends tinkering with old cars. Click through for a glimpse. Located inOakville, in the Napa Valley, the home was built in the 1860s by H.W. "Who wouldn't want to be surrounded by the brightest and best minds that they know?". Fantasy environments are certainly a leitmotif in the couple's life together; Trevor proposed in the handbag rotunda of Bergdorf Goodman. . 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. Traina has his own Napa vineyard, "but if you want to be friends with your wife," he explains, "you drink her wine. I always intended to collaborate with my youngest sister, the photographer Claiborne Swanson Frank, on the project. Three years later, Traina sold CompareNet to Microsoft for a reported $100 million. This story appears in the April 13, 2014 issue of ForbesLife. For Traina, it's the sweet spot of a career spent nurturing relationships with talented people. Raise a glass to the artists, rebels, and dreamers who call this storied California paradise home. Sam Whiting has been a staff writer at The San Francisco Chronicle since 1988. 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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). Katie has a passion for travel and all things beautiful. ", His first Big Idea came in the mid-'90s, when he tried to buy a cordless telephone. "It just glows.". ", It was Britt who set the gutsy tone of the house when he advised the couple on the look of their living room. They are the quietest places on the property. Theres a 57 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider under a row of royal palms, a 67 Volkswagen Beetle next to a hedge of purple hydrangeas, a cherry-red Fiat Jolly (a wedding gift from her late father-in-law) in the garage, and a spacious nine-seater VW bus, for when she really needs to spread out. "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. Going to a wedding? 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. Trevor "had that huge collection of photography, and she likes a much more traditional style," Britt recalls, "so let's blend it all into one big backdrop for pictures." Wake up to the day's most important news. I've spent my entire life as a connector of people," Trevor Traina says in his cozy San Francisco den. Photo: Photographed by Drew Alter. Meadowood just opened their new spa, and it is pretty incredible and special. "We didn't want flashy-new," he says. 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. 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. The home was built in the 1860s by H.W. " Alexis Traina, .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;}}Shop Our Favorite Saks Friends & Family Deals, Stylish Denim Jackets for the Transitional Season, Stylish Fisherman Sandals to Wear This Season, Heres Where to Get Taylors Single Era Heels, A Cult-Status Bag That Lives Up to Its Hype. A Tribute to the Napa Valley - Town & Country " Alexis Traina, Suzie Kondi makes these amazing French terrycloth jumpsuits that are an easy, comfy travel essential. Alexis Traina Shares Her Summer Essentials. 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. Thats me with my husband and partner in crime, Trevor Traina. 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. "I suddenly realized that that's what people ultimately want when they've filled their closets with baubles: experiences. "It really hit home that San Francisco has become the center of the idea economy." He is heir to a name that has long been synonymous with Napa. 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. Allison Speer, Alison Pincus, Marissa Mayer, Denise Hale, Dede Wilsey, Kathryn Lasater, Alicia Engstrom, and Ken Fulk were some of the locals who jumped the pond to attend Trainas festivities.