Napa Master Gardeners Share Rain Strategies as SingleThread Ranks 93rd

Ecological stewardship in Napa County home gardens and international culinary honors across Wine Country converged this week as UC Master Gardeners outlined natural pest control and rainwater capture strategies ahead of winter storms, while The 50 recognized Healdsburg’s SingleThread, Yountville’s The French Laundry, and two Napa Valley estates among the world’s premier gastronomic and viticultural destinations.

Master Gardeners Highlight Nocturnal Toads and Fruit Tree Fundamentals

In columns published Wednesday, UC Master Gardener of Napa County Bob Niklewicz detailed how backyard gardeners can rely on beneficial predators—including lady beetles, soldier beetles, parasitic wasps, the Western fence lizard (known locally as the blue-belly lizard), and the nocturnal garden toad—to control slugs, snails, and mosquitoes and their larvae without chemical pesticides. Niklewicz noted that while handling toads does not cause warts, larger toads can cause veterinary toxicosis if mouthed by pets, and invited residents to a free Zoom lecture on “Fruit Tree Fundamentals” co-hosted with the Napa Public Library on Thursday, January 7, 2027, from 7 to 8 p.m. via Eventbrite, alongside the Help Desk at 1710 Soscol Ave., Suite 4, in Napa on Mondays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Slowing, Spreading, and Sinking Rainwater in the Small Water Cycle

Reporting from an October 17 workshop with more than 20 attendees, fellow UC Master Gardener Rainer Hoenicke explained how Napa Valley property stewards can strengthen the “small water cycle” by slowing, spreading, and sinking rainwater into yards, rain gardens, and sidewalk strips rather than letting runoff drain into the Napa River. Citing Australian soil microbiologist Walter Jehne of Healthy Soils Australia, Hoenicke noted that landowners can retain up to 25% of local rainfall to recharge aquifers and expand park tree canopy beyond the current 28.7%, particularly as Pacific El Niño warming following record 2024 heat and a Kelvin wave recently raised the San Francisco tidal gauge 2 feet above normal and closed Highway 37 for several days, forcing detours onto Highway 121. Informational flyers are available at the City of Napa’s Water Division on Third Street.

SingleThread Ranks 93rd Worldwide Alongside Napa Valley Icons

In international hospitality rankings compiled by UK-based organization The 50 from more than 1,100 anonymous experts across 28 regions and six continents (with at least 25% of the panel refreshed annually), three-Michelin-starred SingleThread in Healdsburg was the sole California restaurant on the global 51–100 extended list at 93rd place, while Atomix in New York City was the only U.S. entry in the top 50 unveiled November 4 in Lima, Peru (led by Spain’s Asador Etxebarri, with five top-50 spots in Bangkok, three each in Copenhagen and Lima, and two each in Hong Kong and Seoul). Praised for Chef Kyle Connaughton’s 10-course kaiseki-inspired menu sourced from wife and head farmer Katina Connaughton’s 24-acre farm, SingleThread also ranked 16th on North America’s 50 Best list ahead of San Francisco’s Saison (22), Benu (33), Atelier Crenn (44), and Sons & Daughters (45). Meanwhile, Yountville’s The French Laundry—represented in communications by Jee Won Park of BECCA and CO.—remains one of 12 global icons in the “Best of the Best” Hall of Fame alongside Eleven Madison Park after 12 top-50 appearances between 2002 and 2015 and four extended-list placements, while The 50’s extended 51–100 best vineyards list released Monday honored Calistoga’s Château Montelena (59), Santa Clara County’s Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello (67), and Oakville’s Robert Mondavi Winery (88) ahead of the November 18 top-50 reveal in Santiago, Chile.