As a Bay Area native, I’ve been traveling to Napa Valley since I was old enough to drink wine, and it’s become one of my favorite places in California. This time around, however, my winery visits were accompanied by live acoustic music sets from artists such as Bebe Rexha, JAX, Alec Benjamin, and Reik, thanks to this year’s Live in the Vineyard festival, which took place from Nov. 1 to 3.
Backdropped by the fall foliage and lush vineyards of boutique wineries like Chimney Rock, Raymond Vineyards, and Robert Mondavi, I was joined by music supervisors, radio programmers, and label executives from all around the country to listen to music from A-list performers as well as up-and-coming talent. The setting was stripped-down and intimate — an experience unlike any other.
This year also marked the 15th anniversary of the event, and it was also the first time Latin artists were highlighted as part of the festival’s partnership with Sony Music Latin. My only question is, what took so long?
Heading into the three-day event, I was most excited to see Rexha and Reik, but I can truly say that I ended up becoming a fan of every single musician that got up on stage. There was just something so special about hearing the backstory behind every song and lyric; it was almost like the artists were letting me in on all of their secrets. Luckily, these are secrets I don’t have to keep to myself.
Ahead, check out the biggest moments from 2022’s Live in the Vineyard from someone who was there.