STAN KNIGHT
Wine Country Ambassador
Stan Knight's father was an airline captain, and he developed an early love of travel, discovery and flying. "Running to the boarding gate is my favorite workout!" After one year of college as a ski racer in Idaho, he put college on hold, and at age 17, departed for a year exploring Africa with a backpack, one-thousand dollars and a journal. Later travels included Europe, Southeast Asia, Chile and the United States.
His fascination with other cultures, ways of life and empathy for people from all walks of life has carried through into his approach to travel and tour planning. He carries a passion that immersion in new places and fresh experiences can produce the best kind of living travel memories for visitors. "I always wanted to be an ambassador, now I can play that role, welcoming people from around the world to Napa Valley!"
After earning a Master's degree in international relations and economic development from Tufts and Harvard, and a career as a corporate project manager and executive, Stan's employer closed its Napa-based headquarters and he found himself out of work in farm country. This led to his new, current career, becoming a travel and tourism expert, at a time when Napa Valley was beginning to blossom on the world stage as a dynamic travel destination. His passion for discovery, exploration, reality tourism and people-to-people experiences was rekindled with a focus on Napa Valley and Sonoma tourism - adding spice and discoveries to visitor experiences where possible and aligning plans with each traveler's perspective.
In 2010, Stan launched "Knight Wine Tours," became immersed in wine education, hospitality and tourism building a network of friends and insider contacts in the wine country ecosystem. He gained a reputation as a destination expert and contributor to the blossoming Napa Valley and Sonoma tourism landscape. Designing itineraries that opened doors to new discoveries and personalized experiences, and applying a business-savvy focus on quality service, the company built a reputation as one of Napa Valley and Sonoma's premier boutique tour services, earning TripAdvisor's Certificate of Excellence and 5-star reviews from delighted clients. "Knight Tours & Travel" is the next evolution of ten years touring the back roads and thorough-fares of wine country - newly expanded to offer end-to-end tour, lodging and destination services for aspirational travelers who expect the best and value unique experiences and a personalized experience.
"My best wine country souvenir is good stories, good food and good wine shared with good friends."