Some 18 years since it began chugging upvalley, the Napa Valley Wine Train continues to be a delightful culinary journey.

In fact, it’s even better than it was a decade ago — arguably a better food and wine experience today than one could have had but a few years ago.

Credit for this goes to those in charge of the food and wine programs, namely executive chef Kelly Macdonald and sommelier/wine educator Brent Trojan, a dynamic duo for more than a decade in putting together wine-themed lunches and dinners aboard the restored early 20th century dining cars that welcome thousands of wine country visitors and plenty of locals throughout the seasons.

Last weekend, I climbed aboard the circa 1950 Champagne Vista Dome car for the special monthly Appellation Dinner — an opportunity for the train’s sommelier to educate diners about a particular grapegrowing region while challenging the chef to pair dishes with some of the best wines of the designated appellation.

Over the years, Trojan has done a bang-up job in mixing up AVAs (American viticultural areas) with grapegrowing appellations from all over the world. One month he might pick some of the best wines from Spring Mountain, the next feature Tuscan treasures.

On Saturday night, he focused on the wines of Carneros — selecting a quartet of outstanding releases — and chef Macdonald was more than up to the challenge. He had to be, for this was a special night indeed. It was Trojan’s final Wine Train Appellation Dinner as he’s leaving the train to help launch another form of Bay Area transit that will also make use of his wine knowledge.

The food and wine pairing proceeded exactly as planned, with Trojan and Macdonald — as well as the train’s first-class staff — chatting up passengers about wine choices and the tasty five course dinner.

Macdonald’s one of the valley’s truly creative chefs, and, for my money, one of the shining lights in the Golden State. His dishes are as artful as they are delicious, with playful flavor combinations on his plates.

And all of the wines selected by Trojan proved perfect complements to the food.

Rather than list each separately, I thought I’d address each wine offering, and how the dish paired:

Domaine Carneros 2004 Brut Cuvée ($26): A spicy, round, mouth-filling sparkler with a lemon peel finish, this proved an ideal accompaniment for a crepe filled with chunks of Maine lobster claw meat, napped with spicy nutmeg cream. The creaminess of the wine, along with its apple notes, played well off the rich, buttery shellfish, the lemony finish tying nicely to a dollop of cured lemon relish. As expected, a first-rate sparkler pairing beautifully with a stellar dish.

Clos Pegase 2005 Mitsuko’s Vineyard Chardonnay ($24): While we liked this pairing, our table of four agreed that the first wine would have paired as well with a smoked salmon-draped square of hash browns, topped with crème fraîche and American sturgeon caviar. The 2005 had a bit of age on it (the 2006 is the current release), so the toastiness of the oak played nicely off the smoked fish, with the lemon-lime notes serving as foil to the slightly salty roe. A luscious chardonnay for those in the “A-B-C” camp.

X Winery 2006 Truchard Vineyard Pinot Noir ($25): This turned out to be the best pairing and the evening’s cutting edge dish. The chef had used both duck and goose fat to confit a wild goose, then shredded the meat (much like that for carnitas) to place atop bruschetta. The carcass was roasted with veggies, broken up and then put through a duck press. The result was a creamy, almost sweet spreadable marrow. Macdonald’s “Goose Two Ways” took to the well-balanced strawberry and cherry flavors of the lush Truchard fruit like, well, fowl to water. The wine’s versatility and texture made it an ideal pick for the chef’s flavorful, textural masterpiece.

 Palazzo 2004 Napa Valley Red Wine ($43): A yummy medium-bodied blend that owner Scott Palazzo likes to say comes from the “Right Bank” proved a perfect mate for a grilled double-cut lamb chop with the chef’s cabernet red onion marmalade (which he’s marketing by the way) on a blini-sized pancake topped with walnuts. This New World Pomerol (72 percent merlot, 20 percent cabernet franc and 8 percent cabernet  sauvignon), made by veteran Napa Valley winemaker Peter Franus, had plenty of backbone for this hearty plate, offering sweet tannins and spice to complement the marmalade and thin pancake. The mix of cherries and blackberries on the finish added the appropriate lipsmacking finish to the flavorful chop.

An additional pour of the Palazzo was just the thing to serve with chef Macdonald’s dessert — a chocolaty Black Forest muffin with juicy flamed Bing cherries.

I doubt most people would expect such an incredible meal to be offered on a working train. Then again, we’re in the Napa Valley where food and wine is taken quite seriously, and, I might add, done right.

Sign up for one of chef Macdonald’s wine lunches (scheduled every Friday throughout the year) or one of the monthly appellation dinners for a unique opportunity to enjoy the ultimate pairing of food and wine. (Cost is $150 per person for all food and wine courses.)

We’ll take this opportunity to thank Brent Trojan for all great wine events he’s hosted these many years and wish him well on his next endeavor. We understand he’s taking to the high seas (actually San Francisco Bay) to pop his next cork.