Napa Valley

Napa Valley is the most celebrated wine region in the United States, a lush valley an hour and a half north of San Francisco lined with hundreds of wineries, from grand chateaux to small family estates. Famous above all for Cabernet Sauvignon, it pairs tastings with some of the country's finest restaurants and a genuinely beautiful landscape of vines and hills.

Background

Napa Valley became an American Viticultural Area on January 28, 1981, the second in the country and the first in California, after a 1978 petition from local vintners and growers. The area takes in all of Napa County except the part northeast of Putah Creek and Lake Berryessa. George C. Yount planted the first recorded vines in 1838, John Patchett opened the first commercial vineyard in 1858, and Charles Krug started a winery in St. Helena in 1861. By 1880 the valley had 443 vineyards, but phylloxera, Prohibition and the Great Depression set it back. Recovery came slowly, and at the Paris tasting of 1976 its wines beat leading French ones.

Source: Wikipedia, "Napa Valley AVA"

Highlights

• The wineries and tastings - the estates from grand to boutique along the valley.
• The vineyard landscape - the rows of vines and rolling hills.
• Fine dining - the acclaimed restaurants of the valley.
• The Wine Train and hot-air balloons - the scenic ways to see the valley.

When to go

Late summer and autumn for the harvest and warm days; spring for green vines and fewer crowds. Summer and autumn weekends are busy, so book tastings and tables ahead.

Things to know

It has become expensive and busy, with many wineries charging significant tasting fees and requiring reservations, so plan and budget. It is a driving region, so arrange a designated driver or a tour given the tasting. Neighbouring Sonoma is often more relaxed and affordable.

Nearby

Sonoma wine country is next door; San Francisco is ninety minutes south.

Key facts