Napa Valley

Napa Valley is one of the world’s great wine destinations and features more than 450 wineries.

Though just 30 miles long and a few miles wide, Napa Valley is home to diverse microclimates and soils uniquely suited to the cultivation of a variety of fine wine grapes.

California sparkling wine traces its roots to Sonoma in the 1880s with the founding of Korbel Champagne Cellars. The Korbel brothers made sparkling wine according to the methode champenoise from Riesling.

The yield of wine grapes in Napa Valley is generally ½ the statewide average. Most of the grapes here are harvested at night.

The first vines in Napa Valley were planted in 1838-1839 by George Yount.

Napa’s reputation in the world of wine is large, yet accounts for only 4% of California’s total wine production yet has the highest wine grape value in California.

The first commercial Napa winery was established by Charles Krug in 1861. John Patchett created the Valley’s first commercial vineyard in 1858.

Of the 140 Napa wineries in existence by 1900, the stalwarts that remain are Beaulieu, Beringer, Charles Krug, Chateau Montelena, Far Niente, Mayacamas, Markham Vineyards, and Schramsberg.