Napa Valley
Napa is California's prestige red zone, dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon ripened to lush, opulent fruit. The 30-mile valley runs from cool San Pablo Bay influence at Carneros to warm hills at Calistoga, with a half-dozen sub-AVAs in between. Hillside vineyards make tannic structured wines; valley floor sites yield richer, riper bottles.
Signature grapes
Defining styles
Famous appellations
- Oakville
- Rutherford
- Stags Leap District
History
Charles Krug founded the first commercial winery in 1861. Prohibition wiped out the industry; Inglenook and Beaulieu were rare survivors. The 1976 Judgment of Paris — when Stag's Leap and Chateau Montelena beat First Growth Bordeaux blind — kicked off the modern boom. By 2000 Napa was a global brand and a tourist magnet.