The Napa Valley

On the Road Through the Napa Valley

Picture yourself in a dramatic and diverse landscape: a varying terrain of volcanic soils dominated by Mount St. Helena. A tiny wine region 55 miles northeast of San Francisco, the Napa Valley lays claim to some of the most beautiful—and expensive—agricultural land in the country. Although it produces only four percent of California’s total wine output, it remains America’s premier wine region.

Anyone interested in the wines of the Napa Valley (and what wine aficionado isn’t?) should remember one thing: Cabernet Sauvignon. This most important grape in the world today is also the variety most closely associated with the Napa Valley. The many microclimates within the region produce a range of Cabernet Sauvignons, each with a distinctive style and concentration of flavors.

In fact, any of the 14 AVAs (American Viticultural Area, or subregion) within the Napa Valley may contain a wide range of terroirs that contribute to its unique personality, as a quick visit to each will show:

Calistoga: The Town with a Sense of Fun

We begin our journey in Calistoga. Frankly, most visitors here don’t come for the wine. According to legend, this toney town was supposed to be called Saratoga, but the mayor had a wee bit too much at the inauguration and called it “Calistoga, Sarafornia,” instead. The name stuck. Today, this northernmost town in the Napa Valley is renowned for its mud baths, geothermal hot springs, hot-air ballooning, Petrified Forest and California’s Old Faithful Geyser. And, oh yes, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc wines.

Elegant St. Helena: The Heart of the Upper Valley

Located north of the valley’s center, St. Helena was an important agricultural center from its founding in the 19th century, and today struggles to maintain its small-town ambiance. At the same time, it has become an important financial center for the industry. Its Cabernet Sauvignons are known for their elegance and refinement; Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Zinfandel are also cultivated in this varied and hospitable climate.

Twin Passions: Rutherford & Oakville

Geological and geographical twins, Rutherford and Oakville lie at the heart of the Napa Valley and are usually thought of together, even though they are separate appellations. Rutherford produced some of California’s premier wines during the middle of the last century, and its Cabernet Sauvignons—known for the earthy qualities imparted by “Rutherford Dust”—continue to enchant. Trendier Oakville is also known for its Cabernet Sauvignon. Due to its size, its wines can be distinguished by location: Cabernets from the west side of town tend to be more flamboyant than those of the more refined east side.

First in the Region: Yountville

Yountville’s first American settler of this town, George Calvert Yount, originally named the village Sebastopol—until it was learned that a Sebastopol already existed in Sonoma County. The first vines in the valley were planted here, in 1836, and now account for nearly thirty percent of its total acreage. Cabernet Sauvignon dominates, though Zinfandel, Chardonnay and other varieties are also well represented. Yountville is also a vacationer’s dream, with museums, fine restaurants, excellent shopping, golf and tennis facilities—and the terminus of the region’s famous Wine Train.

Napa: Capital City

Our wine trail ends in Napa, the valley’s commercial center and most populous city. Ironically, in the Napa Valley, the climate turns colder making this appellation at the southern edge of the valley, bordering Carneros (a shared appellation with Sonoma County), most successful with cool-weather varieties, such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

From the Mountains to the Valleys….

In addition to these five towns, a number of outlying AVAs within the Napa Valley are worth paying a visit to:

• Diamond Mountain. This steep and rocky zone in the valley’s far north has been proposed to become the 15th AVA within the Napa Valley, due to its powerfully structured Cabernet Sauvignons.
• Spring Mountain. Poised just to the north of St. Helena, Spring Mountain has been cultivating grapes since the 1870s. Though there is no actual mountain here, there are dense forests, natural springs—and rich, dark, robust Cabernet Sauvignons.
• Howell Mountain. With a wine history dating to the 1870s, Howell Mountain became the valley’s first subappellation to earn AVA status, in 1984. It is best known for its concentrated Cabernet Sauvignons and intense Zinfandels.
• Mount Veeder. Situated on the eastern slope of the Mayacamas mountains, Mount Veeder is one of the largest of the Napa Valley’s AVAs. Winemakers here have adapted to its variety of microclimates, cultivating Cabernet Sauvignon in its warmer pockets and planting Merlot and Syrah where the climate is cooler.
• Stags Leap District. This appellation that put California on the world wine map is wedged between the Vaca range and the Napa River, bordering the Silverado Trail. Grape growing accounts for half of its 2,700 acres—producing mostly superior Cabernet Sauvignon.
• The Final Four. Also located within the Napa Valley are the Oak Knoll District, near Yountville; Atlas Peak, to the east; Wild Horse Valley, a shared appellation (like Carneros) in the southern region, east of the city of Napa; and Chiles Valley.