Sandwiched between Yolo and Sonoma, Napa County is a name synonymous with both winemaking excellence and a thriving tourism industry. With just over eighteen thousand hectares under vine (10% of the total geographical area), Napa - perhaps surprisingly - accounts for only 5% of total Californian production, whilst simultaneously constituting almost one third of the state’s wine economy.
The first vines were planted in the county during the 1830s and from then the industry began to expand rapidly, before being thwarted by Phylloxera and Prohibition. These obstacles took some time to overcome, and even after the repeal of the latter in 1933, the county’s wine industry took decades to return to its former glory. Only during the last fifty years - following the Paris Judgement - has Napa really begun to be recognised as an area of outstanding viticultural practice and truly marvellous wines.
The climate here is classified as Mediterranean and characterised by long, warm summers with abundant sunshine and little precipitation, and contrastingly cool, wet winters. The natural topography of the area and the famous San Francisco fog help to moderate the temperatures during the growing season, affording many of the sheltered, inland plots the benefits of cooler conditions and thus making viticultural activity possible. Of course, the vastness of the area in question means that geological, climatic and topographical diversity is key, and as such a large range of grape varieties are able to thrive within the county’s bounds.
One of Napa County’s highest points, Atlas Peak gives its name to an American Viticultural Area renowned for both its stunningly beautiful landscape and celebrated Bordeaux style wines. With around six-hundred hectares of vineyard, the AVA is a small but nonetheless integral piece of the Californian wine jigsaw.
Calistoga is an American Viticultural Area in the north of the larger Napa Valley appellation. The area is characterised by its dramatic landscape, diverse topography and significant diurnal temperature variation. Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are the principal varietals here, together accounting for more than three quarters of production.
The Chiles Valley District wine appellation occupies around two-thousand-five-hundred hectares on a narrow strip in the northeast of California’s famous Napa Valley. Tucked away in the Vaca Mountains, the AVA is most synonymous with rich, full-bodied red wines from the Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.
Located directly east of Napa’s historic town, Coombsville is a wine appellation within the larger Napa Valley AVA. Benefitting from the cooling effects of the famous San Francisco and San Pablo Bay fog, Coombsville’s wineries are best known for their full-bodied, flavourful wines from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape.
