Napa Valley Wineries

Napa Valley is one of the most widely respected wine regions in the world. It is located just northwest of San Francisco, in a north-south band in a long, thin valley. Its first commercial winery, Krug, was founded back in 1861. From a height of 160 wineries in the late 1800s, there were less than 20 remaining after prohibition.

The wines of this region were vaulted into the spotlight when several of them won top spots in the 1976 Paris Tasting, where US wines were pitted against French wines. Staged by the French as a publicity stunt, they were shocked when the US wines won in both red and white categories. The Napa Valley AVA was created a few years after that, in 1983.

The Napa Valley region currently encompasses around 40,000 acres of vines, and just under 250 total wineries. This makes it the largest AVA in the US. The region is currently known for its Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, but many other wine types are planted here as well.

The sub-AVAs found in Napa Valley are:

Atlas Peak
Carneros
Chiles Valley
Diamond Mountain
Howell Mountain
Mount Veeder
Oak Knoll
Oakvilel
Rutherford
Spring Mountain
St. Helena
Stags Leap
Wild Horse
Yountville

Napa Valley Winery URL Website Links
Napa Valley Winery Trip Notes and Photos

Wineries of California

Wine Region Information Around the World