Napa Valley: The Wine Capital of the US
Napa & Sonoma
The Heart of Northern California Wine Country
"Thank you for your wine, California
Thank you for your sweet and bitter fruits..."
The Rolling Stones, Sweet Virginia
Thank you for your sweet and bitter fruits..."
The Rolling Stones, Sweet Virginia
When those two most iconic of men, Keith Richards & Mick Jagger, wrote these lyrics, Napa was a sleepy town with great but undiscovered wineries. The California wine industry had taken a big hit and almost disappeared during prohibition in the 1920s, but by the early 1970s was poised for re-discovery.
And re-discovered it was by being dragged, kicking and screaming, into the rarified world of fine wine by winning the now famous Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, a blind tasting contest against the top French wines of the era. The humble dozen bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay sent from Napa to France seemed to have come out of nowhere to put California, and specifically the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, in the pantheon of top wine regions of the world by rating best in the red and white wine categories respectively, and thus dethroning France as the world’s epicenter of fine wine. From then on, that rarefied position at the top of the fine wine world would have to be shared with the American newcomers.
California's entry into the world of fine wine may have felt sudden, but the truth is that the roots of the wine produced in Napa and adjoining regions run deep, with a rich history that goes back to the old Mission days, when California was a dusty, and almost forgotten colony of Spain.
A Bit of History
If California were a separate country, it would be the fourth largest wine producing country in the world. Moreover, Napa and Sonoma are today considered among the top 3 wine regions of the world, up there with Bordeaux and Tuscany. But it wasn't always that way. The native California vine (Vitis Californica) was used by Native Americans by the time Junipero Serra and the other Spanish Padres arrived in Northern California in 1770. The Padres brought with them cuttings of European vines as well as cuttings from varieties already thriving in other parts of the Spanish empire, like Chile. From this hybrid of native vines and European newcomers, the Padres produced the hearty Mission Grape, from which sacramental and table wine was produced for the Spanish Missions that dotted California from San Diego in the South to Sonoma in the North.
Sonoma Wine Country
Wine & Freedom
It is in Sonoma where California wine and freedom intersect. After Mexican Independence from Spain in 1821, the area around Sonoma became part of the Alta California territory, ruled from Mexico City. The area had been a backwater during Spanish rule and remained sparsely populated under Mexican rule, mostly consisting of large ranches, missions, and small villages. For this reason, the Mexican government decided to allow in immigrants from the newly founded United States to the east.
It is in Sonoma where California wine and freedom intersect. After Mexican Independence from Spain in 1821, the area around Sonoma became part of the Alta California territory, ruled from Mexico City. The area had been a backwater during Spanish rule and remained sparsely populated under Mexican rule, mostly consisting of large ranches, missions, and small villages. For this reason, the Mexican government decided to allow in immigrants from the newly founded United States to the east.
Sonoma Mission
California Republic
By 1846, tensions between the American newcomers and their Mexican rulers in Mexico City had come to a boil due to Mexico's decision to stop allowing Americans to buy land or obtain Mexican citizenship (which had been allowed previously). The American rebels concentrated in Sonoma's Town square to raise the "California Republic" flag of rebellion. The flag featured a California grizzly bear and became known as the Bear Flag.
The first order of business for the rebels after proclaiming California independence from Mexico in the town square was to walk to the house of the Mexican Governor, General Vallejo, located just steps from the plaza, across from the old mission and barracks. In spite of the lateness of the hour, General Vallejo greeted the rebels warmly and offered them California wine and brandy from his personal stock. Vallejo harbored sympathies for California independence and sealed his tacit support of the rebels with a round of California wine for all involved.
Sonoma Square
You can visit Sonoma square today and relive those heady early days. The old mission and barracks were restored back to their former glory in the 1920s, and there's a monument to the bear rebellion in the square. General Vallejo's house still stands - a prime example of California adobe-style architecture that used mud bricks and plastering, as in the Mission style, but was designed to look more like the new American gothic wooden homes built by the American newcomers, a true California hybrid.
All Roads Lead to Wine
Just a few blocks away from General Vallejo's house, you will find California's oldest continuously operated winery, Buena Vista Winery.
Buena Vista Winery and the Wild 1890s
The Buena Vista winery was founded by a Hungarian pioneer called Agoston Haraszthy, who brought over vine cuttings from France and carved caves into the side of hills bordering his property to provide perfect storage conditions for his wine. You can visit the winery today and enjoy the cool air that emanates from the cellar/cave, even on the hottest summer days.
The author Robert Louis Stevenson spent some time in the Sonoma and neighboring Napa Valleys in 1880, right in time for the region's first wine boom. Many of Napa Valley's original historical wineries hail from this golden era, where rash entrepreneurs opened for business, eager to enjoy the Napa and Sonoma Valleys' almost perfect wine growing conditions: Long hot summers, cool evening and morning fogs, and very rich soil, high in minerals. Robert Louis Stevenson captured the essence of these heady early days, roguish wine pioneers and all, in his book The Silverado Squatters.
Sadly, all of this brash energy came to a crashing halt in the 1920s due to prohibition (1920-1933) and the wine pioneers had to move on to other endeavors to survive.
The author Robert Louis Stevenson spent some time in the Sonoma and neighboring Napa Valleys in 1880, right in time for the region's first wine boom. Many of Napa Valley's original historical wineries hail from this golden era, where rash entrepreneurs opened for business, eager to enjoy the Napa and Sonoma Valleys' almost perfect wine growing conditions: Long hot summers, cool evening and morning fogs, and very rich soil, high in minerals. Robert Louis Stevenson captured the essence of these heady early days, roguish wine pioneers and all, in his book The Silverado Squatters.
Sadly, all of this brash energy came to a crashing halt in the 1920s due to prohibition (1920-1933) and the wine pioneers had to move on to other endeavors to survive.
Bottle Shock
The wine industry returned in the late 1930s but remained small and quaint. Napa and Sonoma were known as sleepy but beautiful towns at the edge of roaring San Francisco. By the late 1960s, the area had attracted several well-to-do hippies and other dreamers eager to give the wine business a try. By the early 1970s, the Napa and Sonoma wine industries were back but regarded as mostly a very regional product to be enjoyed locally. All of this changed in 1976 when two bottles from Napa won the prestigious Judgment of Paris blind tasting contest in France, announcing that California wine had arrived. (These events were chronicled in the movie Bottle Shock). One of these bottles was a red Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa's Stag Leap. The winning white wine was a Chardonnay from Napa's Chateau Montelena.
Chateau Montelena
Visiting The Valley
The Napa Valley runs from North to South, following the course of the Napa River as it heads for San Francisco Bay. Gentle hills frame the valley, giving it a perfectly picturesque air, with vineyards blanketing the valley from foothill to foothill. The narrowness of the valley helps with exploring it, as all of the main towns are stacked one after the other, making a visit almost like driving through an exhibition of enology and gastronomy.
Gastronomy comes into play because the Sonoma and Napa Valleys also offer ideal growing conditions for several Mediterranean food staples like onions, peppers, tomatoes, etc. This, together with free-range cattle and goats, and the proximity to the sea for fresh seafood, have turned Napa and Sonoma into a culinary epicenter that has spawned three 3-Michelin star restaurants (The French Laundry and The Restaurant at Meadowood, both in the Napa Valley, and Single Thread, in Healdsburg, Sonoma).
But you don't have to make a reservation at a 3-Michelin star restaurant to enjoy the bounty of Napa and Sonoma. A visit to the Oxbow Foodie Market will suffice, with its many stalls offering everything from local lavender flower ice cream to oysters from nearby Tomales Bay, and of course, local wine, and plenty of it.
Gastronomy comes into play because the Sonoma and Napa Valleys also offer ideal growing conditions for several Mediterranean food staples like onions, peppers, tomatoes, etc. This, together with free-range cattle and goats, and the proximity to the sea for fresh seafood, have turned Napa and Sonoma into a culinary epicenter that has spawned three 3-Michelin star restaurants (The French Laundry and The Restaurant at Meadowood, both in the Napa Valley, and Single Thread, in Healdsburg, Sonoma).
But you don't have to make a reservation at a 3-Michelin star restaurant to enjoy the bounty of Napa and Sonoma. A visit to the Oxbow Foodie Market will suffice, with its many stalls offering everything from local lavender flower ice cream to oysters from nearby Tomales Bay, and of course, local wine, and plenty of it.
Visiting Wineries
The Napa and Sonoma Valleys alone have over 400 wineries, some of them the local outlet of a famous European brand like Moet & Chandon, Taittinger or Freixenet (Gloria Ferrer). Therefore, the first challenge to a wine country visit is deciding where to start, and which wineries to visit.
Start your wine country explorations in Sonoma, where all roads lead to wine. Sonoma square is not only beautiful and historical, but the nearby Buena Vista Winery is one of the original wineries to open in the Sonoma Valley area. You can bring your own picnic as you sample wines from Buena Vista's fabulous cellar. Another great choice in Sonoma is Gloria Ferrer, the local outlet of famous Catalan cava brand Freixenet. Gloria Ferrer's California bubbly is truly world class and the views of their vineyards from their terrace are amazing.
Start your wine country explorations in Sonoma, where all roads lead to wine. Sonoma square is not only beautiful and historical, but the nearby Buena Vista Winery is one of the original wineries to open in the Sonoma Valley area. You can bring your own picnic as you sample wines from Buena Vista's fabulous cellar. Another great choice in Sonoma is Gloria Ferrer, the local outlet of famous Catalan cava brand Freixenet. Gloria Ferrer's California bubbly is truly world class and the views of their vineyards from their terrace are amazing.
On the way from Sonoma to Napa, you will drive through the Carneros wine region. This minuscule section of the wine country punches above its weight. Visit the spectacular Domaine Carneros Château, inspired by the 18th-century Château de la Marquetterie in Champagne, France, home of its sister Champagne, Taittinger.
After the Carneros area, you will find yourself in the Napa Valley proper. As mentioned before, all of the wineries line the valley floor and are stacked on top of each other from South to North, making your visit a simple choice of stopping along the valley to enjoy a winery or a restaurant that takes your fancy.
The town of Napa will come up first, close to the southern end of Napa Valley. The Oxbow foodie market here is a must stop. Directly after the town of Napa, you will drive through the quaint town of Yountville, home to The French Laundry, Napa's premiere 3-star Michelin restaurant.
After Yountville, you will enter the vineyards area of the Napa Valley, where most of the wineries are located. Don't miss Robert Moldavi and Inglenook.
Continuing along the valley, you will pass the Culinary Institute of America, where America's next great chefs are trained. Further up along the valley, you will pass Roadhouse 29, a relaxed American cuisine restaurant with fabulous patio dining that offers an excellent spot to take a break with a cool local craft beer in the shade (the Napa Valley can get very hot), or explore the wine list, curated from the best wineries of the California wine country.
The Napa Valley's northern reach is the picturesque town of Calistoga, which offers wonderful restaurants, bars, hot springs and a geyser that shoots up into the sky with reliable frequency. The writer Jack London frequented Calistoga's hot springs and built his dream home nearby.
Crown your Napa and Calistoga explorations with a visit to Chateau Montelena, where Napa's current boom started. It was from this gorgeous stone chateau where the winning "Bottle Shock" Chardonnay came from. Visit the tasting room and wine museum, which goes through the history of Napa wine as well as a case displaying a bottle of 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, the famous white wine that won the Judgment of Paris competition and put California wine on the map.
After the Carneros area, you will find yourself in the Napa Valley proper. As mentioned before, all of the wineries line the valley floor and are stacked on top of each other from South to North, making your visit a simple choice of stopping along the valley to enjoy a winery or a restaurant that takes your fancy.
The town of Napa will come up first, close to the southern end of Napa Valley. The Oxbow foodie market here is a must stop. Directly after the town of Napa, you will drive through the quaint town of Yountville, home to The French Laundry, Napa's premiere 3-star Michelin restaurant.
After Yountville, you will enter the vineyards area of the Napa Valley, where most of the wineries are located. Don't miss Robert Moldavi and Inglenook.
Continuing along the valley, you will pass the Culinary Institute of America, where America's next great chefs are trained. Further up along the valley, you will pass Roadhouse 29, a relaxed American cuisine restaurant with fabulous patio dining that offers an excellent spot to take a break with a cool local craft beer in the shade (the Napa Valley can get very hot), or explore the wine list, curated from the best wineries of the California wine country.
The Napa Valley's northern reach is the picturesque town of Calistoga, which offers wonderful restaurants, bars, hot springs and a geyser that shoots up into the sky with reliable frequency. The writer Jack London frequented Calistoga's hot springs and built his dream home nearby.
Crown your Napa and Calistoga explorations with a visit to Chateau Montelena, where Napa's current boom started. It was from this gorgeous stone chateau where the winning "Bottle Shock" Chardonnay came from. Visit the tasting room and wine museum, which goes through the history of Napa wine as well as a case displaying a bottle of 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, the famous white wine that won the Judgment of Paris competition and put California wine on the map.
In Conclusion
Napa and Sonoma are not just the premium California wine regions, but two of the top wine regions of the world. The same privileged Mediterranean climate that produces world-class wines in Napa and Sonoma, produces world-class cuisine, with three 3-Star Michelin restaurants that base their menus on local seasonal ingredients. This heady combination of wine and cuisine makes Napa and Sonoma an iconic travel destination that is ideal for an iconic man.
Getting There and Away
Fly into San Francisco or Oakland airport. Take advantage of low rental car rates in the US to rent a car to explore the wine country. Other ways to explore the Napa Valley include renting a limo for the day, or even the Napa Wine Train.
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Max Milano is a novelist, filmmaker, photographer, and travel writer based in San Francisco, California. His latest novel, "Daughter of Recoleta," is available on Amazon. You can follow his travelogue at MaxMilano.com