NAPA VALLEY
FULL GUIDE COMING SUMMER 2011!
Napa Valley is one of the premier wine making regions in the world. Located about an hour's drive northeast of San Francisco, Napa is known by wine coinsurers all over the world as a region that manufactures and distributes some of the finest wines on the planet. No other region in the world has been known to influence wine making and culture than Napa Valley, France and Italy. Napa Valley is home to hundreds of vineyards and wine making facilities, from small mom and pop operations to huge manufacturing centers. In addition Napa is home to dozens of hotels, bed and breakfasts and spas.
The actual area of Napa Valley begins at the northern border of San Francisco Bay and extends northward up to 80 miles into the northern California interior. The main regions that consist of the Napa Valley are Napa, Healdsburg, Sonoma, St. Helena and Calistoga. Healdsburg and Calistoga are on the very northern perimeter of the region. Throughout this region are thousands upon thousands of acres of wine vineyards, growing both the dark and light grape variety for use in production of a variety of wines. It is said that the cool, moist breezes that come off the San Francisco Bay, combined with the drier soils of the region make the perfect recipe for the rare grape harvest that is needed for the most tasteful wines for commercial consumption.
The best time to visit Napa Valley is in the summer. That is when the grapes have reached full harvest and the wineries are in full manufacture mode. During the tours of several of the wineries, guests will notice many 18 wheelers arriving on the premises full of grapes ready to be be sent to the manufacturing process. Some of the wineries give visitors a first hand view of the crushing process as the grapes are dumped into giant stainless steel troughs with a beam down the center and blades sticking out that turn and crush the grapes into the initial juice that will be used to make the wine. The temperatures during this time can be rather warm and the countryside is full of color of grapes ready to be picked. The winter time is a good time to visit too, however it is at the height of Northern California's rainy season and although vineyards are set up, there are not going to be grapes growing.
Sterling Vineyards is one of the most popular wineries in the region. Located in Calistoga, the vineyard sits atop of a hill that is only accessible via a gondola. Upon reaching the top visitors can enjoy amazing views of the Napa Valley, see wine production first hand, and of course enjoy some wine tasting out on the patios.
All through Napa Valley are wineries that give visitors a behind the scenes glimpse of how their wines are stored in very delicate temperatures to be distilled to the perfect taste. These wines are housed in gigantic wooden barrels in very cool rooms that often rival the looks of a medieval castle in Europe. Almost all wineries offer visitors the opportunity to taste their latest selections and relax on the premises.
Getting to Napa is relatively easy and depending on traffic should not take more than an hour to navigate. Those traveling from San Francisco can utilize a variety of routes, one of the most scenic is to head across the Golden Gate Bridge into Marin and then take highway 37 which connects to highway 18, one of the main thorough fairs of Napa Valley. Visitors can also take the Bay Bridge to Oakland and then 580 to 80 to the Benecia Bridge which leads to other back roads to Napa as well. Napa Valley has a municipal airport that is convenient for those chartering flights or having private air access.
