Napa Valley is about 30 miles long, and has more than 45,000 acres planted to grapes. Its width ranges from five miles near the city of Napa to just one mile where the valley narrows near the town of Calistoga. Internationally known as one of the world's greatest wine regions, it is just one-eighth the size of Bordeaux, France. The first American settler in the Napa Valley was George Yount. He arrived in 1831, became friends with General Mariano Vallejo, and was given an 11,000 acre Mexican land grant. He built the first wooden structure in the county, a two-story Kentucky block house. He also planted the first grapevines in the Napa Valley. The vines were from Mexico; it was not until 1860 that the higher quality European winegrapes were introduced.

Several hundred wineries call Napa home and many are open to the public (some by appointment only, others not at all). No matter your taste, you can find several wineries at which to explore and learn about wine - from large, world-famous wine-education focus to small, family-owned hands-on wineries. Review these listings for special offers to use on your visit. The Napa Valley's climate and soil have made it one of the world's great wine growing regions. It has long been famous for its ability to grow Bordeaux grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. Later it was discovered that the southern part of the valley, particularly the Carneros region next to the San Francisco Bay, was ideal for growing the grapes of Burgundy, including Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Other popular wines include Merlot, Zinfandel, Riesling, Petite Sirah, Gamay Beaujolais and Chenin Blanc, and some wineries are producing Semillon, Gamay, Cabernet Franc and Muscat. Recently there has been a return to the old Italian grapes that were once grown in the valley and wineries are beginning to produce such wines as Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese and Dolcetto. Today the Napa Valley is one of the most popular tourist attractions in California, and world renowned for its wines. The fame of its wineries is matched by the reputation of its restaurants. Combined with the beauty of the area, they provide a vacation holiday without equal anywhere in the country.

Although many locals like to say that the Napa Valley gets as many visitors as Disneyland, the reality is that Disneyland has about 14 million visitors a year and the Napa Valley a little over five million. Five million is enough--particularly because most of them come either during the summer or during "crush", the harvest in September and October. Come visit us during late fall, over the winter, or in the spring and you'll find far fewer people and have much more time to chat with winery staff. The valley is beautiful all year long, just different from season to season. The wine is always delicious.