Overview
One of California's two major wine regions (the other being the Sonoma Valley in neighboring Sonoma County), the Napa Valley is among the most colorful getaways in California, combining fine wines, extraordinary natural beauty, rich history, and fabulous lodgings and dining.
The area has become so popular, in fact, that some winegrowers and local residents have expressed concern over the invasion of tourists and the related problems of overcrowding and traffic congestion. With a bit of planning, however, a visit to the wine country can be as enjoyable as ever. Book accommodations well before your trip and try to go during the week—weekends draw the greatest throngs of day-trippers.
Sightseeing
Of the myriad of grapes harvested in the valley, four varieties produce the wines for which Napa is famous: cabernet and zinfandel among the reds and chardonnay and Riesling among the whites. Because the climate in this region is more moderate than in France (where both drought and frost can threaten a harvest), California is now considered to be the most reliable of the world's great wine areas, and its great variety of terrains and microclimates permit an astonishing variety of grapes to be produced.
An hour's drive north of San Francisco via Highway 29 is the city of Napa. This gateway town's historic downtown has plenty of renovated centenary buildings plus some notable restaurants to enjoy.
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