Napa Valley: A wine travel guide

With nearly 45,000 acres of vineyards, California's world-famous Napa Valley is only around 15 percent of the size of France's Bordeaux region, where nearly 300,000 acres of vines are planted. An AVA (American Viticultural Area) since 1981 that's currently divided into 16 subzones, the valley runs almost parallel to the Pacific coast, and has a climate similar to the Mediterranean. The valley itself is just over 30 miles long and barely 5 miles at its widest point. It comparatively small size means it's merely responsible for 0.4 percent of global wine production and four percent of California's total harvest. However, due to the relatively high prices its vintages command, Napa Valley accounts for a quarter of Californian wine sales.