Napa Valley is the nucleus of the American wine miracle, from which a region of superlatives has developed. The density of top wineries in a very small area is impressive; at best, Bordeaux could be compared to it. In terms of size, hardly any other region in the world can boast such an astonishing number of iconic and cult wines, for which names such as Opus One, Dominus or La Verité can be mentioned here.
Napa today is the wine experience par excellence; in every part of the valley, in every village, you inhale Californian wine culture with every pore. The wineries that stretch up the valley are mostly state of the art. Some hide art treasures next to their barrels, and each winery has modern tasting rooms as well as picnic areas where the purchased wine can be enjoyed in a secluded spot.
In the 19th century, California experienced the Gold Rush, when thousands set out in search of the precious metal. Today, the gold rush has turned to wine. It all started with the name of an Italian immigrant family called Mondavi. In the 1960s, Robert Mondavi built his legendary winery in Rutherford. The architecture in the style of a Spanish mission station already indicates the message he wanted to send to the world: that of good taste. With Baron de Rothschild, he created Opus One, probably the first cult wine of the valley, and also Fumé Blanc, a globally acclaimed Sauvignon Blanc.
Many followed in his footsteps. When, in the 1970s, a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon from California outdid the French wine elite in the legendary "Judgement of Paris," the miracle was complete.
Napa Valley begins northeast of San Pablo Bay, adjacent to the cool Carneros. The Pacific cold air with its mists penetrates far into the valley, but for the most part does not reach the upper third. The wines of the lower sites are therefore more elegant and refined, those of the upper section score with power and content. The many AVAs (American Viticultural Areas), among which Rutherford and Stags Leap are perhaps the best known, attest to the valley's many different terroirs and microclimates.
