Napa Valley Wines

California, and Napa Valley in particular, is very often referred to as “wine country.” There’s a good reason for this designation. Ninety percent (90%) of all wine made in America is made from grapes that are grown in the Napa Valley region of California.

The Napa Valley area is not a large region. It stretches for only about 20 miles. But in that small area, there is an amazing degree of climatic variations, from cool and foggy in Sonoma, to dry and hot in Calistoga.

When wine was first made in America, it was made from grapes that were native to the area and actually grew wild. The problem was that the wine made from these native grapes had a slightly animal aroma to them rather than the wonderful fruity aromas of wines made in Europe.  A man by the name of Agoston Harazthy is responsible for having cuttings of various European grape varieties into America, and he is often called the “Godfather of California Wine.”

Still, American-made wine was considered inferior to wines made in Europe until 1976. That was the year that, during a comparative blind taste-off in Paris, the Chateau Montelena Chardonnay (1973) and Stag’s Leap Cabernet (1973) came out as winners, beating all other wines from Europe; and the panel was made up entirely of Frenchmen. It was a shocking event to the wine community!

The outcome of this blind taste test swept California wines into Europe and provided them with credibility. American wines were no longer considered inferior to European wines, and some claimed that they were (and are) superior to wines made in the old world.

Grapes are grown in other states and parts of the country now, but the Napa Valley in California is and always will be the flagship of American wine.