Indian Chief Travel Guides

Napa Valley: World-famous Wine Region

The Napa Valley is world-famous. It is one of the premier wine growing regions of the world, rivaling the likes of Bordeaux, France, if not in size, certainly in stature and notoriety. It is also practically synonymous with California wine, and with good reason. It has the greatest concentration of wineries in the U.S., with more than 300 of them packed into an area of just over 100 square miles, including some of California’s oldest and grandest wine estates as well as scores of smaller boutique wineries, regaling connoisseurs from near and far.

The Napa Valley has literally hundreds of acres - a good amount of the arable land in and around the valley - under vine. And while it consistently draws hordes of visitors every year, throughout the year, particularly during peak (harvest) season, the crowds have hardly diminished its appeal: it remains a place virtually of pilgrimage for wine lovers who continue to make their way up the valley, sniffing and sipping vintage varietals and proprietary blends, riding in cars, tour buses, the Wine Train, or just pedaling along the byroads, and even soaring above it in hot-air balloons and gliders. Most of the wineries offer tastings of their wines, and many offer tours of their facilities or showcase art collections and host culinary and musical events as well. There are also several lodging options here, especially bed and breakfast establishments, and scores of good restaurants and trendy shops, boutiques and galleries.