Napa Valley

Napa Valley: history

The first commercial winery in Napa Valley opened in 1861. Prohibition closed most of them between 1920 and 1933. The valley's name was made in 1976, when its wines beat the best of France in a blind tasting in Paris.

The valley is only about 30 miles long but has more than 400 wineries. You do not need to drink wine to enjoy it. The scenery, the food, the train and the balloons are reason enough.

Napa Valley: tourist attractions

• Hot-air balloon at sunriseA flight over the vineyards as the mist clears.
• Napa Valley Wine TrainA meal on board restored railway carriages.
• Castello di AmorosaA winery built as a medieval Tuscan castle.
• Winery visitsTours of the cellars and gardens. Most need an appointment.
• Oxbow Public MarketLocal food stalls in the town of Napa.
• YountvilleA pretty village known for its restaurants.
• CalistogaHot springs, mud baths and a small geyser.

Napa Valley: excursions nearby

• Sonoma about 15 milesA leafy town square and the last of the California missions.
• Petrified Forest about 30 milesRedwoods turned to stone by a volcano.
• Muir Woods about 50 milesGiant coast redwoods.
• San Francisco about 50 milesThe Golden Gate Bridge and the bay.
• Bodega Bay about 60 milesA fishing village on the Pacific coast.

Distances are approximate. Tell us which excursions you want and we add them to your quote.