A Wine Growing Region that Changed the World

California’s Napa Valley is one of the world’s premier wine producing regions. Although only one-eight the size of Bordeaux, the thirty‑mile‑long valley is blessed with a variety of soils and microclimates. This makes it possible for the valley – which produces only 4% of California’s wine – to grow a wide spectrum of grapes and to produce a remarkable variety of premium wines.

By Michael Moore

Located fifty miles north of San Francisco, Napa Valley was a backwater sort of place until the early 1960’s. Although the first commercial winery in the valley was established by Charles Krug in 1861, and over 140 wineries were in operation by 1889, the demand for wine was limited, a situation that soon led to a glut of grapes and wineries. Then along came phylloxera, an aphid that destroyed the roots of grape vines around the world. As the valley slowly recovered from this problem, prohibition came to America in 1919, putting all but a handful of the wineries out of business.

When prohibition was repealed in 1933, the world was in the midst of the Great Depression. It wasn’t a time that quality wines were going to find much of a market. But after World War II, changes started to occur that forever changed life in tranquil Napa Valley. The most important of these changes were in the attitudes of the American people. Wine – particularly during the great depression – was the cheap drink for America’s “winos,” the down and out who drank wine out of a bottle hidden in a brown bag. Their favorites were “Tokay” and “Sherry,” neither of which bore any resemblance to the European originals for which they were named. Many, perhaps most, Americans avoided wine because of the stigma attached to it.

But World War II forced America out of its isolationism and introduced American soldiers to many things – and wine was one of them. When the soldiers returned, they wanted wine like they had discovered in Europe. This interest soon spread to other Americans and the demand for quality wine began to grow. California’s wineries, and those in the Napa Valley in particular, slowly awakened from their lethargy. Soon property values began to rise, new vineyards and wineries began to appear and tourists started flocking to the “wine country” for wine tasting and winery tours. Napa Valley has never been the same since.

It took awhile, but eventually California’s new generation of wine makers began to learn what wine making was all about. Many of them had been educated at the University of California at Davis, an institution long involved in research connected with wine making. In the 1960’s, these inventive wine makers started putting their products on the market and the American public responded enthusiastically to their efforts. Today, we hear of new wine making techniques and wines that emphasize the taste of the fruit. These changes are often attributable to these pioneering wine makers and many of the changes were first seen in Napa Valley. Today these techniques are practiced throughout the world and have helped to popularize and democratize the drinking of wine everywhere.

Today, the situation in the Napa Valley has stabilized and the changes are less dramatic, but the area continues to evolve. Several of the wineries that were initially small have grown into large corporations, both by the success of their products and by merging with their neighbors. In recent years, several of the world’s brewery giants have purchased vineyards and wineries in the area, but small, new wineries keep appearing.

The floor of Napa Valley is flat, covered with grape vines and dotted with wineries. The slopes of the valley are covered with scrub, but are increasingly being planted with grape vines. The soil on the valley floor is generally rich and too fertile for creating outstanding grapes. It is on the slopes and elevated areas where rocky, volcanic soil is found that leads to the formation of grapes that are capable of forming premium wines.

Napa Valley, which runs in a north‑south direction, is covered by a single appellation, appropriately called “Napa Valley.” The area covered by the appellation is so large that it doesn’t apprise consumers of differences that exist within it. Consequently, several smaller appellations have been formed in recent years. These are Atlas Peak, Howell Mountain, Mount Veeder, Oakville, Stag’s Leap, St Helena, Rutherford and Spring Mountain.

If one starts at the northern end of the valley and proceeds south, several important wine areas and wineries will be encountered. In the northeastern part of the valley, in the hills east of the town of Calistoga, is the Howell Mountain appellation. The soil here is volcanic and drains well, ideal for cabernet sauvignon. Dunn Vineyards and La Jota produce outstanding cabernets, but their output is relatively small. To the west of Calistoga is Diamond Creek Vineyards, the creators of three of the world’s finest cabernets: Diamond Creek Gravely Meadow, Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill and Diamond Hill Red Rock Terrace.

Farther south and to the west of the town of St. Helena, is the Spring Mountain District appellation. Cain Five, a Bordeaux style blend, produced by Cain Cellars is probably the best know of the wines from this area. Nearer to St. Helena, and with a Napa Valley appellation, are the wines produced by Newton. Their Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are signal achievements, but rarely available outside of California. To the east is one of Napa Valley’s most interesting wineries – Dominus. It is owned and operated by Christian Moueix, the winemaker of the world famous Petrus in Bordeaux. Nearby is the Joseph Phelps winery with a larger output, but with equally fine wines.

Further south is the Rutherford appellation, home of some of Napa Valley’s most famous wines. Beaulieu Vineyard is probably the best known and its wines are available in Bangkok. Beaulieu’s Private Reserve Cabernet is especially noteworthy.

This brings us to the Robert Mondavi Winery, probably California’s best known producer of premium wines. Mondavi wines are available throughout the world and are all of above average quality. Especially appreciated are the three Robert Mondavi Reserve wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Midway between Rutherford and the town of Yountville is the Oakville appellation. Like Rutherford, the appellation contains some of Napa Valley’s most famous wineries. These include Dalla Valle, Harlan Estate and Opus One. Harlan Estate produces a Bordeaux-style blend called Harlan Red that some consider California’s finest red wine, creating a demand that has resulted in astronomical prices. Opus One is a joint venture between Robert Mondavi and the late Baron Philippe de Rothschild. Although very good, the wines have never reached the standard most expected.

Still farther south and on the east side of the Napa River is the Stag’s Leap appellation. It has a longer growing season than much of Napa Valley and produces some excellent Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. To the west is the Mount Veeder appellation, home of some long‑lived Cabernet Sauvignon.

The wines of Napa Valley are rich and diverse and have had an important impact in California and the rest of the world. Although the area changed greatly during the 1960’s and 70’s, it continues to evolve and mature. If you are looking for an excellent premium wine, a wine produced from one of Napa Valley’s numerous wineries will be certain to please.