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Napa Valley wine doesn't just come from one of the top wine regions in California, but in all of the United States. The climate, geography and geology trifecta come together to make the perfect environment for growing quality wine grapes. Because of various geographical and weather influences, the region is fantastic for growing several different types of grapes, many of which need separate climates to thrive.
In 1864, pioneer George C. Yount decided to plant the first wine grapes in Napa Valley. That year, Yount's daughter, Elizabeth, and her new husband received 1,040 acres of land in Napa Valley as a wedding gift. That area, known as Rutherford, has been established as one of the best places for grapes that get turned into high quality wine.
The valley's first commercial vineyard was established by John Pratchett in 1858, followed in 1861 by the area's first commercial winery in St. Helena. However, things weren't always peachy in the Napa Valley.
In the late 19th and 20th centuries, the phylloxera root louse killed a lot of the vines in the valley. Just as they were starting to recover, prohibition was enacted and many wineries were forced to shut down (although a few were allowed to remain open to produce sacramental wine). Some vineyards remained open, selling grapes to home wine makers. When the Great Depression hit, the wine business slowed even more.
Fortunately, not all was lost. In 1933, Prohibition was repealed. Around that time, Georges de Latour started importing vines that were resistant to the phylloxera pest. These insect resistant vine strains are still used today.
Currently, Napa Valley wine is being consumed more than ever. There are more than 340 Napa Valley wineries producing many different kinds of the beverage. More than 4.7 million people visit the region each year, making it the second most popular tourist attraction in California, following Disneyland.
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