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Free Traveling Guides » States » California » Wine CountryNapa Valley
Napa Valley is an hour’s drive north of San Francisco. Napa Valley is one of the many valleys in Napa County. To the west of Napa Valley is Sonoma Valley, to the east is Lake Berryessa and Yolo County and Solano County while to the north is Lake County. The valley is about 30 miles long and between 1 to 5 miles wide.
Within Napa Valley there are five cities, namely Calistoga, St Helena, Yountville and Napa. On the southern end of the valley is American Canyon. Napa Valley also has communities which are not towns and these include Angwin, Deer Park, Lake Berryessa, Rutherford and Oakville.
Napa Valley is famous world over for the wine grape growing and wine production. And thanks to the efforts of the communities of Napa Valley, little development has taken place in Napa Valley and the urban sprawl has not affected the county as yet.
There are four navigable rivers in California and Napa River in Napa Valley is one of them. The freshwater of the river is a popular fishing site for Striped Bass and Sturgeon. Besides that, one can also go canoeing in the calm and peaceful waters of Napa River. The river is also home to Napa’s sternwheeler riverboat, City of Napa.
Napa Valley saw its wine demand surging post-Gold Rush, and by 1891 there were 691 vineyards in the valley. However, it was the Prohibition imposed by the government that had an adverse effect on the vineyards and almost all Napa Valley wineries closed down then. In 1933, after the Prohibition came to an end, the vineyards in Napa Valley started reappearing. In 1966, Robert Mondavi Winery in Oakville was built and since then several hundred wineries have been built and Napa Valley has become a premium wine region with over 200 wineries.
Today Napa Valley is famous for its wines throughout the world and it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in California. Besides its wineries, Napa Valley is famous for its restaurants, and natural unspoilt scenic beauty. Mount St Helena is a popular site to visit. St Helena is extinct volcano and there is a lot of geyser activity just below it in the town of Calistoga which is popular for its hot springs.
Every road in Napa Valley is scenic and has a lot to offer. It is just that some roads are more scenic than others. You can marvel the beauty of the Silverado Trail, Cuttings Wharfs Road, Washington Road, Solano Avenue, and Yount Mill Road. You can stop at the numerous wineries along these roads to taste premium Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs.
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