Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
The Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most popular and excellent wines produced in the world. Napa is a country in the state of California and has come to symbolize fine wines in the last several decades. The Napa Valley wineries have won many awards and now compete with France to produce some of the best wines of the world. Some argue that this is because of the climate and the different growing conditions in the Napa Valley.
The Napa Valley has become the premier wine growing region in the United States. ‘Napa’ is a name derived from the language Wappo Indians, who lived in the area. The word means “land of plenty.” This is definitely true as the area is place of natural abundance. The rivers are full of fish and the forests, rolling hills, and land are perfect for planting crops. This makes the area a place of singular beauty and productivity. Many people travel to the region to vacation and enjoy the landscape and the wines.
The popularity of the valley grew when steamships began traveling from San Francisco. They were able to use the Nape River to reach the city of Napa. This trip only took about three hours. After several years, a railroad line became available from the ferry terminal at the nearby city Vallejo. It took people from the shores of San Pablo Bay to the city of Calistoga in the north of the valley. People would visit Calistoga to enjoy the ‘healing waters’ of the region. Another reason why the area was loved is that it has a great, temperate climate. The summers were cool enough to grow grapes and the winters were warm enough to prevent the vines from freezing.
The Napa Valley gained moreacceptance and praise in the 50s and 60s. In the 1970s the region achieve overnight fame during an international wine competition in Paris. In a blind taste test a Napa Valley Cabernet reserve wine beat out a famous French Bordeaux. This gave the Napa valley wineries something to be proud of and they started to grow in popularity. This huge upset is one of the most loved facts about Napa history that has made the region so successful.
Today, the Napa Valley has over 300 wineries. There are many famous vineyards all throughout the valley. Many people travel to the area to go on wine tasting tours or even take the wine train. There are also a lot of smaller, family run vineyards that produce high quality wine that is known all over the globe. The valley is now one of the premier wine regions in the world. The history of Napa Valley is a great example of how an area can become famous and why the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is so popular.