"Napa: Gateway to America's Premier Wine... " a Napa Travel Page by atufft

First, I should redirect those who are looking for winery and restaurant information for the Napa Valley to these additional links for St. Helena, Calistoga, Oakville, and Angwin. I lived and worked for many years in both the wine and restaurant industry within Napa Valley areas as a young adult, and have taught wine appreciation at the college level. So, my tips and images are scattered in a wide variety of places for the appreciation of those interested enough to do more than impulse read.

One of the few rivers not controlled by the US Corps of Army Engineers, the Napa River frequently flash floods into the city. During some summers, droughts have been severe enough to require water rationing. Legend has it that at this fork in the river, near where the Redwood Creek flows into the Napa River, George Yount forded the river by horseback to found the city. The word "napa" means fish in Wappo, the language of the original inhabitants. It was on the banks of this river where the modern city of Napa is located. In the photo above, the overview of the city shows the river and its proximity to San Pablo Bay, which is essentially the northern part of the great San Francisco Bay.

As already mentioned, for those interested in wine tasting in the Napa Valley, please also visit my pages for St. Helena, Calistoga, Yountville, Oakville, and Angwin. These smaller towns to the north of Napa are actually more central to the location of the wineries and vineyards which tourists like to visit. Nevertheless, the City of Napa remains an administrative and winery supply headquarters for the industry in California. And, on these pages I do include the tips for Carneros, Stag's Leap, and Chimney Rock, appellations of the Napa Valley relatively close to the city of Napa. Thus, the Napa Valley isn't the same as Napa itself, and the VT system doesn't allow for this world famous area to be designated as a national park.

Traditionally, wine has been just one of many agricultural products transported out on schooners that sailed up the river. Cattle ranchos exported hides and tallow for many years before wine took root, and in the late 19th century grains were ground at local mills for domestic consumption and even export. Even as recently as the 1960's, other fruits--prunes, plums, peaches, cherries-- and nuts competed with grapes for agricultural influence in the valley. All of these commodities ultimately are exported from the valley by way of the city of Napa, and so old stonewarehouses, as well as modern industrial warehouses, are a common sight in the city. The downtown of Napa developed into the financial center of the valley and the winemaking industry here, and remains the home of many wine consultants and industry supply distributers. The multi-million dollar COPIA: The American Center for Wine, Food, and the Arts used to be located near downtown Napa but collapsed in the 2008 recession, so despite the frequent attempts to turn the city into a capitol wine center for tourists, mostly local advantages of good bottle shops and refrigerated storage locker facilities for private wine collections survive. The town has also many fine examples of Victorian and Queen Anne Style Architecture, a few of which have been restored into Bed & Breakfast Inns.

Because the city doesn't have the quaint boutique charm of St. Helena or Calistoga, the old city center has tended to suffer neglect. Redevelopment of the commercial shopping center has helped a little, and currently the river walk area is under a huge transformation. A key feature of this redevelopment is the cultural museum and education center called Copia: The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts. This 12 acre complex was sponsored in large part by Robert Mondavi, and so brings some tourism back into the city of Napa. It's also important to note that the valley's only shopping mall of any size, movie cinemas, performing arts theaters, and symphony are located in the city of Napa.

Nevertheless, please read my pages and tips for St. Helena, Calistoga, Yountville, and Oakville for more advice regarding wine, food, and hospitality related activities within the Napa Valley wine country.