Napa Valley wine region

Credit: Sebastien Gabriel / Unsplash

The Napa Valley wine region is arguably California’s best known wine producing area.

It will be forever associated with the 1976 Judgement of Paris blind tasting that saw some of the world’s top palates, including Decanter’s Steven Spurrier , rate Napa Cabernet Sauvignon from Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars ahead of classified Bordeaux.

In the subsequent 40 years, Napa Valley has gone from having a few dozen wineries to several hundred – reaching the point where limits on new winery permits are a hot topic of conversation in the area. Trade body Napa Valley Vintners has 500 members, but was formed by just seven vintners in 1944.

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