Raise your glass to America’s magic valley

Less than an hour’s drive north from San Francisco, with one end opening on to San Pablo Bay and the other running up into the Mayacamas Mountains, is a magic valley. At least it is if you are a winemaker. The climate here is perfect for growing grapes, and it is where some of America’s greatest wines are produced. Just how great they could be was established in the famous Judgment of Paris in 1976, a blind tasting in which French judges rated a Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon – Stag’s Leap 1973 – above the best of Bordeaux’s wines. From then on, the only way for Napa was up. The number of wineries has increased nearly tenfold since 1976, turning a sleepy farming community of walnut and prune orchards into arguably the world’s most glamorous wine region. 

At 30 miles (48km) long and a maximum of five miles across, Napa is relatively small by comparison with Bordeaux, Burgundy and Tuscany, with which it rubs shoulders. But while it produces just four per cent of Californian wine, it is responsible for 25 per cent of the state’s sales – and 90 per cent of its reputation. 

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The estates that have risen to the top over the past five decades have established themselves as legends of the wine world: Mondavi, Stag’s Leap, Colgin, Harlan. All of them have made their reputation with cabernet sauvignon, which is by some distance the dominant grape variety here. 

A full, ripe, heavily oaked style of cabernet, driven by the reliably hot climate and long ripening practised in the vineyard, has led to a rich, hedonistic style favoured by critics. (Unfortunately last year the heat was such that Napa was hit by wildfires that damaged several vineyards and wineries. Tragically, more than 40 people were killed, but otherwise most of the valley escaped lasting damage).

Success, of course, has also had an impact on prices: $50 (￡37) and upwards is a benchmark for a bottle of a winery’s signature cabernet; wines in excess of $100 a bottle are by no means considered extravagant, though there are, of course, many cuvées at lower prices. 

Most of the big-name wineries are down on the pastoral valley floor, navigated by two main thoroughfares that run parallel to each other along the valley. Highway 29 runs through all of Napa’s cutesy towns – Yountville, Oakville and St Helena – while the more rustic, backwater Silverado Trail is ideal for intrepid cyclists. Venture up the wooded mountainsides and you’ll be rewarded with more recherché wineries – as well as spectacular views. 

Wherever you visit, you can expect a warm, Californian welcome. Supremely consumer-friendly (if, on occasion, a touch “Disneyfied”), visitor facilities come as standard at most wineries of a half-decent size, and there are few wine regions with quite such an upbeat vibe. The active, on-the-go lifestyle; the perfect picket-fence towns; the artsy galleries and cutesy cafés; the friendly, easy-going vibe born of a close, familiar community … it’s all remarkably contagious. 

Don’t be surprised, then, if, while pondering which type of rye bread to order in the local bakery, you find yourself spontaneously swapping a breezy “How ya doing?” with a cheery chap in T-shirt and shorts grabbing his mid-morning latte. Or, moments later, issuing a similar greeting to a jaunty jogger on the country lane, iPod strapped to her 24-inch waist (despite the glut of food and wine, America’s obesity crisis seems to have bypassed Napa). Even the locals here have the laid-back demeanour of a holidaymaker. 

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Goodness knows what they all do for a living. Perhaps they work from their iPad for one of the internet behemoths based on the other side of San Francisco, in Silicon Valley. Most likely, though, they have some sort of connection with the wine industry. And working in wine here doesn’t necessarily mean cleaning barrels or pruning vines. Instead it’ll probably involve pouring wine for some of the four million visitors who descend on the valley each year. For, unlike many wine regions, Napa Valley has been styled as a tourist destination from the start. But don’t worry, though you may be one of many, you will be well looked after.

The five best wineries

Silver Oak

The upscale, polished visitor experience at Silver Oak is typical of Napa. Communal tours take in the valley’s history, the winery’s early days, the flood that nearly destroyed it, the fire that did so, and the spirit that overcame such adversity to make the producer one of Napa’s top names in a booming industry that didn’t exist 50 years ago. After a tour of the vineyard and cellars, and a tasting of a handful of wines, the exit is via the gift shop. silveroak.com

Don’t miss: The cabernet sauvignon, which is Silver Oak’s – and Napa’s – signature grape. 

Beringer

One of Napa’s largest producers, Beringer has a correspondingly slick visitor centre. It’s not without charm, though. The estate is home to a 19th-century, 17-room mansion that testifies to its status as Napa’s oldest continuously operating winery. The original hand-dug caves make for a suitably Arcadian setting for tastings, while the extensive grounds are open to visitors for picnics, where you may or may not wish to avail yourself of Beringer’s chocolate cabernet sauce or garlic cabernet mustard. beringer.com

Don’t miss: Another California speciality: Zinfandel. Beringer does a cellar-door exclusive which has the requisite dark-fruited punch. 

Raymond

Prepare yourself for something totally different. Owned by the flamboyant Jean-Charles Boisset, who is descended from a notable French winemaking family, this decadent shrine to ostentation couldn’t be more different from the more stately Opus One down the road. Rooms are decked out in red velvet and leopard-print upholstery and Baccarat chandeliers, while Boisset has been known to host burlesque cellar parties during the build-up to the Premiere Napa Valley auction in February. It’s the kind of experience you just don’t get in Burgundy, Rioja – or anywhere else, for that matter. raymondvineyards.com

Don’t miss: The Small Lot Collection Barrel-Fermented Chardonnay is the embodiment of Napa chardonnay – rich, buttery with a touch of spice. 

Opus One 

Arguably Napa’s most famous name, this began as a joint venture between the pioneering Robert Mondavi and French scion Baron Philippe de Rothschild. It’s since been swallowed up by a corporate behemoth, but its historic significance remains. Visits here err on the formal side, but it’s an impressive experience – just driving through the vines down the central driveway is enough to set the pulse racing. The views only get better on the upstairs lawn terrace, looking out to the valley. By appointment only. opusonewinery.com

Don’t miss: Though there is now a second wine, Overture, it’s all about the grand vin, a cabernet blend based on the Bordeaux model. Try to persuade them to open an older vintage – the 1997 is legendary.

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 

Set on the more bucolic Silverado Trail (rather than the somewhat tourist traffic-heavy Highway 29), this side of the valley is home to a more rural vibe. However, the winery’s newly remodelled facility offers a typically comprehensive flight of tastings and tours, including a $175 kitchen experience. A floor-to-ceiling Foucault pendulum at the heart of the vaulted cellar sets the tone. By appointment only. cask23.com

Don’t miss: The SLV cabernet was the wine whose triumph in the Judgment of Paris tasting put California on the global map. 

Where to stay

Meadowood (meadowood.com) is a relaxed yet exclusive resort set in the foothills of the valley, with spa, tennis courts, pool and newly upgraded golf course. The tasting menu at the three-Michelin-starred restaurant uses ingredients supplied by the property’s own vegetable garden. Doubles from $750.

The Carneros Inn (carnerosresort.com), nearer the town of Napa, offers a simpler aesthetic, but again there are plenty of entertainments and activities on tap – deli, spa, fitness centre – and food is to the fore. Doubles from $475.

There are a handful of more modest bed and breakfast options dotted around the valley, often in grand old manor houses, but even these are relatively expensive. Cheaper options are in Napa town, starting with the Napa River Inn (napariverinn.com). Set at the quieter end of town, its heritage as a 19th-century mill is evident in a certain chintzy charm. Daily wine tastings, free bike hire and a vinotherapy-themed spa lend appeal. Doubles from $299.

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Where to eat

These days, Napa’s gourmet reputation is almost as renowned as its vinous heritage. The pristine town of St Helena – home to a campus of the vast Culinary Institute of America – is all independent grocery stores, casual coffee shops and cool cocktail bars. Farmstead (longmeadowranch.com) is a casual eatery that does a mean brick-cooked chicken and puts on live music nights. It offers tours of its Long Meadow Ranch, where visitors can see how its fruit, vegetables, honey and beef are produced. 

Even more casual are the legendary burgers and shakes at the institution that is Gott’s Roadside (gotts.com).

Twenty minutes down the road is the equally charming Yountville. This town is home to Thomas Keller’s three-Michelin-starred shrine the French Laundry (thomaskeller.com/tfl) and his bistro, Bouchon (thomaskeller.com/bouchonyountville). Also here is television chef Michael Chiarello’s farm-to-table Italian restaurant, Bottega (botteganapavalley.com). 

Getting there

British Airways (ba.com), United (united.com) and Virgin (virginatlantic.com) all fly from London to San Francisco. 

Getting around

As in most places in the States, the car is king, and certainly the easiest way of touring wineries is to have a designated driver. Alternatively, if you can concentrate your visits around a particular town or AVA (American Viticultural Area), renting bikes for the day is a viable option (there are lots of places to rent) – provided you stick to wineries on the valley floor, rather than up in the mountains.