The Napa Valley, located less than 2 hrs from San Francisco, is famous for the vineyards and wine it produces.  Napa Valley, despite being famous for wine production, only produces 4% of California’s wines and only .04% of the world’s wine.  Yet it generates over $50 billion towards the American economy, and powers over 300,000 jobs

There are 420 physical wineries in the Napa Valley that produces over 815 different wine brands. And of those wineries, 95% of them are all family-owned.  Cabernet Sauvignon reigns supreme as the most popular wine to come out of the Napa Valley with over 40% of the grapes harvested in the area picked just for that specific wine. It is mentioned, the vineyard’s elevations can range quite drastically, from sea level to 2,600 feet, which takes incredible skill to grow grapes in those different areas.

Back in 1976, “The Judgement of Paris” occurred, which is the most popular trivia I have been told. This event was when two Californian wines, Chateau Montelena Chardonnay and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, were put to a blind taste testing where they completely dominated over the other, world-renowned French wines. This is the moment that little ole Napa Valley, California wines got themselves on the World Wine map and taken seriously in the wine world.  

My colleague who is a serious wine Enthusiast and member of Stag’s Leap Vineyard took me to this Vineyard for Wine sampling.  Here are a few pics and clips from our rendezvous last week.