Wine Tours in the Napa Valley
Posted onNapa Valley, located in western California has a robust heritage of producing some of the world’s finest wine grapes since the 19th century – and as you might expect, this tradition remains true to this very day. While the area began to suffer in the prohibition era 1920’s, the end of World War II brought a new life to Napa Valley, but it wasn’t until 1976 when a Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon rated better than numerous fine French wines in a blind taste. Dubbed “The Judgment of Paris”, it was this wine competition that really put Napa Valley on the map – and the region has seen enormous success ever since.
On average, nearly 5 million tourists visit on an annual basis – this makes it one of the most popular attractions in the entire state; second only to Disneyland. And if you’ve ever been to the area you already know that there are plenty of great reasons to visit the area, no matter the season.
Winter is primarily the off-season, but in the spring the first sprouting of mustard flowers along with pink and white blossoms can be seen amongst the grapevines throughout the valley; and this is quite a sight for any visitor to the region. In summer the grapevines begin to develop their leaves, tiny grape clusters may even begin to develop on some types. The grape clusters are harvested in the fall, and as you might expect, this is the most popular time to plan a vacation to the area.
There are a number of wineries for you to visit while on your vacation. One of the earliest, the Robert Modavi Winery remains one of the largest and most popular wineries to date – but some of the smaller ones have a lot to offer in the way of great tasting wine, as well. This includes Bryant Family Vineyards, Diamond Creek Vineyards, Dominus Estate, Screaming Eagle Winery and Vineyards, just to name but a few.
But of course no vacation to the region would be complete with a wine tasting tour or two; and Napa Valley has plenty of them to offer that cater to all tastes and lifestyles. One of the area’s most popular tours is the Wine Train, a three-hour roundtrip train ride in and around some of the regions most prolific vineyards. Onboard you can sample anywhere from 30-40 local wines, including Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and much more.
For the tourist who would rather get outdoors and take on an exciting adventure while vacationing in the region, Adventure Tours may be just right for you. Here you’ll have guided tours of some of the area’s vineyards while hiking, rock climbing, while riding a mountain bike or even in a kayak. If you are feeling a little bit more adventurous, you can even have one of their experts put together a safe yet exciting self guided tour for you to relax and explore the trails of Napa Valley on your own. If you love the outdoors and outdoor activities, this may just end up being the vacation experience of a lifetime.
If you are looking to relax in a limousine with your own private chauffeur, there are plenty of wine tours in the area that offer the comfort of limo tours of the region, as well. Many have a variety of vehicles and options, allowing you to accommodate any size group and any level of luxury. If you desire the high class service that only a professional limousine service can offer, you’ll have more than enough choices here in Napa Valley.
As you can see, Napa Valley really makes every attempt possible to make sure all of our guests are entertained. And in your downtime, the hotels and resorts here will make sure you stay comfortable all night long.