10 Reasons Why We're in Love with Napa Valley
Napa Valley is a well-known destination for wine lovers, but what makes it so special? This is a list of ten reasons why we’re in love with Napa Valley and when you read them, you will be too, even if you have never visited it before.
They celebrate Cabernet Sauvignon there
Every year there is a festivity called Cabernet season. The series of events are organized from mid fall to spring. During this period, people are welcome to visit Napa Valley and enjoy the flavors of its flagship wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, paired with some exquisite meals. This type of wine is best paired with dishes prepared during colder periods, like roasts and stews, and that is the exact reason why the festival is being held during the time of the year when it is getting colder outside.
The food in Napa Valley is amazing
A long time ago, Robert and Margrit Mondavi started a program called The Great Chefs. The program was meant to attract premier chefs from France to cook in Napa Valley. Its success aroused interest in Napa Valley among the culinary community and soon the best chefs from all over the world wanted to cook there. That led to Napa Valley having more Michelin Stars per capita than any other winemaking region in the world today. Suffice to say, you will enjoy your meals.
The scenery is stunning
Napa Valley is blessed with beautiful hills, mountains, and fields. You can enjoy the view from a terrace of a winery or take a walk or a ride through the surrounding area and experience it firsthand. If you are in an adventurous mood, you can even go for a hike or a bike ride through Mayacamas and Vaca mountain ranges.
Napa Valley has a vibrant art scene
Quality wine is not all Napa Valley has to offer. You will find numerous art galleries, museums, studios, and outdoor exhibitions while strolling around. Di Rosa is an art gallery complex that includes more than two thousand pieces of art. The complex has three separate galleries, a sculpture park, a lake, and a wildlife preserve. Exploring contemporary art in di Rosa is a truly unique experience.
It has a wine train
The Napa Valley Wine Train offers a three-hour long ride through the valley. During the ride, the passengers have an opportunity to enjoy a gourmet meal accompanied by a carefully selected wine and see the town center and Napa Valley wineries. Picking your next destination for wine tasting can never be as much fun as it is through the windows of the wine train.
Boutique wineries are hidden all over it
Napa Valley has the best boutique wineries out there. They are run by real wine enthusiasts who focus on producing limited amounts of the best wines with a regional distinctive flavor. Not all boutique wineries are advertised, but if you find a great DMC in California, you’ll be able to get all the information you need and taste some amazing wines you never would have heard about otherwise.
Unusual architecture
Nothing in Napa Valley is typical. Wineries like Darioush, Opus One, and Castello Di Amorosa have a unique architectural form. They are unusual and different, but perfectly placed in the valley of wine. Visiting them will be a great way to spend an afternoon and you can taste some quality wine on your walk as well.
You can step inside the walls of CIA there
Culinary Institute of America, the only CIA that really matters, opened its campus in St. Helena in 1995. This is the place where some of the region’s best chefs have developed their cooking chops. It is also the place where you can go to tastings, enroll in some courses if you are a food enthusiast, have a meal at their restaurant, and a buy the latest kitchen gadget in the retail store at the campus.
You can take a walk through the vineyards
However beautiful the hills and mountains of Napa Valley may be, they have nothing on its vineyards. Vine-covered hills of Napa Valley are great for a hike and seeing where the wines you are enjoying come from will make you even thirstier and more appreciative of them.
Napa Valley Film Festival
NVFF has made a splash in the few years since its inception. The movie selection is stellar and every year it is accompanied by great wine and food. You can expect to see the best indie features, studio films, film panels, culinary demonstrations, and wine tasting events. Whatever brings you to NVFF, you will love it and want to return.
