Wineries innovate, improve tastings
Napa Valley wine’s history dates back about 160 years, to when fur trapper George C. Yount decided to plant grapes. According to the Napa Valley Historical Society, he had been awarded one of Mexico’s first land grants in Northern California — 11,814 acres stretching across central Napa Valley.
The name Yount may ring a bell because of the wine and food haven Yountville, which was named after Yount after his death. The first permanent Euro American settler in Napa Valley, he made the decision to plant grapes and changed Napa into the Wine Country it is now. Before that, the valley had primarily grown prunes and walnuts.
Now, more than 45,000 acres of vines are planted in Napa County, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The $50 billion industry is home to about 475 physical wineries and more than 1,000 wine labels.
That makes it difficult to break into the industry without a lofty lineage and some serious capital. Prices for vineyard land in Napa Valley are rising steeply: In 2017, E. & J. Gallo, a $4.7 billion winery and one of America’s largest private companies, according to Forbes, bought the high-profile Stagecoach Vineyard, in Napa’s Atlas Peak area, for $180 million — nearly $140,000 per acre.
But the steep prices haven’t stopped newcomers from trying to break in. In the past couple of years, some new tasting rooms have surfaced, and many classic Napa wineries keep innovating on the definition of Napa Valley’s wine scene, improving its sometimes-uptight reputation. Here are some of the more interesting tasting rooms in Wine Country.