History of Napa Valley Vineyards
Anyone who is familiar with the world of wine would have heard of Napa Valley vineyards. Napa Valley is not only considered to be the premier wine producing are in California but also in the whole of the United States. Napa Valley vineyards have a rich history dating as far back as the nineteenth century. Today, the area is known for such grape varieties as Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Napa Valley vineyards now number in the hundreds and pull an estimated 5 million visitors every year.
The Native Americans who first inhabited the Napa region were well aware of how bountiful the area is. They would have been surrounded by animals such as grizzlies, elk and wildcats, not the mention the plentiful salmon in the waterways. Also in abundance were wild grapes, which may have been a food source but certainly the concept of wine making had not arrived as yet. It took an early settler to establish the first of the Napa Valley vineyards.
The name of this settler was George Calvert Yount. In 1836 Yount built the first local homestead in what is now known as Yountville. He was the one who planted the first vineyard in the Napa Valley. Of course, his planting was more for recreational purposes and he wasn’t solely responsible for the rise of the Napa Valley vineyards. There were others who popularized the concepts including: John Patchett, the planter of the first commercial vineyard in the area; Dr. George Crane, who wrote several newspaper articles promoting the planting of grape vines; and Hamilton Walker Crabb, who conducted experiments on over 400 grape varieties.
Establishing the Napa Valley vineyards was one thing, but grapes can be put to many uses. It wasn’t until a guy by the name of Charles Krug established the first commercial winery in 1861 that wine making really took off. By 1889 there were over 140 operational wineries including the well known Beringer and Schramsberg. As with anything in its exciting new stages though, the wine industry fell into trouble. There were just too many Napa Valley vineyards and a surplus of grapes sent prices plummeting. Adding to the problem was the subsequent arrival of the phylloxera pest which attacked many vineyards.
One of the biggest crises to hit the Napa Valley wine industry was the advent of Prohibition in 1920. Obviously is alcohol is outlawed, the places making said alcohol would be hardest hit. Many Napa Valley vineyards were forced to go out of business. The repeal of the Prohibition in 1933 was heralded with much joy and was seen as a proverbial new dawn for the wine making industry.
Things have changed and become a bit more organized since the 1940’s. That’s because it was around this time that a group of vintners decided to come together for the purpose of sharing ideas and advice. This group formed the basis of the Napa Valley Vintners, a vibrant organization dedicated to promoting Napa Valley wines globally. In 1975, the growers joined in and formed the Napa Valley Grape Growers Association.
A very special tradition for Napa Valley vineyards started in 1981 when the Napa Valley Vinters sponsored the first Napa Valley Wine Auction. The affair was held at the prestigious Meadowood resort and was a huge success. Since then the event has become on of the world’s most successful charity wine event and has led to the donation of over $85 million to local housing, youth and health care initiatives.
Today, there are a record number of Napa Valley vineyards. Vintners are growers are always improving on techniques and much research is being done to refine both the growing and wine making processes. This push towards progress will ensure that Napa Valley stays on the wine making map for a long time to come.