Classic Wines of California

Napa Valley 101

Location:

The Napa Valley is approximately 70 miles (112 km) from San Francisco International Airport (SFO); 63 miles (101 km) from Oakland International Airport (OAK); and 75 miles (120 km) from Sacramento International Airport.  There are many transportation options to the Napa Valley; including airport shuttles or limousine services; renting a car; or taking public transportation.

Size:

While one of the most well known wine regions in the world, Napa Valley is also one of the smallest. The valley floor is just 30 miles long and five miles across at its widest point.

Time Zone:

The Napa Valley is in the Pacific Time Zone (PTZ), observing daylight savings from mid-March to late October.

Weather & Climate:

The Mediterranean climate of the Napa Valley provides near perfect weather year round. The southern part of the valley is much cooler than the northern part and temperatures vary from day to night. Spring and summer temperatures range from 75 – 85 degrees Fahrenheit (24-29 degrees Celsius) during the day and 50 – 55 degrees F (10 – 13 C) at night. In fall and winter, temperatures range from 60 – 70 degrees F (15 – 21 C) during the day and 40 – 50 degrees F (5 – 10 C) at night.

The Towns of Napa Valley

The Napa Valley consists of the following distinctive towns, including, from north to south, Calistoga, St. Helena, Rutherford/Oakville, Yountville, the city of Napa,American Canyon, and the outdoor recreation area of Lake Berryessa. 

Population:

American Canyon: Population: 20,000; Size: 4.8 square miles

Napa: Population: 79,000 (2013); Size: 18.1 square miles

Lake Berryessa: Population: 1,639 (2013); Size: 15 miles long; 3 miles wide

Yountville: Population: 2,973 (2013); Size: 1.5 square miles

Oakville: Population: 71 (2010); Size: 1.3 square miles

Rutherford: Population: 164 (2010); Size: 1.7 square miles

St. Helena: Population: 5,947 (2013); Size: 4 square miles

Calistoga: Population: 5,155(2010); Size: 2.5 square miles

Lodging:

There are nearly 150 overnight accommodation options to choose from in the Napa Valley, including hotels, resorts, country inns, and bed and breakfasts.  Whether your preference is modern, historical, “in-town” close to restaurants and shops, a luxurious spa getaway, or the calm of a remote vineyard setting, the Napa Valley caters to every visitor’s needs.  Click here for a complete list of overnight accommodations.

Tax Rates:

Sales tax in Napa Valley is 8%; the transient occupancy tax (TOT or hotel tax) is 14% percent (fees in Napa County include a 12 percent occupancy tax and a 2% percent Tourism Improvement District assessment (NVTID).

Tourism: 

Tourism is one of the largest industries in the Napa Valley, and supports an estimated 11,776 jobs, with the majority of these jobs in either the hotel or restaurant industries.

In 2014, the Napa Valley welcomed a total of 3.3 million visitors (86.4 percent of visitors were from the United States and 13.6 percent were international visitors).

Napa Valley Attractions and Experiences:

While the Napa Valley offers many unique experiences for visitors, visiting wineries and/or tasting rooms remains the most popular visitor experience.  Below is a breakdown of how Napa Valley experiences were ranked in a 2014 visitor profile study.

Visiting wineries and/or tasting rooms: 82.3 percent
Dining in restaurants: 69.4 percent
Winery tours: 52.6 percent
Shopping: 40.3 percent
Spa treatments: 12.1 percent
Napa Valley Wine Train: 10.3 percent
Nightlife: 10.1 percent
Art: 8.6 percent
Farmer’s markets: 8.5 percent
Guided tours: 8.3 percent
State or local parks: 8 percent
Culinary activities: 7.6 percent
Hiking: 6.2 percent
Festivals or special events: 4.7 percent
Biking: 3.4 percent
Hot air ballooning: 2.8 percent
Golf: 1.7 percent

Restaurants: 

Napa Valley is home to more than 125 restaurants and has more Michelin stars per capita than any other wine region in the world. Click here for a comprehensive list of restaurants in the Napa Valley.

Gratuities:

Most restaurants do not include a service fee in checks. The average tip or gratuity for restaurant servers is 15-20% of the total check (before tax). Standard service fees are becoming more common and a tip is sometimes included for groups of six or more.  While tipping is not necessary when wine tasting, for exceptional service, it is appreciated.

Health & Wellness:

Home to the country’s first agricultural preserve and a land trust that has permanently protected more than 10 percent of the county from residential and commercial development, the Napa Valley offers more than 53,000 acres of protected land and provides ideal hiking, biking and paddling opportunities for visitors of all physical abilities to enjoy. Click here for suggestions on sports and outdoor activities in the Napa Valley.

Arts & Culture: 

The Napa Valley is home to art, film, music, and architecture on both intimate and grand scales. Revolving art exhibitions at wineries, permanent and special museum exhibitions, art galleries, open studios, historic and contemporary architecture, and art festivals all provide a cultural experience that is legendary. Explore local arts attractions and curate your own Napa Valley experience. Click here for ideas on what to see and do while in the Napa Valley.

Shopping: 

The Napa Valley features an array of locally owned boutiques and specialty shops which offer everything from fine art, to handcrafted jewelry, to one-of-a-kind apparel. Click here for a list of shopping options in the Napa Valley.

Historical Facts:

The first wine grapes were planted in Napa Valley in 1838 by George Yount, for whom the town of Yountville is named.

The first commercial winery in the county was opened by John Patchett in 1859 in what is now the city of Napa.

The oldest commercial winery still in operation is Charles Krug, founded in 1861.

Before wine grapes became the Valley’s biggest crop, prunes held first place.

The white wine that won the 1976 Judgment of Paris wine tasting was a 1973 Chardonnay from Chateau Montelena and the red wine that won was a Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon. This is the first time California wines beat out France, changing the world’s view of California wines.  The year 2016 marks the 40^thanniversary of this tasting.

Wine Facts:

95% of Napa Valley’s more than 475 wineries are family owned.

Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area or AVA and within it exists 16 additional AVAs, including Calistoga, Oakville, Yountville, and Coombsville.

Only 9% (about 45,000 acres) of Napa County’s 504,450 acres are planted to grapes.

The largest private owner of vineyards in Napa Valley is Andrew Beckstoffer. The largest corporate owner is Diageo.

67% of Napa Valley wineries produce fewer than 5,000 cases annually.

Only 4% of California’s wine comes from Napa Valley, but the value of Napa Valley wine makes up 27% of the retail value of all California wine sold.

Fun Wine Facts:

It takes about six to eight clusters, or approximately 600-800 wine grapes (2.4 pounds) to produce a bottle of wine.

One barrel of wine contains 740 pounds of grapes, equivalent to 59 gallons or 24.6 cases of wine.

An annual average of 892 million gallons of wine is consumed in the United States each year.

The Napa Valley soil profile is more complex than any other wine region in the world and represents 100 soil variations and 33 soil series. Half of all the soil orders in the world are found in Napa Valley.

Wine Tasting Fees:

Most wine tasting rooms in Napa Valley charge a fee, however, sometimes this is waived with wine purchases.

The Architects who Influenced Napa Valley

The natural beauty of the Napa Valley has inspired many of the worlds most influential architects who have helped shape the design landscape of the Valley. Below is an overview of the architects who have influenced the Napa Valley over the last century.

Howard Backen (1936 – )

Howard Backen is considered by many to be the creator of the “Napa Valley style,” never flashy, always easy on the land and pleasing to the eye. Stone, timber and concrete enhance the landscape and become one with the surroundings, always sustainable, always environmentally prudent. In his words, you do not start with a style, “a style will emerge following the consideration of other factors, including use, site, purpose, practicality and setting[1].” Examples of Backen’s work include:

Dana Estates – St. Helena, CA

Located on Napa Valley’s western slope, Backen, Gillam & Kroeger designed the renovation of what was the stone ruins of a winery dating back more than 100 years. In addition to creating a hospitality space, the winery’s unique cave system incorporates all other aspects of a winery.

Edge Hill Estate – St. Helena

Backen, Gillam & Kroeger designed the new entrance and renovation of the existing masonry ruins on the site of the historic Distillery No. 209. The renovation included a fermentation and hospitality space.

Harlan Estate – St. Helena, CA

This facility is integrated with a private residence. It has a wood framed fermentation building over a partially buried concrete barrel cellar. The barrel cellar is temperature controlled by a radiant system in the floor and walls.

Larkmead – St. Helena, CA

Designed in the style of traditional Napa Valley agricultural buildings, construction consists of prefabricated metal structures skinned in wood board-and-batten siding, with a stone base and corrugated metal roof.

Napa Valley Reserve – St. Helena

Backen, Gillam & Kroeger designed this private vineyard and winery that spans 80 acres in the heart of the Napa Valley near Meadowood Resort. The Reserve encompasses a winery, aging caves, kitchen facility and gardens.

Ovid Napa Valley – St. Helena, CA

The winery is classically proportioned and built of timeless materials, including wood, stone and concrete, interleaved with modern windows, hatches and skylights, and powered by solar energy. This private winery has a simple horseshoe cave system with both 14 and 26 foot wide caves. The caves contain both one-barrel high fermentation space as well as the hospitality room. The winery is gravity fed with fermentation tanks comprised of stainless steel, concrete and oak barrels.

Cliff Lede – Yountville, CA

This vineyard consists of four buildings spread between three properties. It has a steel frame cave portal building for fermentation, as well as cave fermentation and an extensive grid of 14 foot wide caves for barrel aging. Fermentation is gravity fed by a crane system.

Bond Estates – Napa, CA

The construction of this family winery consists of a radial cave with spoke connector caves and a cut and cover fermentation cave portal with a radiant floor system. The concrete cave portal has a Nevada sandstone veneer, the hospitality space above is made with reclaimed wood.

Tamber Bey – Calistoga, CA

The winery is located at the Sundance Ranch in Calistoga, a world-class, 22-acre equestrian facility that is dedicated to training top performance horses. The winery was built in 2013 by remodeling a 15,000-square-foot covered riding arena into a state-of-the-art winemaking facility with a crush pad that houses 36 fermentation tanks sized for individual vineyard-designated wines.

Other Backen projects include Meadowood Napa Valley and Spa, Davis Estate, Futo Estate, Witt Estate and Continuum.

BAR Architects

One of only a few architecture firms certified as a San Francisco Bay Area Green Business, BAR Architects is fortunate to be able to commit to the Public Architecture one percent pro-bono program that connects non-profit organizations with design firms willing to donate their time.

Assisting in neighborhood revitalization and participating in the US Green Building Council (USGBC) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Committee on the Environment (COTE), as well as pro-bono endeavors, provide an understanding of the BAR definition of community. Examples of their work include:

Silverado Vineyards – Napa, CA

Inspired by Bernard Maybeck and Julia Morgan, Silverado Vineyards reflects the architectural heritage of the California Craftsman style. With its low-pitched roof, wide eaves and decorative braces, Silverado Vineyards is rich in detail. Visitors approach the winery up a winding road and are welcomed at the stone terrace entry and vibrant facade. Located to the west of the existing winery, the expansion includes a new visitor’s center with a spacious wine tasting room with views of the Napa Valley.

Starmont Winery – Napa, CA

Designed to reflect the client’s desire for simple, rural building forms that blend into the agrarian landscape, the massing and materials were chosen to form a fitting gateway for visitors arriving to Napa Valley, the heart of California’s wine industry.

The facility incorporates many aspects of sustainable design practices. The extensive use of steel as both structure and exterior finish allows 85 percent of materials to come from recycled sources. Exterior landscaping utilizes low water usage plants and incorporates bioswales for collection and natural filtering of rainwater. The most visible aspect of sustainable design are the photovoltaic panels which cover approximately 90 percent of the south-facing roof surfaces.

Mumm Napa– Napa, CA

Located on the scenic Silverado Trail in the Napa Valley on a 73.7-acre site, this 210,000-case capacity sparkling wine facility contains a 9,600 square foot tour and tasting complex as well as retail facilities and art gallery. The winery buildings are set into the base of an existing knoll that takes advantage of the ambient temperature of the earth for natural cooling and insulation, and reduces the visual impact of the buildings from the Silverado Trail. A daylight-filled wine tasting room with picturesque views of the vineyards provides an inviting place to leisurely enjoy a flavorful glass of wine.

Staglin Family Vineyards – Rutherford, CA

Built into a steep hillside so none of the vineyard land and aging oak trees would be displaced, the Staglin Family Winery and Caves naturally provides ideal temperature and humidity for optimum production and storage for premium wines including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sangiovese. The 25,000 square foot underground winemaking facility utilizes state-of-the-art tank technology. Custom constructed sorting tables, destemming equipment and conveyor belts provide gentle handling of the grape, preventing any compromise in quality.

Robert Mondavi Winery “To-Kalon Project” – Oakville, CA

The “To-Kolon Project,” named after the winery’s signature vineyard in Oakville, included a re-routing of the tour of the winery through the vineyard, the cellar and the tasting and retail rooms. The project also included an underground chais for the aging of Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve in new French Oak barrels. A new fermentation cellar was also constructed and outfitted with more than fifty new Taransaud upright French Oak fermenters. The movement of wine in the cellar is done completely by gravity, the most gentle of all methods.

Cardinale Winery – Oakville, CA

The expansion of an existing 1970’s stone building includes a new second story addition which provides visitors with dramatic views of the valley and glimpses into the fermentation tanks located a floor below.

Hamden McIntyre (1834 – 1909)

Hamden McIntyre was a proponent of the concept of “gravity flow.” His multiple story wineries accomplish this task and his propensity for huge, stately, chateau-like structures, mostly of stone construction, helped change the appearance of Napa Valley from a typical Northern California agricultural zone to an oasis of European culture[i]. Examples of McIntyre’s work include:

Far Niente – Oakville, CA

Far Niente was established in 1885 by John Benson, a forty-niner of the California gold rush and uncle of the famous American impressionist painter, Winslow Homer. Benson hired architect Hamden McIntyre, creator of the former Christian Brothers winery, now the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, to design the building. Constructed against a hillside in western Oakville, Far Niente functioned as a gravity flow winery, gently moving the grapes through each stage of production. Abandoned in 1919 after Prohibition, the winery was restored in 1979 by Gil Nickel.

Inglenook – Rutherford, CA

Gustave Niebaum, a Finnish sea captain, wine connoisseur and entrepreneur, founded Inglenook in 1879. Niebaum commissioned William Mooser, a San Francisco architect, to design the great chateau in conjunction with Hamden McIntyre, who provided the design for the winery. Construction on the present winery began in 1881.

Trefethen – Napa, CA

Constructed in 1886 by McIntyre, the winery was originally known as Eshcol. The Trefethens purchased the property in 1968 and restored it, only replacing the dirt floor with concrete. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.  After being severely damaged in the August 2014 Napa earthquake, the Trefethens have undergone a complete restoration of the property.

Other McIntyre designed wineries include: Chateau Montelena, Beaulieu Vineyards, Christian Brothers’ Greystone (now Culinary Institute of American at Greystone), and Whetstone.

Signum Architects

Juancarlos Fernandez & Jarrod Denton

Partners Jarrod Denton and Juancarlos Fernandez met early in their careers while working together at a Napa Valley architecture firm. Due to similarities in values and work ethic, they combined their talents to found Signum Architecture in early 2011. Their mission is to engage the power of architecture to stir emotion and invoke reflection while setting the stage for inspired living. Examples of their work include:

Cade Winery– Angwin, CA

The design honors the owner’s dedication to environmentally sustainable winemaking. An inverted roof, floating over a row of clerestory windows, visually disappears –  leaving a striking complex of concrete walls. Strong vertical elements of wood throughout, evoke the dark, towering, fir trees in the background.

HALL Winery – St. Helena, CA

On the valley floor, this building sits between two mountains, drawing tasters from all sides. Upon entry, guests are drawn into a quieter, darker space, close to the winemaking process, and then released back out toward the openness of the valley. The buildings’ natural materials: weathering steel, warm concrete, and stone, unite it with the adjacent, historic building. The curtain of transparent, low iron structural glazing is stunning and dynamic. The glass reveals the warm interior materials and reflects the splendor of the landscape.

Odette Estate – Napa, CA

This winery was created to produce elegant and feminine wines, which they sought to reflect in the architecture. The side view of the facility evokes the sweeping curve of a swan’s wing, inspired by the Tchaikovsky ballet character Odette. The unique production building adds an organic element to the light and modern hospitality facilities already on the property. The round footprint responds to its location, tucked into a natural cove made by hillsides on three sides. The living roof appears to have been pushed up from the earth to reveal the veil-like screen of perforated aluminum that shelters the work pad at the front of the facility. Inside the screen, a line of tall, dark panels in voluptuous shapes may be slid across the space, creating a whimsical entry that is screened from office and winery activities beyond.

William Turnbull (1935 – 1997)

Born to architect parents, and the great-grandson of George B. Post, who designed the New York Stock Exchange building, Turnbull studied at Princeton and was influenced by the sea through his work at Big Sur, later creating the iconic Sea Ranch community. His style uses simple shed-like structures of wood and natural light that combine to appear like abstract sculpture. While he produced buildings all over the country, as the years went on he increasingly defined himself as a Bay Area architect, concerned with finding a means to enhance a sense of connection to the northern California region[ii]. Examples of Turnbull’s work include:

Turnbull Wine Cellars – St. Helena, CA

William Turnbull founded Johnson Turnbull Vineyards in 1979. He designed Turnbull Cellars to be low key and in tune with its environment. It’s a classic example of a small hands-on Napa Valley operation. William Turnbull once said, “You want to have an image of a winery that cares about the last drop of wine in the bottle.”

Long Meadow Ranch – St. Helena, CA

A departure from Turnbull’s typical style, the Long Meadow Ranch Winery is a wine and olive oil-making structure on a ranch below the Mayacamus Mountains. Sited on a gently sloping hill backed by forests, the building digs into the hill on the north side to take full advantage of the passive cooling opportunities. Caves for wine storage run deep into the hillside. The tailings of the caves were used to create the pisè walls that enclose the building.

Cakebread Cellars – Rutherford, CA

The initial winery for Cakebread Cellars was built in 1974, and a new winery building, designed by Turnbull, was added in 1980.  His vernacular design, which blends with the vines and surrounding valleys, won awards from the California Architects Association in 1981, the East Bay Architects Association in 1982 and the AIA & Wood Council in 1983.

Single winery architecture projects:

Michael Graves (1934 – 2015)

Identified as one of The New York Five (Peter Eisenman, Michael Graves, Charles Gwathmey, John Hejduk and Richard Meier), Graves is known first for his post-modern building designs, often with great mass, Cubist interpretations of classical elements like colonnades and loggias.

Clos Pegase – Calistoga, CA

Clos Pegase began as a competition in May 1984 with the participation of 96 design teams. The esteemed competition jury, including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), narrowed the field to five, and then declared the winning design to be that of architect Michael Graves. Construction of the Postmodern design was completed in 1987, merging modern and ancient Mediterranean Culture.

Graves describes the character of his creation as tending “to evoke memories of a European ancestry” and having a “timeless sensibility.” The selection jury explained, “it embodies a celebration of the lifestyle that is unique to the Napa Valley.”

Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928 – 2000)

The common themes in his work utilized bright colors, organic forms, a reconciliation of humans with nature, and a strong individualism, rejecting straight lines. He was fascinated by spirals, and called straight lines “the devil’s tools.” He called his theory of art “transautomatism,” based on Surrealist automatism, but focusing on the experience of the viewer, rather than the artist. This was encapsulated by his design of a new flag for New Zealand, which incorporated the image of the Koru, a spiral shape based on the image of a new unfurling silver fern frond and symbolizing new life, growth, strength and peace according to the Māori people.

Quixote Winery – Napa, CA

Smithsonian curator Harry Rand introduced Carl Doumani to the delightfully witty Viennese artist, architect, philosopher and environmentalist who would design Quixote. It was the magic of the Stags Leap Palisades and the little pond above the winery that captured Friedensreich’s soul. The winery was planned and built during the period 1988 to 1998. Hundertwasser had a lot of rules, all of which create the festive atmosphere that is Quixote: no straight lines; roofs are planted with grass and trees; every building is capped with a gold leaf onion dome to elevate man’s sense of himself; and color is king.

Herzog (1950 – ) & de Meuron (1950 – )

Their formal gestures have generally progressed from the purist simplicity of rectangular forms to more complex and dynamic geometries. The architects often cite Joseph Beuys as an enduring artistic inspiration and collaborate with different artists on each architectural project. Their success may be attributed to their skills in revealing unfamiliar or unknown relationships by utilizing innovative materials. From Basel, Switzerland, Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron have constructed numerous renowned buildings, including the Tate Modern in London, the Allianz Stadium in Munich, the Prada boutique in Tokyo, the de Young museum in San Francisco and the “Bird’s Nest” stadium in Beijing. In 2001, they were awarded the Pritzker Prize, contemporary architecture’s highest award.

Dominus Estate – Yountville, CA

Completed in 1997, the Dominus Estate Winery is perfectly integrated into its landscape, offering panoramic views of the vineyard and hillsides. With its gabion facade, the winery seems to dissolve into its surroundings, an intentional effect, underscoring the importance of the vineyard in the production of a great wine. The winery was Herzog and de Meuron’s first project outside of Europe.

Heiland Hoff Architecture, LLC

Howard Heid & Heiland Hoff

Vineyard 29 – St. Helena, CA

Completed in 2002, the 17,000 square foot winery is built of stone materials, and terraced with landscape plantings to fit beautifully within the natural landscape of the vineyards that surround it. The winery design is gravity flow in nature, increasing the quality of the wine produced and substantially reducing undesirable aeration by pumps and winemaking machinery. Designed to make the least environmental impact, the facility generates its own electricity using micro turbines.  As a byproduct, this system “co-generates” all the winery’s hot and chilled water and cools the winery’s 13,000 square feet of caves.

Howard Heid & Heiland Hoff also completed the retrofit for Culinary Institute of America Greystone.

Johnson, Fain, & Pereira

Scott Johnson

Opus One – Oakville, CA

The building literally rises out of the earth, and through a mix of classical European and contemporary Californian elements, gradually discloses its distinctive beauty.

Defined by colonnades on either side, a central courtyard introduces an architectural motif found throughout the building. The winery, like the wine, joins New World and Old World aesthetics. Modern materials, including California redwood and stainless steel, are juxtaposed against cream-colored Texas limestone.

Beat Jordi (Bay–aht Yordee) – Deceased

Second generation architect Beat Jordi worked with Marcel Breuer before taking over Jordi + Partner AG in 1970. Now deceased, Jordi’s son still runs the company in Switzerland. He designed the Museum of Natural History in Bern, the Swiss Embassy in Islamabad, the US Embassy in Bern, the Swiss Consulate & UN Mission in NY, and the Bundesplatz Branch of BEKB in Bern.

Hess Collection – Napa, CA

The original winery on Mount Veeder was hewn from native stone in 1903. Beat Jordi renovated the structure in the mid-1980’s to house part of an art collection previously only shown in museums worldwide making the Hess Collection the premier showcase for Hess’s “two passions under one roof.”

Olle Lundberg

Hourglass Winery – Calistoga, CA

Olle Lundberg is a San Francisco architect who describes his style as “nature-inspired modernism.”  Ownership requested he design a winery that celebrates modern Napa Valley rather than “borrowed architecture”, a design to embody their dedication the sense of place and their cutting-edge approach to winemaking. The winery is open for tasting to wine list members only.

Cliff May (1909 – 1989)

May, born in San Diego, was a West Coast-based architect best known for being the “father of the California ranch house.” He designed residential projects around Southern California, Santa Barbara and the Monterey area.

Robert Mondavi Winery – Napa, CA

Robert Mondavi commissioned Cliff May to build his eponymous winery incorporating the features found in the construction of California Missions.  He later commissioned May to design the residence Mondavi would live in for the duration of his life. Following Robert Mondavi’s death in 2008, the residential property was auctioned at a price of $13.9 million, purchased by vintner Jean Charles Boisset and wife, Gina Gallo.

Domingo Darden Triay (DOB unknown -)

Artesa – Napa, CA

Artesa is a testament to the harmony between nature and architecture, a skillful example of interaction between structure and environment. Designed by renowned Barcelona architect Domingo Triay and built in the early 1990’s, the avant-garde structure was conceived to blend seamlessly with the surrounding landscape. Set into the highest hill of the 350-acre estate with a protective covering of native grasses, the winery is kept naturally cool by its earthen construction. On the interior, two stories below the main entrance, is the meticulously managed barrel room where small wine lots are fermented, aged and artfully blended.

UXUX (Amsterdam)

Merus – St. Helena, CA

One of Napa’s fabled “ghost wineries,” abandoned in the wake of Prohibition, was fully updated to include custom-made winemaking equipment and 7,000 square feet of caves for barrel storage. The winery’s tasting salon and a second tasting area in the caves were stunningly renovated by Merus co-founder Erika Gottl’s Amsterdam-based UXUS design consultancy. The winery is open for tasting by invitation only.

GREAT WINE CAPITALS 2017 REGIONAL BEST OF WINE TOURISM AWARD WINNERS

As one of nine recognized Great Wine Capitals, San Francisco | Napa Valley has awarded its hospitality leaders the 2017 Best Of Wine Tourism regional designations in seven categories.

The Best Of awards categories include accommodations; art and culture; architecture and landscape; innovative wine tourism experience; sustainable wine tourism practices; wine tourism restaurant; and wine tourism services.

The 2017 Best Of regional San Francisco | Napa Valley winners are:

Accommodations – Poetry Inn (Napa Valley)

Art and Culture – Auberge du Soleil (Napa Valley)

Architecture and Landscape – Trefethen Family Vineyards (Napa Valley)

Innovative Wine Tourism Experience – Conn Creek Winery (Napa Valley)

Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices – Phifer Pavitt Winery (Napa Valley)

Wine Tourism Restaurant – First Crush Restaurant & Wine Bar (San Francisco)

Wine Tourism Service – Napa Valley Balloons Inc. (Napa Valley)

An additional level of recognition – The Regional Wine Tourism Award of Merit – has been awarded to four businesses as an honorable mention recognizing a high level of commitment to wine tourism. The 2017 Regional Wine Tourism Award of Merit San Francisco | Napa Valley winners are:

Accommodation – Milliken Creek Inn & Spa (Napa Valley)

Architecture and Landscape – Trinchero Napa Valley (Napa Valley)

Innovative Wine Tourism Experience – Charbay Winery & Distillery (Napa Valley)

Wine Tourism Restaurant – Bounty Hunter Wine Bar & Smokin’ BBQ (Napa Valley)

An international Best Of award is presented to one wine tourism business within each region that is deemed best in class across all nine Great Wine Capitals by an international jury.

All regional Best Of award winners will move forward to compete for the global awards, which will be judged by an international panel of respected wine tourism professionals and presented at the annual general meeting of the Great Wine Capitals Global Network, to be held in November 2016 in Porto, Portugal. The international judges will choose one overall winner for each region, selecting from the seven regional “Best of” title-holders.

About Visit Napa Valley
Visit Napa Valley is the official tourism marketing organization for the Napa Valley, with a mission to promote, protect and enhance the region’s position as one of the world’s premier wine, food, arts and wellness destinations. The area, known for its legendary hospitality, is also internationally recognized as one of only nine “Great Wine Capitals” and has more Michelin Stars per capita than any other wine region in the world.

The Napa Valley, conveniently located just an hour from the San Francisco Bay Area, consists of the following distinctive towns, including, from north to south, Calistoga, St. Helena, Rutherford/Oakville, Yountville, the city of Napa, American Canyon, and the outdoor recreation area of Lake Berryessa. For additional information on the Napa Valley, or to plan your Napa Valley experience, please explore www.VisitNapaValley.com, join “The Napa Valley” on Facebook, and follow @VisitNapaValley on Twitter. Media relations contact: Angela Jackson, angela@visitnapavalley.com

About San Francisco Travel
The San Francisco Travel Association is the official tourism marketing organization for the City and County of San Francisco. For information on reservations, activities and more, visit www.sftravel.com or call 415-391-2000. The Visitor Information Center is located at 900 Market St. in Hallidie Plaza, lower level, near the Powell Street cable car turnaround. American Express® is the official Card partner of the San Francisco Travel Association. Media relations contact: Laurie Armstrong, larmstrong@sanfrancisco.travel

About Great Wine Capitals Global Network
Founded in 1999, the Great Wine Capitals Global Network is an alliance of nine internationally renowned wine regions – Adelaide, South Australia; Bilbao-Rioja, Spain; Bordeaux, France; Cape Town/Cape Winelands, South Africa; Mainz-Rheinhessen, Germany; Mendoza, Argentina; Porto, Portugal; San Francisco/Napa Valley, USA; and Valparaiso/Casablanca Valley, Chile. The international Best Of Wine Tourism awards serves as an industry benchmark for excellence and recognizes leading wineries and wine-tourism related businesses within each Great Wine Capital that have distinguished themselves in areas such as innovation, service and sustainable practices. For more information visit www.greatwinecapitals.com

Napa Valley is a Golf Lover's Paradise

While many golfers are also wine aficionados, the Napa Valley is home to a few professional golfers who have produced their own wine labels.  LPGA winner Cristie Kerr’s “Curvature” wine label is a collaboration with Suzanne Pride Bryan, owner of Pride Mountain Vineyards in Napa Valley. Curvature wines are limited-production and proceeds go to breast cancer research. Professional golfer Luke Donald partnered with Terlato Wine Group to create the Luke Donald Collection, which includes a Claret-style red wine blend as well as Carneros Chardonnay.  And, Arnold Palmer wines may be found at Luna Vineyards on the Silverado Trail in Napa.

With eight golf courses available to visitors, the Napa Valley offers a variety of opportunities to get onto the fairways in between wine tasting and dining. From lush resort courses with all the amenities, to challenging 18-hole municipal tracks, and intriguing nine-hole layouts for a quick round, the Napa Valley offers a course for golfers of every experience level and dedication, each with vineyard views.

From south valley to north, Napa Valley golf courses include:

Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa offers two championship level 18-hole courses set against the eastern hills of the Napa Valley. Redesigned by PGA Hall of Famer Johnny Miller, both the north and south courses offer world-class golf for resort guests and feature dozens of water crossings, elevation changes and routing through historic oak trees.  The resort hosted the PGA TOUR from 1968-1980, producing a prestigious list of winners including Jack Nicklaus (1969), Ben Crenshaw (1980), Tom Watson (1978) and two-time winner and tournament host, Johnny Miller (1974-75). In addition, Silverado Resort and Spa was a Champions Tour venue from 1989-2002.  Now, Silverado is home to the Safeway Open until at least 2020 (the PGA’s season opening tournament formerly known as the Frys.com Open). The tournament will continue to bring top PGA TOUR competition to Northern California and further its charitable and economic efforts in the local community. www.silveradoresort.com

Chardonnay Golf Club in Napa features 18-holes of championship golf to challenge players of all skill levels on a layout that meanders through more than 150 acres of Chardonnay vineyards, numerous lakes and creek crossings, and a wide variety of native trees, shrubs and wildlife, including hawks, kites, kestrels, hummingbirds, and an occasional golden eagle. In the early morning or late evening hours, rabbits, squirrels, foxes, and many other “critters” stroll through the fairways. www.chardonnaygolfclub.com

Eagle Vines Vineyards and Golf Club in Napa is an 18-hole, par 72 golf course situated in the foothills with vineyard views in every direction. Designed in part by the PGA Hall of Famer Johnny Miller, Eagle Vines was founded on the belief that nature and golf were meant to co-exist in magnificent harmony, and has made a profound commitment to protecting the extraordinary natural environment of the Napa Valley. www.eaglevinesgolfclub.com

Napa Golf Course at Kennedy Park in Napa is a challenging 18-hole full-service championship golf course with an 8,500 square foot putting green, chipping green, and a 22 individual stall driving range. With four sets of tees to accommodate golfers of any skill level, Napa Golf Course is also user friendly, fun, and provides affordable access to all. www.playnapa.com

Vintners Golf Club is a beautiful nine-hole course located in the heart of Napa Valley in the charming town of Yountville. Featuring three different sets of tees, Vintner’s Golf Course is designed to accommodate professionals and scratch players, in addition to the golfing public at large. Players of all skill levels find Vintners Golf Club to be a highly enjoyable track. www.vintnersgolfclub.com

Reserved for resort guests, The Meadowood Golf Course in St. Helena has reopened for play after an extensive renovation. This nine-hole walking golf course offers immaculate playing surfaces and ideal conditions in a beautiful natural setting within the luxurious Meadowood Napa Valley Resort and Spa.  A unique experience resort guests may enjoy at the resort is hickory golf, played with authentic hickory wood–shafted clubs dating from the early 1900s and specialized golf balls that replicate old-fashioned tree-sap versions.  www.meadowood.com

Situated among the rolling hills, vineyards and ancient oaks of Napa’s tranquil Pope Valley, historic Aetna Springs has been a favorite spot for golf in the wine country for more than a century. One of the oldest courses west of the Mississippi, this nine-hole track dates back to 1893 and has been meticulously rejuvenated by renowned golf course designer Tom Doak, working with the natural terrain while carefully maintaining its rustic beauty. www.aetnasprings.com

At the very northern border of the Napa Valley lies Mt. St. Helena Golf Course in Calistoga. This nine-hole, par 34 course is attractive to golfers of all ages and skill levels. Ideal for the novice or younger player due to its length, flat layout, and open architecture, yet challenging to the more advanced player because of its narrow tree-lined fairways and smaller greens that demand accuracy, Mt. St. Helena Golf is an ideal course for families and groups of friends. www.mtsthelenagolfcourse.org

Tourism Continues to Boost Napa Valley's Economy

Visitors to Napa Valley spent a record $1.27 billion in the county in 2015, which represents an 8.9 percent increase over 2014 and the highest percentage gain of all of California’s 58 counties, according to the 2015 Economic Impact report released on May 2, 2016 by Visit California. The report, released during National Travel and Tourism Week May 1 -7, finds that travel spending is a leading source of employment opportunities for local residents and tax revenue for local governments. Produced in partnership by Dean Runyan Associates, the report is an update from preliminary findings released in February at Visit California’s 2016 Outlook Forum.

“Tourism is a significant and growing piece of the Bay Area’s economy,” said Visit California President and CEO Caroline Beteta. “As we celebrate National Travel and Tourism week, it is important to keep the continued success of the travel industry top-of-mind as a source of benefits for the entire community.”

Visitor spending supported 13,680 jobs in the Napa Valley and generated $116 million in tax revenue. “According to the report, the number of jobs related to and supported by tourism has increased by 3.7 percent from 2014,” adds Clay Gregory, president and CEO of Visit Napa Valley. “These figures prove that the travel and tourism industry is an extremely powerful economic driver for the Napa Valley and Visit Napa Valley will continue its efforts to target ‘need periods’ through our marketing and sales efforts.”

The report also indicates that the highest percentage of visitor spending in 2015 was for accommodations, with $355 million, which is an increase of 15 percent from 2014. This is followed by food service with $331 million, an increase of 10 percent from 2014, and retail sales of $224 million, an increase of 7 percent from 2014.

Visit California is a statewide organization that works with local partners across the state to develop and implement innovative global marketing programs that instill a desire for the California Dream and attract visitors to the state. This work plays an important role in growing Napa Valley’s tourism economy, as sustained messaging to potential visitors is essential to attracting travelers and enticing them to return to create new experiences. Access the report “California Travel Impacts by County, 1992-2014, 2015 Preliminary State & Regional Estimates,” and see a breakdown of all the data statewide by visiting http://industry.visitcalifornia.com/impacts.

Family-Friendly Napa Valley

While the Napa Valley may be best known for its world-class wineries and restaurants, it is also an ideal destination for families. Year-round mild temperatures and more than 53,000 acres of protected land allow visitors of all ages to fully enjoy the outdoors, while educational adventures, full-service hotels, and family-friendly restaurants result in itineraries that appeal to all.

Find out the where and how, here!

The Great Outdoors

From the Napa River to Lake Berryessa, Napa County is home to several large bodies of water, and all the associated fun, water-related sports. Rent a kayak or paddleboard at Napa Valley Paddle or Getaway Adventures, and spend the day afloat. Or get an altitude adjustment by hiking in one of Napa Valley’s many protected outdoor areas such as Alston Park, Newell Open Space Preserve, Skyline Wilderness Park, or Bothe Napa Valley State Park. The valley is also full of great biking trails. The Napa Valley Vine Trail, which currently provides a 12-mile trail between Napa and Yountville, will eventually link 47 continuous miles along the valley floor. Bicycle rentals are available at Napa Valley Bike Tours, St. Helena Cyclery, and the Calistoga Bike Shop. For younger kids, there are playgrounds at Napa’s Fuller Park, Yountville Park, and St. Helena’s Crane Park. Connolly Ranch offers farm-based education programs for kids of all ages. If there are teens in the family, Napa and St. Helena feature excellent skate parks.

Another family favorite is Calistoga’s Old Faithful Geyser, one of the world’s three such named geysers, which erupts a spout of 350-degree water every half hour. While waiting for the eruption, families may visit the petting zoo’s Tennessee Fainting Goats, four-horned sheep, and llamas. Just up the road is the Petrified Forest, with giant redwood trees that were turned into stone following a massive volcanic explosion that took place more than three million years ago. Or, give the kids a wine-country memory they will never forget and reserve a hot-air balloon ride in the wee morning hours with Napa Valley Aloft or Balloons Above the Valley that provide breathtaking views of the valley at sunrise. Napa Valley Aloft Balloon launches from V Marketplace in Yountville and accommodates children as young as six years old.

Kid-Friendly Wine-Tasting

Many Napa Valley wineries cater to families to ensure that both adults and children have a memorable and enjoyable experience. Sterling Vineyards is reached by a gondola rising 300 feet to a mountaintop winery designed to resemble a contemporary Greek fortress. Once off the tram, kids receive a “tram pack” of goodies to keep them busy. The self-guided tour allows guests to walk around the grounds rather than standing in a tasting room, and frozen slushies are offered to children.

Frog’s Leap Winery is also a working farm, complete with vegetable and fruit gardens, and a large pond for frog catching and goldfish spotting. It also offers a kids’ soda-tasting and coloring books. Or take a tour in a 4×4 vehicle at Long Meadow Ranch’s mountain vineyards. Its tasting room in downtown St. Helena has a petanque court and large lawns for working off excess energy. Castello di Amorosa in Calistoga is a meticulous reproduction of a 13th-century Tuscan castle that will fascinate all ages with its dungeon, moat, suits of armor, and courtyard. Outside, there are emus, peacocks, and sheep to entertain even the most tired toddler, child, or teen. And at Chateau Montelena, renowned for its role in the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting and the film Bottle Shock, families can explore the castle-like winery with its little lake, Japanese gardens, and koi fish.

Menus for Finicky Eaters

Oxbow Public Market in Napa is an upscale food court that appeases every palate or craving. Gott’s Roadside, both in Napa and St. Helena, provides American classics such as burgers, fries, and shakes, and wines by the glass or bottle for adults. Pizza requests may be fulfilled at Pizzeria Tra Vigne, Azzuro Pizzeria and Enoteca, or Velo Pizzeria in downtown Napa. Calistoga has Checkers and Café Sarafornia, both offering kid-friendly menus.

The restored antique Pullman-style Napa Valley Wine Train is another family-friendly dining option. The locomotive departs from downtown Napa and runs through St. Helena. The seasonal open-air car is especially popular with families and, while the regular train journeys do not offer a dedicated children’s menu, they are able to adapt dishes for younger tastes, including a barbeque meal or plate of simple pasta.

If there is a budding chef in the family, book a tour at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena to visit the vegetable gardens and learn about cooking techniques and healthy eating. Their gift shop features items perfect for kids, including right-sized chef hats and aprons, cookbooks, and child-friendly utensils.

Arts and Culture

At di Rosa, peacocks roam the grounds that feature a sculpture garden, which is home to the world’s tallest filing cabinet and a hanging upside down car. The Napa Valley Museum offers a range of family friendly activities including culinary adventures that teach attendees the layers of the earth by decorating cakes and learning about fine arts by painting portraits. Each month offers a different activity. The Yountville Art Walk, similar to an outdoor treasure hunt for art, is a perfect activity for kids of all ages.

For those visiting the Napa Valley in April, be sure to review Napa Valley’s Arts in April program. Interactive experiences include the “Treasure Calistoga Scavenger Hunt” created by Treasure Napa, a group of local artists who produce treasure hunts on Instagram to support local businesses and promote the arts.

A visit to the working Bale Grist Mill is like stepping back into 19th-century Napa Valley, and visitors can even buy flour milled on site. Or, visit the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum next to the St. Helena Library to learn about the author of Treasure Island and A Child’s Garden of Verses and see some of his childhood memorabilia. Stevenson spent his two-month honeymoon in an abandoned miner’s cabin on the side of Mt. St. Helena, and his book, The Silverado Squatters, recounts that adventure.

Family-Friendly Lodging

The recently renovated Indian Springs Resort in Calistoga depicts a family vacation circa 1930, with a range of accommodations that includes rooms, bungalows, cottages, and houses. A big attraction for kids is the Olympic-sized mineral pool, one of the largest pools in California, which is kept at 82–102 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the season. The resort also offers complimentary bikes to ride around the property or into town.

The bustling social scene at Solage Calistoga means a fun stay for all age groups. There are two pools, one for families and a separate Olympic-size pool for adults, both surrounded by towering palms. Kids can play bocce ball or borrow the complimentary beach cruisers to bike into town.

Each of the multi-room lodges at Calistoga Ranch provides a full kitchen and a central outdoor family space. Complimentary bicycles are provided to guests for easy access to downtown Calistoga. Catch a glimpse of the resort’s Baby Doll sheep that work as natural “lawnmowers” on the property.

Meadowood Napa Valley is the perfect home base for an active family. The 250-acre resort includes tennis courts, golf fairways, croquet lawns, hiking trails, and spacious cottages. During the summer, its Children’s Sports Camps are open to children ages 6 to 11 and offer instruction in tennis, golf, and croquet as well as supervised swim classes.

The Carneros Inn in Napa offers a collection of stylish and comfortable cottages with plenty of space for groups. Along with a family pool (as well as an adults-only pool) with toys and snacks, the younger set may enjoy kids’ yoga classes while mom and dad relax at the spa. Other family-friendly non-resort properties, each which feature swimming pools for a relaxing splash at the end of the day, include the Westin Verasa; Embassy Suites; the Hilton Garden Inn, and the new Hampton Inn and Suites, each in Napa; the El Bonita Motel in St. Helena; and the Best Western Plus Stevenson Manor in Calistoga.

Bronco’s Bright Green Future

When Rare Earth, Bronco Wine Company’s newest wine brand made from organic grapes, hit the shelves of 450 Trader Joe’s stores in February, its arrival raised the question: Will Rare Earth be Bronco’s next Charles Shaw? During an interview with Bronco CEO Fred Franzia shortly after his polarizing keynote at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in January, his reply to that million-case question stacks up in favor of the nation’s leading organic retailer. “If Trader Joe’s positions Rare Earth to be the number one organic item in America, it will be,” says Franzia, who believes that quality and accessibility will qualify the red blend (which retails for $7.99) to become the Charles Shaw of the organic category.

As the mainstreaming of organic continues across the consumer package goods sector at a brisk pace, research on wine trends and fads (presented at Unified by Nielsen’s Danny Brager) found 30% of wine consumers surveyed were keenly interested in organic brands. When that trend is viewed in conjunction with the growth of red blends priced at less than $10 being driven by millennial, African American and Hispanic consumers, the future of an organic wine brand that’s in the right place at the right price could very well mean another home run for Franzia.

With more than 60 brands to its credit, Bronco already markets a handful of brands made from organic grapes in addition to Rare Earth: Cottonwood Creek, Green Fin and Green Truck can be found labeled accordingly at Trader Joe’s stores across 35 states. Sourcing organic grapes isn’t going to pose a challenge for Bronco, which is in the process of converting 5,000 acres in Madera County that will come online as certified organic next year. “When I asked CCOF [California Certified Organic Farmers] what the biggest obstacle was to going organic, I was surprised to find the answer was weeds,” says Franzia. “Mechanical weed hoes are the solution to that problem.”

In 2014, CCOF reported a total of 10,766 acres of certified organic wine grapes. The majority of that acreage is located in Mendocino County and fuels Fetzer’s organic brand portfolio, including Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon, which retails for $14. By harvest time next year, Bronco will control more than one-third of the state’s CCOF vineyards and will have the resources to produce in excess of 400,000 cases of wine made from organic grapes.

INVESTING IN SUSTAINABILITY

The call to action for water conservation was a key message in Franzia’s keynote to the state’s growers, and the flood-irrigated almond orchards that line the road to the company’s winery in Ceres serve as a constant reminder of the need to conserve. Franzia, who recently invested $2 million in a groundwater recharging project on South Tracy Lake, is among the early adopters heeding the state’s prescription for long-term water conservation efforts.

“It takes initiative for landowners to front the capital costs involved in projects of this scale,” says attorney Jennifer Spaletta, who consulted on the project. “The incentives are there for groundwater management, and Bronco has faith that, over time, the project will pay off.” In 2011, the North San Joaquin Water Conservation District received a federal grant of $300,000, with Bronco picking up the tab for the additional costs of an environmental study and building a pump station to capture unused water from the Mokelumne River.

As water becomes available under the district’s permit, 3,000 to 4,000 acre-feet will be diverted to South Tracy Lake, west of Woodbridge, to recharge groundwater and drip irrigate 1,300 acres of nearby vineyards. A planned second phase has the potential to irrigate another 5,700 acres. According to Spaletta, the project will only be used when water is available, which is estimated to be 50% to 60% of the time.

In addition to easing demands on groundwater, there are environmental benefits: a state-of-the-art fish screen that protects fish from being trapped by the diversion, and the creation of a new riparian habitat around South Tracy Lake. “Everyone should be doing this,” says Franzia, who cited that flood irrigation is still being used on about 60% of California’s 7.54 million irrigated acres. With South Tracy Lake as a model for best practices, he has several new groundwater recharging projects on the drawing board.

EDUCATION AS A DRIVER OF CHANGE

Just as education is speeding consumer adoption of organics, it also has been key to the adoption of moderate wine consumption as part of the Mediterranean diet. In his Unified address, Franzia credited the efforts of erudite policy advisor John DeLuca, who became president and CEO of the Wine Institute in 1975. DeLuca introduced the work of the husband-and-wife team, Carol and Malcom McConnell, to the board in 1986. In 1987, the Wine Institute provided funding and research assistance that put their book, “The Mediterranean Diet: Wine, Pasta, Olive Oil and a Long, Healthy Life,” on the map.

“He had the support of the board and the chairman [Michael Mondavi] at that pivotal time,” says Franzia, who served as chairman of the Wine Institute in 1981 and 1982 and as a board member for several years during DeLuca’s 28-year tenure.

DeLuca then spent the next seven years educating the press about the health benefits of moderate wine consumption. In 1991, CBS TV broadcast a “60 Minutes” program titled “The French Paradox,” which included interviews with leading international alcohol researchers and credited the low rates of heart disease in France to regular red wine consumption. The broadcast heightened awareness of DeLuca’s efforts and, in 1993, working with the Oldways Preservation and Exchange Trust, the Harvard School of Public Health and the European Office of the World Health Organization, the Mediterranean diet went mainstream when they created the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid. Today, the Mediterranean diet is recognized as a “gold standard” eating pattern that promotes life-long good health.

“Supporting scientific research that states the health benefits of moderate wine consumption continues to be the right choice,” says Franzia. “Emphasis on the Mediterranean diet is vital to the wine community. By placing wine squarely in the nutrition column, it prevents disparaging attacks against wine as a gateway drug and the introduction of crippling taxes.”

Franzia’s regard for DeLuca as a strategist and industry advocate is readily apparent: “He’s one of the smartest men I know.” In addition to securing federal funding for cardiovascular and health research that validated the health benefits of wine, DeLuca spearheaded many initiatives during his almost three decades with the Wine Institute, including the Code of Sustainable Winegrape Growing. With the formation of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance in 2002, sustainable winegrowing practices have since been widely adopted by California’s wineries and growers.

With education playing an important role in Bronco’s sustainability efforts, Joseph “Joey” Franzia, Fred’s son, has spearheaded education within the organization. Bronco introduced the London-based Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Level 2 certification for its sales teams in 2014. “Close to 90% of our sales force and marketing division are now WSET Level 2 certified,” says Franzia, who also holds the certification. WSET certification has also bolstered the performance for Bronco’s distribution division, Classic Wines, which has a sales team that works with a large international portfolio that requires an understanding of winegrowing and winemaking practices from dozens of regions worldwide.

Recognizing the vital role that continuing education plays in a rapidly evolving industry, Bronco, which had previously outsourced its WSET training, is now moving to establish an internal training division as a Wine & Spirits Education Trust Approved Program Provider (APP). “Certification has become a baseline standard for the industry, and being able to offer it to our partners and vendors represents an important value-add,” says Joey Franzia. As one of the nation’s largest wine producers, Bronco joins Constellation, Gallo and Jackson Family Wines, all of which have robust internal education divisions.

ONE BILLION CASE GOAL

Bronco marked an impressive milestone when Fred Franzia announced from the podium at Unified that the company had reached sales of 1 billion bottles of its flagship brand, Charles Shaw. As the largest vineyard holder in California — the company owns 40,000 acres of vines — Franzia remains steadfastly committed to San Joaquin Valley, “I won’t plant grapes anywhere but here,” was his definitive reply when asked if he was among the San Joaquin-based growers expanding by acquiring coastal wineries. “The truth is that we should be planting better-quality grapes and growing them more efficiently to attack the 40% of the market now being supplied by imports,” he says. He points to vine pulling in the valley as the need to replace older, low-yielding vineyards, not as a function of oversupply. “San Joaquin Valley has the infrastructure to grow, process and supply the billions of gallons of high-quality wines that will be necessary to supply the demand side,” says Franzia. His long-term prediction for the sales of wine priced below $10 a bottle: By 2040, the California wine industry will be selling more than 1 billion cases of table wine annually.

Fred Franzia largely got it right

I’m largely in agreement with Fred Franzia when he defends the Central Valley and “California”-appellated wine, as he did the other day when he presented the keynote address at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium.

Fred’s affection for the Central Valley comes naturally: he runs Bronco Wine Co., whose scores of brands, including Two Buck Chuck, are based on Central Valley fruit. Fred’s point, if I understand it correctly, seems premised on two things, one explicit, the other implicit.

The explicit point is that wine production in the Central Valley could be greatly increased, offering consumers greater opportunities to buy inexpensive wine, as well as for restaurants to sell bottles for $10 each. This latter point is something Fred’s long called for.

As a diner myself, I wouldn’t mind $10 bottles of wine in restaurants, where a bottle can frequently exceed the cost of the food itself. Indeed, everyone I know who isn’t rich—and that’s most people I know—sees expensive wine as the single biggest hassle of eating out. So I’m all onboard the Fred Franzia train on this one.

Fred’s implicit point, or so it seems to me knowing the man a little and reading between the lines, is that there long has existed a certain disrespect and dismissiveness towards California-appellated wine on the part of the establishment: sommeliers, high-end restaurateurs, certain wine critics and, through trickle-down, some consumers. According to this crowd—and I think Fred is sensitive to their attitudes—if the grapes come from the Central Valley then they wouldn’t touch it with a ten foot pole.

Fred Franzia “Father of Two Buck Chuck” Receives “Entrepreneur of the 2000s” Award from Wine Market Report

“Entrepreneurs are impressive when they operate intuitively,” said Rich Cartiere, Wine Market Report Publisher. “It is because of the intuitive genius behind Fred’s undertakings, his ability to stake out an entirely new category of ‘super value’ in US domestic wine with the introduction of $1.99 Charles Shaw wines, and his impact on the wine industry and wine consumers, that our committee selected him for this award.”

Cartiere went on to state that today’s modern market must address the needs of the consumer which include the demand for “super value,” a premium product available at less than a premium price, and the ability of the producer to over deliver. “Consumers on the other hand are looking for solid signals and a company they can trust. Bronco filled this need with the signal of Charles Shaw wines available for $1.99 at Trader Joe’s, a retailer that consumers trust,” Cartiere said.

“This award represents a family that has been involved in the California wine business for more than 110 years,” said Fred Franzia. “The guy that I admire most is my grandfather, the one who got on the boat in Italy without any money and came to America in 1893. It is because of our long family history, and our commitment to California, that we are able to deliver the very best wine value we can to the consumer.” Bronco Wine Company is the largest family owned winery in California.

“Fred Franzia is genuine, salt of the earth and a Californian,” added Cartiere. “The history of the Franzia family shows that they have real roots in California and are living true to those roots.” Wine Market Report has presented this award only once before to vintner Jess Jackson. “It is very personal to give an award,” said Cartiere. “You have to look at what a person is doing and understand that they will maintain that level of achievement and credibility in the future.” Franzia replied, “We hope that down the road you are proud of the fact that we were the recipients of this award.”

Wine Market Report, published by Richard Cartiere, is the leading source of real-time news, information, trends and data on the U.S. Wine Business and issues of interest abroad to domestic vintners. For more information or to subscribe go to www.winemarketreport.com.

Bronco Wine Company, producers of nearly 40 wine brands including Charles Shaw Winery that changed wine drinking habits in America with a $1.99 wine, is owned by the Franzia family which has made wine in California for more than one hundred and ten years. In six years more than 360 million bottles of Charles Shaw wines have been produced. Bronco Wine Company and the Franzia family have no relationship to Franzia brand boxed wine. For more information on any of the Bronco Wine Company wines call 800-692-5780

Bronco to Launch America’s First Wine Using the Innovative Helix Total Packaging Solution

Bronco Wine Company today announced that wines under its Red Truck® brand will feature the innovative Helix packaging, the world’s first cork stopper and glass bottle with easy-to-open and reclose technology. Helix was developed by Amorim and O-I, the world leaders in cork and glass packaging. Bronco’s Red Truck® will be the first US wine to bring this innovation to American wine consumers.

The new twist-to-open concept combines an ergonomically-designed stopper made from cork and a glass bottle with an internal thread in the neck, creating a high performing and sophisticated wine packaging solution. Helix combines all the benefits of cork and glass – quality, sustainability and premium image – with user-friendly, twist open, re-sealable convenience. The result of a collaborative R&D effort between Amorim and O-I, the development of Helix drew on both companies’ innovation capabilities and expertise in serving global wine markets.

Commenting on this launch, Fred Franzia, Bronco’s CEO, noted that, “Wine consumers in America have a growing understanding of the role quality cork and quality wine play in delivering their wine in a sustainable but yet premium format. At Bronco, we have been doing exactly that for many years, but with Helix and Red Truck®, the U.S. market will now have access to all that plus the convenience of an easy-opening and easy-to-reclose bottle. We are proud at Bronco to be the first winery in America to deliver this incredible innovation.”

For Antonio Amorim, the President and CEO of Amorim Cork, “Fred Franzia has been an innovator for decades now and Bronco’s leadership is again on display with Red Truck®, bringing U.S. consumers the most sustainable, technologically-advanced wine packaging innovation this side of the 21st century. Knowing Fred’s unique understanding of consumers’ preferences, we are certain that other wines using Helix will follow, enlarging Bronco’s offering of convenient yet 100% sustainable glass and cork packaging.”

According to Sergio Galindo, president of O-I North America, “Wine and quality glass packaging are intrinsically connected. As world leaders in our fields, O-I and Amorim understand our role in delivering what winemakers, wine retailers and wine consumers want. Helix and Red Truck® bring to the U.S. a user-friendly, natural and sustainable packaging solution that offers consumers a new wine drinking experience.”

For many consumers, the ritual of uncorking the bottle, and the satisfying “pop” as the cork is released, are central to the wine occasion and an intrinsic part of the DNA of wine – borne out by the billions of corks and glass bottles used worldwide each year. Thanks to Helix, for the very first time consumers can enjoy this classic ritual, including the associated “pop,” without the need for a corkscrew in an easy-to-open and easy-to-reclose package.

Focus: $10? $100? Why wine costs what it does

Nowhere is the price of wine more clear than in the hierarchy of supermarket shelves. Look up, the prices go up; look down, they go down. And right in the middle are the mid-range bottles. That part is easy. Trying to figure out if that $59.99 cabernet is really 10 times better than one costing $5.99? That could drive consumers to drink. A seemingly infinite number of variables go into the price of a bottle of wine, from where the grapes are grown, to the size of the winery making it, to whether the finished product is sold in a retail shop or restaurant. From prized Napa Valley cabernet sauvignons to the mocked — yet wildly popular — Two Buck Chuck, everything from basic supply and demand to byzantine distribution networks affects how much wine costs.

But like trying to find a sure-fire remedy for a hangover, nowhere in that blend of economic factors is there a magic answer to the question: Is expensive wine superior to cheaper wine?

“Something costing 10 times more, is it really 10 times better? Is a new Ferrari 20 times better than a new Prius? It’s subjective. It’s what you can afford and what you want to do with your life,” said Skip Coomber, the Encinitas-based founder of Coomber Family Wines.

An increasing number of Americans apparently feel they can afford more expensive wine.

According to data compiled by Liz Thach, a professor of management and wine business at Sonoma State University, sales of U.S. wine topped $38 billion in 2015, up 1.3 percent from 2014, and marking the 23rd straight year of increased growth. (85 percent of the nation’s wine comes from California.)

Consumers have been trading up, or opting for higher-priced bottles, “with double digit value and volume growth in four price points: $11 to $14.99, $15 to $19.99, $20 to $24.99 and over $25,” said Thach’s report on the state of the nation’s wine industry in 2016.

Despite that, she noted, “75 percent of the wine in the U.S. is still sold at $9 and under.”

Since 2010, America has been able to toast its status as the world’s largest wine-consuming nation. But even in pleasure-seeking, it is a country divided — among lovers of mass-produced bargain juice, those who seek out small-production, critically regarded bottlings, and buyers of the sea of so-so to well-made, mid-range wines between them.

They can all peacefully co-exist, said Brian Donegan, an advanced sommelier and a partner at Truly Fine Wine, an importer and retail shop on Morena Boulevard.

“For a lot of people, if they’re getting a vast amount of enjoyment out of that $6.99 bottle of wine, I wouldn’t even talk them into buying something more expensive,” he said.

“I’ve had a $1,000 wine where I’ve said, ‘that’s OK,’ and I’ve had $10 wines where I’ve said, ‘that is brilliant, I’m going to buy that out for myself.’”

The portfolio of Coomber Family Wines is separated into three price points. The easy-drinking, accessibly-priced Skater Girl line sells for $14.99 and can be widely found in retail shops. The mid-range Coomber Family Ranch Vintners Collection, which retails for about $24.99 to $28.99 — and is poured by the glass at restaurants and wine bars throughout San Diego County — is the brand builder. The premium-priced Coomber Family Ranch Private Reserve label, which Coomber called his “passion,” includes a showcase $149.99 cabernet sauvignon made from Beckstoffer George III grapes, one of the most prestigious vineyard sites in Napa Valley.

While winery owners can struggle to set the cost of a bottle, Coomber said he had some guidance with the latter one. As stipulated in his contract for the highly valued Beckstoffer fruit, he can’t sell his cab for less than $125 a bottle.

Like most small winery owners, Coomber is sanguine about the economics of the wine lifestyle and the folly in romanticizing it.

“You know what they say,” Coomber chortled, “if you want to make small fortune in the wine business, start with a large fortune.”

To help uncork the complexities of wine pricing, we consulted with several local experts: Donegan; Sabrina Bochen, co-founder of Truly Fine Wine; Coomber; and Mayur Pavagadhi, Coomber’s co-owner at Carlsbad’s Witch Creek Winery and the owner of Paon Restaurant and Wine Bar, also in Carlsbad, among other eateries.

The following are broad explanations of what is often a very bottle-specific situation.

Where the grapes are from

Napa Valley on a label can automatically drive up a bottle’s price, as would Bordeaux and Burgundy’s noted estates. Much of the boost comes from reputation, earned and hyped.

But anywhere in the world, there is land that’s considered better for growing grapes than others. It’s the soil composition, the drainage, the elevation, the slope, the hours of sun, the nighttime cool-downs, and more.

“It comes down to geography,” Bochen said. “If you have a top site … those are geographically limited. So there’s limited production from there. That land is expensive. It’s supply and demand.”

Contrast that to, say, California’s vast Central Valley, where the land is flat, the soil — while exceptionally fertile — is less-regarded for wine-grape growing, and the heat is relentless. This 300-mile stretch of farmland is also the state’s largest wine-producing area, turning out millions of gallons of lower-end and super-value wines. Famed Napa Valley fruit, by comparison, makes up only 5 percent of the state’s output.

Beyond quantitative differences, qualitatively, regions from Walla Walla to Tuscany, Paso Robles to Rioja, Spain, are regarded for their vineyards that produce well-concentrated, fully ripened, distinctively fruity grapes that have the necessary acidity to provide a wine with structure and balance — the holy grail of winemaking.

To quote the most over-used marketing slogan in the industry, “It all starts in the vineyard.”

The size of the winery

Mega-companies like E&J Gallo Winery and the Bronco Wine Co., maker of Charles “Two Buck Chuck” Shaw, among its dozens of brands, have equally outsized cost-saving advantages.

Often, they can command the lowest prices on land, grapes and production equipment, flooding the market with budget wines, as well as higher-end vintages that can be made for a fraction of what a small winery might spend.

“Their costs really are that low to be able to charge that little amount of money,” Coomber said.

“Everything is automated, they can manufacture their own bottles, they have their own plants for (particle board-like) agglomorated corks, they’re printing their own labels, have their own distribution networks. They’re paying pennies compared to what others pay. They have incredible economies of scale.”

Profit from sheer volume can finance armies of in-house production, legal, permitting, marketing and advertising teams.

On the other extreme are the shoestring, family-owned boutique wineries, whose limited production capacity can inhibit further growth and whose elevated prices reflect the reality that the profit margin on every bottle may be critical to the company’s very survival.

How the wine is made

The price of producing what could be considered better wine is also driven by a winemaker’s decisions, not unlike whether a chef chooses fresh haricot vert or canned greens beans for a dish. Both are vegetables. Both are green. The similarities end there.

Back in the vineyard, plants could be pruned to produce lower yields per acre, resulting in more flavor-packed, higher quality grapes. Vines are tended to by hand, harvested by hand, grapes are sorted to remove underripe fruit or bitter leaves and stems by hand.

“In your farming methods, if you’re doing everything by machine, your costs are a lot lower, but your attention to individual details is also,” Donegan said,

“It’s expensive to be pruning, green harvesting, all by hand. They’re in the vineyards every single day. It’s labor intensive. They’re picking the grapes at harvest. With machine harvesting, the fruit is going to get jostled” and bruised.

A winemaker’s stylistic approach aside, one of the bigger differences in, say, a Napa cab and a jug wine, is the oak. Barrel fermenting and aging can be one of a winery’s biggest expenses, with small barrels, or barriques, which hold about 300 bottles’ worth of wine, costing on average $1,300 for new French oak, the gold standard.

Multiply that even for a small producer — Coomber Family Ranch produces around 2,600 cases, or 31,200 bottles a year — and the cost could be prohibitive. And depending on the winery, each new vintage requires new barriques to impart their singular depth and aging qualities.

Budget wine, however, rarely sees the inside of a barrique, spending time instead in giant vats, perhaps absorbing the flavor of toasty oak from added oak chips, powder, shavings or liquid oak extract.

The markups

During production, wineries choose between packaging material that can increase the price, from the glass of the bottle, to the corks, the cap enclosures, to how elaborate the label is.

Once the wine is produced, a steady stream of price markups is then tacked onto every bottle.

Coomber said the industry standard is for the winery to set the wholesale price at a 50 percent gross margin. Brokers and distributors fees can add another 30 percent before the bottle lands at a retail shop or restaurant.

According to Coomber’s calculations, discount wine stores mark up a bottle by 25 percent, liquor stores and wine shops by 30 percent.

Perhaps nothing causes more confusion for consumers than the cost of wine at restaurants, where bottles can on average sell for three times the wholesale price, and a single glass of wine can equal the wholesale bottle price.

“Restaurants don’t make money on the food, the profit margin is too small,” he said. “But they’re not the villains here, they have to subsidize the meat, the fish, the staffing.”

Donegan, the former wine director at Market Restaurant + Bar, in Del Mar agreed.

“Retail has a lot less other expenses. Look around a retail store, how many people are working there? Two, three, four?” he said.

“Look around a restaurant, and there are 40 people. There’s the glassware, which breaks. Plates, silverware, operational costs are higher to cover.”

Pavagadhi, the owner of Paon and other eateries, said restaurant owners’ hands are tied when hiking up prices by such external forces as the “middleman” — the government-regulated distributor system — and internal factors.

“Although it would appear at first glance that restaurants have the best deal in the wine sales chain, at markups of 2.5 to 3 and 4 times cost, they actually have it the toughest of everyone else in the chain because their overhead is so high,” he said.

“Look at the percentage of restaurants that go out of business.”

Pavagadhi said markups vary depending on the type of restaurant, the inventory it carries, the menu and the accolades it has received.

Some of the best deals on the wine list might be the priciest.

“Normally, wines that sell at $250 and up are marked up at a lesser percentage,” he said.

Perhaps the worst deal in the house?

“In general, wines are not as profitable as hard liquor or beer, especially draft beer.”

ProWein International Trade Fair for Wine and Spirits

ProWein is the world’s leading trade fair for wine and spirits, the largest industry meeting for professionals from viticulture, production, trade and gastronomy. The professionals meet at ProWein. And this exclusively. It is particularly the quality of the visitors that has given ProWein its reputation of being a unique business platform – be there!

No other trade fair offers such concentrated competence and compact wine knowledge like ProWein in Düsseldorf. That has given ProWein its reputation of being a unique business platform for specialised trade for wine and spirits – food wholesale and retail trade – gastronomy & hotel industry – importers, exporters – mail order business – specialised associations/institutions.

WHY PROWEIN?

Because at an international industry get-together, worthy of its name, it is always about getting an impression of the latest and most important trends. This is what ProWein achieves like no other wine trade fair in the world.

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EVENTS

A well thought-out, informative and versatile supporting programme provides countless presentation possibilities for exhibitors and sources of inspiration for the visitors.

PROWEIN MAGAZINE

Trends, events, articles and detailed background reports on the world of wines and spirits.

PROWEIN WORLD

ProWine ASIA in Singapore and Hong Kong is the newest addition to ProWein World series of international trade fairs for wines and spirits, supplementing ProWine China from this year on.

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VinItaly - INTERNATIONAL WINE & SPIRITS EXHIBITION

Vinitaly is the largest wine exhibition in the world, where wine business joins innovation.

At Vinitaly you find wine importers and distributors, B2B wine meetings, international wine buyers.

Vinitaly is the event that more than any other has marked the evolution of the wine system on a national and international scale, helping to make wine one of the most exciting and dynamic realities in the primary sector.

SPECIAL SHOWS

WSWA Annual Convention & Exposition

The WSWA Annual Convention & Exposition is the largest gathering of America’s wine and spirits distributors, as well as suppliers from around the world who seek to enter or grow their brands in the U.S. marketplace. This event offers distributors the unique opportunity to seek out new and exciting beverage products for U.S consumers, meet with existing portfolio partners and look for services to enhance internal operations.

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NRA Show: International Foodservice Marketplace

National Restaurant Association Show is a 4 day event being held from 20th May to 23rd May 2017 at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, United States Of America. This event showcases products like bakery items, kitchen tools, table ware, flatware, crockery, food service technology, catering paraphernalia, sustainable products, snacks and munchins etc. in the Hotel, Restaurant & Catering industry.

Exhibitor Profile

Around 1800 exhibitor list of National Restaurant Association will involve the participation of restaurant and bar owners, chain representatives, hospitality professionals, distributors, importers and wholesalers. Equipments and products related to the Food and Beverage sector are also exhibited here. Furnishings and Decorations, Paper, Plastic Supplies, Services, Tableware, Technology and Entertainment products are also exhibited in this show.

Bottlerock Napa Valley

The best of music, wine, food and beer.
Only in Napa.
From Latitude 38 Entertainment.

3 DAYS OF
MUSIC + WINE + FOOD + CRAFT BREW

Memorial Day Weekend

Auction Napa Valley

Sponsored by the Napa Valley Vintners and founded in 1981 by a small group of winery owners, including Robert and Margrit Mondavi, Auction Napa Valley has become the world’s most celebrated charity wine event.

Auction Napa Valley combines Napa Valley wine, the region’s iconic scenery, vintner hospitality, creative culinary expressions and the chance for bidders to acquire rare collections of Napa Valley wine and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

The four-day fete features:
– private, vintner-hosted parties
– the world’s only single-case auction of 100 or more lots that includes tasting wine directly with the winemakers straight from the barrel
– the E-Auction, open to wine lovers and bidders anywhere in the world
– and the grand Live Auction Celebration, which has been hosted every year since inception on the grounds of the exclusive Meadowood Napa Valley resort

The Napa Valley Vintners distributes proceeds from Auction Napa annually to a core group of 25 local nonprofits and strategic initiatives that emphasize prevention and early intervention in the areas of community health and children’s education.

Food & Wine: Classic in Aspen

Event Description

Join celebrity chefs, renowned winemakers, and epicurean insiders for the culinary world’s most spectacular weekend, June 16-18, 2017. The FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen is America’s premier culinary event. It consists of three incomparable days of cooking demonstrations, wine tastings and panel discussions by world-class chefs and wine experts.

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American Express Trade Program

Developed for the professionals who shape the world of hospitality, the American Express Restaurant Trade Program brings together chefs, restaurant operators and leading industry professionals for a two-day program offering tangible takeaways, insights, and networking opportunities with industry experts. In addition, this year will include a third Private Grand Tasting. American Express® Restaurant Trade Program tickets are available for purchase by American Express Merchants only.

Consumer Passes

This pass provides access to cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, and the Grand Tasting Pavilion throughout the 3 days of the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen.

Late Night Party

FOOD & WINE will host a late night party on Friday night during the Classic, exclusively for purchase by American Express Card Members. The party will be hosted by a celebrity chef and mixologist. Guests can enjoy cocktails, food, wine and music. Price: $150

Only available to Food & Wine pass holders.

Grow for Good Pass

FOOD & WINE will continue its efforts to raise funds and awareness for Grow for Good, our national initiative dedicated to supporting local farms and encouraging sustainable agriculture, benefitting Wholesome Wave. FOOD & WINE is again offering a limited number of Grow for Good Passes at $4,000 per pass. Along with all consumer pass benefits, each Grow for Good Pass will include the following:

FOOD & WINE will donate $1,000 from each pass sold directly to Wholesome Wave

VINEXPO BORDEAUX

Experience VINEXPO BORDEAUX !

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Vinexpo is an international brand that specializes in creating and developing major events in the wine and spirits sector, organised for and by people in the trade. Ever since its inception in 1981, Vinexpo has been connecting industry insiders to boost sales and stimulate the market. The brand brings proven expertise as a business facilitator – whether to Vinexpo Bordeaux, in the heart of some of the world’s most prestigious vineyards, or to the buoyant markets served by Vinexpo Hong Kong and Vinexpo Tokyo – and works alongside its clients to open up opportunities for the future. Those close links with clients enable Vinexpo to stay on top of changing markets in order to come up with solutions that don’t disappoint. The brand’s economic forecasts contribute to a better overview, and it is growing apace with the establishment of new events such as Vinexpo Explorer.

Taking part in Vinexpo, is to be in the right place at the right time. The show is a catalyst for international business with 48 500 trade visitors from 151 countries at the Bordeaux show.

On the exhibitor front, the number and diversity of nationalities confirm the show’s planetary reach, its key role as a meeting place for the sector, and its leadership. We are convinced that Vinexpo will bring the answers to the questions you are asking yourself,  and help you to build a successful future for your business.

Festival Napa Valley

Celebrate the Art of Life

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Festival Napa Valley is committed to enriching the cultural vitality of the community and making the arts accessible to all. Blending the beauty and bounty of Napa Valley with the very finest performing arts, the festival pairs world-class performances with culinary and wine pursuits staged in iconic wine country settings. The annual summer celebration of the art of life has transformed Napa Valley into a cultural destination.
Festival Napa Valley is presented by Napa Valley Festival Association, a nonprofit public benefit corporation governed by a board of prominent vintners and local leaders. More than 200 artists, wineries, resorts, theaters, restaurants and vintners participate each year.|

MISSION

• To enrich the region’s cultural and economic vitality by presenting performances of the highest international quality, and innovative programs that celebrate the art of life.
• To nurture young artistic talent, support arts education, and build new audiences.
• To showcase the extraordinary hospitality, wine and cuisine of the Napa Valley.

HISTORY

Festival Napa Valley was founded in 2006. The catalyst was the Russian National Orchestra’s annual summer residency in Northern California, starting in 1999. The residency featured concerts, family programs, and events that generated support for local youth charities. Its popularity led a group of local leaders to imagine a festival that would define Napa Valley as a cultural destination. Financial support from Ann and Gordon Getty, Tatiana and Gerret Copeland, Peter T. Paul, Athena and Timothy Blackburn, Maria Manetti Shrem, Dede Wilsey, John Traina, and Robert and Margrit Mondavi, among others – in addition to the generous support of numerous individuals, partner wineries, resorts and hotels, and local businesses – helped launch what is now one of the country’s top summer festivals. Festival Napa Valley blazed a trail for the other festivals that have since made wine country their home. Napa Valley Festival del Sole was founded by San Francisco Bay Area attorney and arts manager Richard Walker and IMG Artists Chairman Barrett Wissman. The festival underwent a major rebranding in 2016, changing its name to Festival Napa Valley. The festival attracts over 10,000 guests each season.

Napa Valley Film Festival

THE NVFF MISSION

Cinema Napa Valley is a 501c3 non-profit organization founded in 2009 and headquartered in Napa, California. Cinema Napa Valley’s mission is to celebrate the cinematic arts and enrich the community by presenting an annual world-class film festival and year-round education and outreach programs.

Founders

The Napa Valley Film Festival was founded by Brenda and Marc Lhormer. Brenda and Marc previously served as co-directors of the Sonoma Valley Film Festival from 2001 – 2008. They also produced the iconic movie Bottle Shock, which told the story of Napa Valley’s triumph at the 1976 wine-tasting competition in Paris. After Bottle Shock’s world premiere at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, Brenda and Marc turned their attention to creating a world-class film festival for Napa Valley.

Vision

Founders Brenda and Marc Lhormer envisioned a Fall film festival that would exhibit the year’s best new independent films and likely Oscar and Golden Globe awards contenders, while simultaneously leveraging Napa Valley’s outstanding food, wine and hospitality to deliver an unparalleled immersive and transformative festival experience. They also envisioned a cultural arts organization that would support the art of cinematic storytelling while also providing educational and career opportunities for local students.

Unified Wine & Grape Symposium

The Largest Wine & Grape Industry Trade Show in North America.

The Unified Wine & Grape Symposium hosts more than 700 10 ft. x 10 ft. booths and 28 large vineyard and winery machinery areas.

Premiere Napa Valley

The Best Week in Napa Valley.

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Premiere Napa Valley gives wine sellers the opportunity to capture one-of-a-kind wines to offer to their most discerning customers. The professional peer-to-peer networking and relationship-building with more than 200 of Napa Valley’s vintners is often likened to a homecoming for our most loyal ambassadors.