The glass-walled structure is designed to feel like home (albeit a very fancy one), with sprawling vineyard views that can be enjoyed whether you choose to sit inside or on the garden patio, where you can skip a formal tasting for bottle service. The original tasting room still stands, but right next door, the new Hirondelle House brought Clos du Val into the modern day. Set within Napa’s famous Stag’s Leap AVA, Clos du Val’s inaugural wine from the 1972 vintage was part of the 1976 Judgment of Paris that put Napa Valley on the map. Sattui, Clos du Val is another pioneering member of the valley that offers a more intimate, refined, and relaxed tasting experience. While tourists often flock to the likes of Robert Mondavi Winery, Charles Krug, and V. Dating back to 1891, the Mayacamas estate is a difficult trek along a rough and windy road, so this is the next best thing. Sample library vintages of their classic Napa Chardonnays and Cabernets at their contemporary and chic downtown outpost - a stark departure from their historic mountain estate known for its stone gravity-flow winery and old, redwood wine casks, some of which have been used for ageing for nearly 100 years. Here, you’ll find over a dozen urban wine tasting rooms (plus, a few breweries and distilleries) and many offer a chance to try premium wines that aren’t otherwise easily accessible, like the storied Mayacamas Vineyards, founded in 1889. For decades, tourists would drive right past this part of town, but these Victorian-lined streets have undergone a major renaissance in the past five years, turning downtown Napa into a true and walkable hub for dining, shopping, and wine tasting. The unofficial gateway of Napa Valley is downtown Napa, easily identified by a pair of bridges that cross the Napa River. Napa Valley hotels, wineries, and restaurants are now booking up weeks in advance and reservations are necessary nearly everywhere, so it’s vital you plan ahead. Long gone are the days of walking into a winery and bellying up to the tasting bar. But as spring turned to summer this year, tourism rebounded in a big way, and the harvest season is expected to be even busier. Napa Valley had to once again prove its resilience in the face of another round of devastating fires in 2020, just as the valley was already reeling from lengthy shutdowns triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic. ![]() ![]() It’s not just the world-renowned Cabernet Sauvignon - though that was the impetus, starting in the 1970s - but also Napa Valley’s incredible culinary scene, luxury resorts, rejuvenating hot springs, and stunning scenery combined with a sort of small town charm that makes this destination the full package. wine production and while other California and American AVAs have started to gain notoriety, none have come close to acquiring the star power of Napa. Napa Valley has long been the engine of U.S.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |