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California · North Coast · Subregion entry

Napa

Napa is a narrow, dry Mediterranean valley where Cabernet Sauvignon sits alongside a broad range of grapes. Its internal appellations matter, as does the difference between mountain fruit and fruit from the valley floor.

Place
Napa, California · North Coast
Look for
Napa Valley · Los Carneros · Mt. Veeder · Howell Mountain
Producer profiles
80
Atlas locationNapa · California · North Coast38.46° N · 122.31° W

Napa Valley is about 30 miles long and only a few miles wide, with a dry Mediterranean climate that brings consistency from vintage to vintage. Cabernet Sauvignon is central, alongside Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and Cabernet Franc. Napa was California's first designated AVA in 1981, and its valley contains several internal appellations. Fruit from the mountains can produce wines with more concentration, tannin and acidity than fruit from the valley floor. Napa wines also helped bring California international attention at the 1976 Paris tasting.

Elsewhere in California · North Coast

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  1. Lake & Inland North1 producerWithin California's North Coast, Lake & Inland North is anchored by Lake County's high elevations, sun, volcanic soils and cold winters. Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc are associated with its elevated volcanic sites.
  2. Marin & Solano3 producersMarin & Solano sit within the broad North Coast AVA, alongside Lake, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma. Geography and climate vary across the appellation, so there is no single regional wine style.
  3. Mendocino3 producersMendocino moves from coastal Pinot Noir and sparkling wine to inland vineyards with old-vine diversity. Anderson Valley is especially associated with Pinot Noir, as well as Alsace varieties.
  4. Sonoma15 producersSonoma's 19 AVAs stretch from warmer Cabernet country to cool-climate Riesling, with plenty of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay between. Russian River Valley fog and the bright, moderate style linked to the West Sonoma Coast show the range within the county.

Producer profiles

Producers in Napa

  • 3 Finger Jack CellarsLodi brand from Delicato Family Wines, built around old vine Zinfandel from sandy, breeze-cooled Central Valley soils with a Gold Country outlaw on the label.
  • A Tribute to Grace Wine CompanyAngela Osborne founded A Tribute to Grace in 2007 in Los Alamos, California, to make single-vineyard Grenache from multiple AVAs across the state.
  • Andremily WinesSmall-production Syrah-dominant Rhône blends from a 39-acre Edna Valley estate, released once a year by a winemaker who spent twelve years at Sine Qua Non.
  • Angeline WineryCalifornia Pinot Noir made for more than 30 years, with native yeast, partial whole-cluster fermentation, and minimal cellar handling.
  • Apothic WinesCalifornia red blends built for immediate pleasure: dark cherry, chocolate, vanilla and mocha, with a soft finish and no tannic demand.
  • Au Bon ClimatSanta Barbara County winery making vineyard-designated Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in a Burgundian style since 1982, founded by Jim Clendenen at Bien Nacido vineyard.
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  • Barefoot CellarsCalifornia multi-varietal brand that started in a garage, relaunched in 1986 with a hand-drawn foot logo, and now sells in more than 100 countries under E&J Gallo ownership.
  • Bear Creek WineryCalifornia custom crush winery, founded as a 1934 grower cooperative and acquired by the Kautz family in 1997.
  • Beaulieu VineyardOne of Napa Valley's oldest continuously operating wineries, founded in 1900 by a French chemist who survived Prohibition on a church contract and shaped California Cabernet by hiring André Tchelistcheff in 1938.
  • Beaulieu VineyardsA Rutherford Cabernet estate founded in 1900, where a French winemaker's 1938 arrival created one of California's first named reserve bottlings.
  • Beringer VineyardsNapa Valley's oldest continuously operating winery, founded 1876, known for the Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a Bordeaux blend from Knights Valley.
  • Black Stallion Estate WineryNapa Valley estate winery on Silverado Trail, owned by the fourth-generation Indelicato family since 2010, built around Cabernet Sauvignon sourced across seven Napa sub-appellations.
  • Bogle Family VineyardsA Sacramento Delta family estate with six generations of farming, barrel-fermented Chardonnay, and a cellar holding more than 95,000 oak barrels.
  • Bogle VineyardsSix-generation Delta farming family with estate vineyards in Clarksburg, Lodi, and the Sierra Foothills.
  • Bread & Butter WinesCalifornia négociant sourcing Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay from Carneros through northern Napa Valley, led by 2018 Napa Valley Winemaker of the Year Linda Trotta.
  • Calera Wine CompanyMountain-grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from rare California limestone on the remote slopes of Mt.
  • Castle Rock WineryU.
  • Chateau Montelena WineryHistoric Napa estate at the base of Mount Saint Helena, founded 1882 by Gold Rush entrepreneur Alfred Tubbs; Barrett family-owned for fifty years; two wines, a Napa Valley Chardonnay and a Calistoga Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, made to capture each season on site…
  • Cline CellarsCalifornia producer with seven vineyards, historic dry farmed vines, and red wines from Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Mourvèdre.
  • Clos Du ValFamily owned Napa Valley producer focused on Bordeaux varieties, with Yettalil as its rarest estate blend.
  • Continuum EstatePritchard Hill estate where Cabernet Sauvignon leads the planting and Novicium provides the younger vine second wine.
  • DAOU Family EstatesDAOU Family Estates grows Cabernet Sauvignon on the highest hilltop in Paso Robles's Adelaida District.
  • Daou VineyardsBordeaux-variety estate on a 2,200-foot hilltop in the Adelaida District of Paso Robles, founded in 2007 by Lebanese-born brothers Georges and Daniel Daou; Cabernet Sauvignon is the winery's core grape and Patrimony Cabernet Sauvignon is a listed wine.
  • Dark Horse WinesCalifornia value label by E&J Gallo, built on 400-grower sourcing and 100-plus tastings per wine before release.
  • Delicato Family VineyardsCalifornia's fifth-largest wine company by volume, founded on dam-labor wages and now producing 16 million cases a year across Bota Box and a portfolio of varietal labels including Clay Creek Pinot Noir from the Clarksburg AVA.
  • Domaine de la CôtePinot Noir and Chardonnay estate on the western edge of Sta.
  • Duckhorn VineyardsNapa Valley Bordeaux varieties with Merlot at the centre, from Napa Valley blends to Three Palms Vineyard Merlot.
  • Dunn VineyardsAngwin Cabernet producer with shallow Howell Mountain soils, own farmed mountain fruit and caves cut into the hill.
  • E.&J. Gallo Winery Mark West Wine CompanyPinot Noir brand named for a Sonoma County region, with California sourced Cellar Select and Pinot Noir Black.
  • Eisele VineyardNapa Cabernet estate with a 38 acre vineyard and a wine of cassis, blackberry and mineral finish.
  • FaillaFailla makes cool climate California wines from Cazadero estate vineyards and named Sonoma Coast sites.
  • Favia WinesFavia Wines joins a historic Coombsville home with selected Vaca Mountains sites and gentle handling across Cabernet Sauvignon led reds.
  • Frog's LeapOrganic estate in Rutherford, Napa Valley.
  • Heitz CellarSt.
  • Jacuzzi Family VineyardsA Sonoma producer built around California-grown Italian varietals, founded by Fred Cline in 2007 to honor his grandfather Valeriano Jacuzzi, who planted Zinfandel, Carignane, and Mourvèdre on a Contra Costa County farm during the Great Depression.
  • Jolie-LaideJolie-Laide is a California producer whose Valdiguié Rosé combines whole-cluster pressing, spontaneous fermentation in mixed vessels, and six months of aging.
  • Joseph Phelps VineyardsThe Napa Valley estate that produced California's first Bordeaux-style proprietary blend.
  • Kapcsándy Family WinerySmall Cabernet Sauvignon estate on State Lane in Yountville, Napa Valley, farming 15.5 acres of Bordeaux-clone vines on stressed valley-floor soils once used for Beringer's Private Reserve program.
  • Laetitia WineryArroyo Grande Valley estate focused on traditional method sparkling wine, cool climate Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay.
  • LangeTwins Family Winery and VineyardsLangeTwins Family Winery and Vineyards traces its Lodi farming roots to German great-grandparents who emigrated there in 1870.
  • Language of Yes (E&J Gallo Winery)Collaborative Central Coast Rhône project from winemaker Randall Grahm and E&J Gallo Winery's Luxury Wine Group, sourced from the Rancho Real vineyard in Santa Maria Valley.
  • Ledge VineyardsFamily-owned Willow Creek District estate in Paso Robles, founded by Mark Adams in 2005 and focused on Rhône wines from Adams Ranch Vineyard.
  • Long Meadow RanchFamily owned California producer with organic vineyards, Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and Anderson Valley Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
  • Louis M Martini WinerySt.
  • Matthiasson Family VineyardsNapa producer with western Oak Knoll vineyards, native yeast, minimal sulfur dioxide, Cabernet Sauvignon and Linda Vista Chardonnay.
  • Mayacamas VineyardsNapa Valley vineyard and winery with dry farmed mature vineyards, old Cabernet vines, classical vinification and old casks.
  • McManis Family VineyardsA family-run California winery with LODI RULES certification, varietal reds and stainless-steel-fermented River Junction Viognier.
  • Melville WineryA family estate in California’s Sta.
  • Michael-David WineryLodi winery from the Phillips family, making Chardonnay, Old Vine Zinfandel and Rhone varieties including Ancient Vine Cinsault and Syrah.
  • Ojai VineyardCentral Coast wines from Adam Tolmach's Ojai Vineyard, including Clima Frío Chardonnay and Santa Barbara Pinot Noir.
  • Opus OneOpus One is a California producer founded through the collaboration of Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Napa Valley vintner Robert Mondavi.
  • Peltier WineryAcampo winery with Lodi roots, sustainable vineyard farming under LODI RULES, and American Dream Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon.
  • PiedrasassiCentral Coast Syrah shaped by earlier picking, native-yeast fermentation and large-format barrel ageing.
  • Pine Ridge WineryNapa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon rooted in a 1978 Stags Leap District planting and estate vineyards across five AVAs.
  • QuintessaA Rutherford estate red built from 26 separately handled vineyard blocks and five Bordeaux-associated grape varieties.
  • RacinesRacines is a Santa Rita Hills project led by Étienne de Montille, Brian Sieve and Rodolphe Péters, making Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and sparkling wine from cool, maritime-influenced vineyards.
  • Robert Hall WineryPaso Robles producer with a 173-acre estate, underground wine cave and fruit sourced across all 11 local AVAs.
  • Robert Mondavi WineryFounded in Oakville in 1966, Robert Mondavi Winery was built around To Kalon Vineyard and its Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc.
  • Robert Sinskey VineyardsCarneros-grown wines shaped by organic farming and a tactile, copper-coloured Pinot Gris.
  • Rombauer WineryFounded in 1980, Rombauer has purchased Carneros Chardonnay grapes through a lasting Sangiacomo family partnership since 1990.
  • Rutherford Wine CompanyA Zaninovich family-run California producer that brings wines from Napa Valley, Arroyo Seco, Lodi and the Central Coast to its Napa Valley winery for final finishing and bottling.
  • Sandhi WinesSmall-production Sta.
  • Scheid Family WinesA family-stewarded California wine producer whose 70-mile Monterey County vineyard corridor supplies more than 35 grape varieties from four climate zones.
  • Schug Carneros Estate WineryCarneros Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from a windy, rocky Sonoma site, shaped by Walter Schug’s German wine background.
  • Screaming EagleOakville estate centred on a Cabernet Sauvignon-based flagship, with a Merlot-led red and Sauvignon Blanc widening the range.
  • Sea Smoke EstateSta.
  • Shafer VineyardsStags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon shaped by dry, rugged hillside vineyards and anchored by Hillside Select.
  • Snowden VineyardsEstate Cabernet Sauvignon from 23 acres of vines on Napa Valley’s eastern slopes, within a 160-acre ranch largely left to woods and forest.
  • SpottswoodeFamily-run St.
  • Staglin Family Vineyard EstateA Rutherford Bench estate with organic vines, volcanic alluvial soils and a Cabernet-led Salus matured below ground.
  • Starmont Winery & VineyardsStarmont Winery & Vineyards crafts classic single-varietal California wines from select coastal-influenced sites, balancing generous fruit intensity with brightness and precision.
  • Stolpman VineyardsBallard Canyon estate wines shaped by dry farming, own-rooted vines and a cellar range that runs from carbonic Sangiovese to oak-framed Roussanne.
  • Tablas Creek VineyardTablas Creek Vineyard grows Rhône varieties in Paso Robles’ Adelaida District, pairing limestone soils with organic, Biodynamic and regenerative farming.
  • Talley VineyardsCool-coast Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from seven estate vineyards in California’s Arroyo Grande and Edna valleys.
  • The Hilt EstateA cool, ocean-influenced Sta.
  • The Wine GroupCalifornia wine and beverage company in Livermore, with a portfolio of more than 125 brands and a clear Lodi expression in 7 Deadly Zinfandel.
  • Tolchards EstateTolchards Estate is a California producer listed for Buffalo Ridge Chardonnay and Buffalo Ridge Zinfandel, two wines from the 2021 vintage.
  • Turley Wine CellarsCalifornia Zinfandel specialist founded in 1993 to preserve historic vineyards, from regional blends to more than 30 vineyard-designated wines.
  • Tyler WineryPinot Noir and Chardonnay from Sta.
  • Wente Family EstatesFive-generation Livermore Valley family winery whose 1912 Chardonnay cuttings helped shape California Chardonnay.

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placeReturn to California · North CoastSee how Napa fits within the wider California · North Coast region.mapSee Napa in the AtlasKeep its neighbouring areas and producers in view.producerMeet 3 Finger Jack Cellars3 Finger Jack Cellars is one of the producers placed in Napa.