Many consider Napa Valley the ultimate bucket list wine tasting experience in California and arguably, the world. Helena and Calistoga. People have been growing wine in Napa Valley for over years. The Gold Rush beginning in brought an increased demand for wine, so more wineries were established in the region, particularly in Sonoma. In Charles Krug established the first commercial winery, and by , with tracks being laid for the Pacific Railroad, the wine industry in the Bay Area exploded.
By there were more than wineries in Napa Valley. But a major event put the brakes on the rapidly expanding wine industry β Prohibition. In , the Volstead Act, which prohibited the manufacture and sale of all alcoholic beverages, was passed.
Prohibition ended in and wine production in Napa Valley exploded. In the Napa Valley Vintners trade association was established to promote the wines of the region. And winemakers started to really focus on increasing the quality of wines grown there, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Judgment of Paris put the spotlight on several producers in the region. This was a tasting dreamt up by British wine merchant Steven Spurrier who had traveled to California and was impressed by the wines he sampled in Napa.
During the tasting, nine French judges blind tasted and ranked wines from California and France. California dominated the white category with a Chardonnay from Chateau Montelena as the winner, while three other Napa wines finished in the top five. The French judges were appalled, to say the least, but it put California on the map as a serious destination for wine lovers.
