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The Napa Valley climate is so perfect for growing its world-renowned wines that vines were growing wild when the area was first settled by European immigrants. As they brought their cottage industry production knowledge with them to the new world, they planted vineyards, some of which are still alive today! While the Napa Valley climate is wanting of grape production, what has made the wines so delectable over the years are the many devoted vintners who labor year round to perfect their craft.
If you have you to visit the Napa Valley to taste its wines and enjoy its temperate weather, put it at the top of your list for travel plans this year. It is truly a treat to visit with its rolling landscape and mild weather, no matter how much you know about wine! Download our free Vacation Guide for insight on the best places to visit during your stay.
Only 2 percent of the entire globe is home to a Mediterranean climate that is known as being amenable to high-end grape production. The Napa Valley climate falls into that two percent of the world’s Mediterranean areas, making it the perfect place for a flourishing wine industry, as well as a wonderful place to come visit.
The lengthy growing season is characterized by its warm, dry, sunny days followed by evenings cooled by marine air and fog. This steady rhythm of rising and falling temperatures allow the grapes to grow and ripen at the slow pace that greatly increases their quality when harvest comes around. Within this Mediterranean climate of Napa Valley there are also a number of microclimates perfect for a wide variety of grapes, lending to the diversity of the wines produced in the area, and also their consistency from vintage to vintage.
The southernmost regions of the Napa Valley climate are more influenced by the Pacific Ocean’s weather patterns. The Carneros region is kept cool by marine air that sweeps through the Golden Gate across San Pablo Bay. While it keeps the area’s temperatures cool year round, it also leads to less fluctuation from summer to winter months. While there is less rain, the marine layer of fog each morning keeps the vines well hydrated year-round.
The northern region of Napa Valley is characterized by the elevated lands of the foothills. The Pacific Ocean has less influence on the Napa Valley climate up here, meaning that temperatures vary more from summer to winter months, and also that the rainfall is greater than in the south. With more exposure in these elevated vineyards, the growing conditions are far more dramatic but no less consistent than in the less varied southern areas of the Valley.
The Napa Valley is perfectly suited to producing the world class wines that it does. Scientific researchers have found no Mediterranean climate so diverse in microclimates in such a small region, making its diversity and quality of wines unique throughout the world. If you have yet to witness this unique patch of American soil and taste its delicious wines, make it out here soon!
For some ideas of things to do while here, download this free Napa Valley Vacation Guide!