Napa County, California

Napa County is a county located north of San Pablo Bay in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 136,484. The county seat is the City of Napa. Napa County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood. Parts of the county's territory were given to Lake County in 1861.

Napa County comprises the Napa, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA Combined Statistical Area. It is one of four North Bay counties.

Napa County, once the producer of many different crops, is known today for its regional wine industry, rising to the first rank of wine regions with France by local wineries Stag's Leap Wine Cellars and Chateau Montelena winning the "Judgment of Paris" in 1976.

History

Prehistory–18th century

In prehistoric times, the valley was inhabited by the Patwin Native Americans, with possible habitation by Wappo tribes in the northwestern foothills. Most villages are thought to have been constructed near the floodplains of watercourses that drain the valley. Their food consisted of wild roots, acorns, small animals, earthworms, grasshoppers, and bread made from crushed California buckeye kernels. In winter they would construct huts made of tree branches. In summer they camped near rivers and streams. In winter months, they were half clad in wild animal skins and at other times they wore no clothing. The maximum prehistoric population is thought not to have exceeded 5000 persons.

Napa Valley AVA

Napa Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Napa County, California, United States. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier wine regions in the world. Records of commercial wine production in the region date back to the nineteenth century, but premium wine production dates back only to the 1960s.

The combination of Mediterranean climate, geography and geology of the region are conducive to growing quality wine grapes. John Patchett established the Napa Valley's first commercial vineyard in 1858. In 1861 Charles Krug established another of Napa Valley's first commercial wineries in St. Helena. Viticulture in Napa suffered several setbacks in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including an outbreak of the vine disease phylloxera, the institution of Prohibition, and the Great Depression. The wine industry in Napa Valley recovered, and helped by the results of the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, came to be seen as capable of producing the best quality wine – equal to that of Old World wine regions. Napa Valley is now a major enotourism destination.

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Napa County honing Napa Valley subbasin groundwater fees

Napa Valley Register 25 Apr 2025
Napa County is working on groundwater pumping fees for the Napa Valley subbasin ... .
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Napa Valley Faces & Places: April 24, 2025

Napa Valley Register 25 Apr 2025
Register readers share snapshots of life in Napa Valley. To include your photos in Faces & Places, submit your photos here. napavalleyregister.com/forms/faces-and-places ... .
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Content creators, movie stars and sports cars: Napa Valley Streamfest makes its debut

Napa Valley Register 25 Apr 2025
Napa Valley Streamfest, a celebration of all types of both traditional and emerging digital content, is hosting its augural series of programs this weekend ... .
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Community Calendar: Things to do in Napa Valley

Napa Valley Register 25 Apr 2025
Making plans? Check out our community calendar for events, featuring events in Napa, American Canyon, St. Helena and beyond ... .
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Have Your Say: Answer the NVR Question of the Week

Napa Valley Register 25 Apr 2025
Each week, the Napa Valley Register poses a question of the week to its readers ... .
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The 39 Steps abridged

Napa Valley Register 25 Apr 2025
Ashlynn Kertianis as Pamela Edwards and Giovanny Perez as Richard Hannay in Napa Valley College's production of "The 39 Steps abridged." The show opens May 2 ... .
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How a surprising Shakespeare discovery was found in a letter used as scrap paper

East Bay Times 25 Apr 2025
A 400-year-old Shakespeare mystery has gotten a major shake-up ... Related Articles. Q&A. Author Bonnie Tsui on memoir, muscle and movement. Why Jasmine Guillory returned to Napa Valley for ‘Flirting Lessons’ romance. Library Lines ... Q ... Q ... Q ... Q ... Q ... .
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The cool Californian peninsula that British travellers miss out on

The Times/The Sunday Times 25 Apr 2025
At the Bear Valley visitor centre you can get an idea of this by looking at the fence, which broke in half and was reconstructed to show ... I’ve found the new Napa Valley — and it’s more laidback and fun.
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My genitals have been changed forever by common drug taken by millions - my warning ...

The Daily Mail 25 Apr 2025
Following the instructions, he began rubbing the gel into his scalp daily ... EXCLUSIVE ... Just a week after quitting the gel, Hart said he was driving back from Napa Valley when he was hit by a wave of overwhelming anxiety — seemingly out of nowhere ... FDA. .
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Renteria named Napa Valley Grapegrowers 2025 Grower of the Year

Napa Valley Register 23 Apr 2025
Oscar Renteria has been named the Napa Valley Grapegrowers 2025 Grower of the Year. Renteria is the owner and CEO of Renteria Vineyard Management and Tres Perlas Wines ... .
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Why Jasmine Guillory returned to Napa Valley for ‘Flirting Lessons’ romance

East Bay Times 23 Apr 2025
Readers were introduced to Guillory’s newest protagonists, Taylor and Avery, as side characters in her 2022 novel, “Drunk on Love,” a romance set in the wine industry of Napa Valley ... You brought us back to Napa Valley wine country in this book.
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Treasury Wine Estates advances Brighter Future initiative including Napa Valley programs

Napa Valley Register 23 Apr 2025
Treasury Wine Estates “is reinforcing its commitment to making a meaningful impact in its local communities," including Napa County, through its Brighter Future Initiative ... .
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