In 1779, a group of missionaries led by Father Junipero Serra planted vineyards for use in all 9 of the Missions he founded. Those early vines were cultivated to produce wine used for religious purposes. That first variety, planted by Father JunÃpero Serra, became so ubiquitous that it became known as the Mission grape and was the preeminent variety until 1880.
The commercial birth of the wine industry took hold not much later in the mid to late 1800′s. George Calvert Yount was the first to plant the vines in 1839, but John Patchett is credited for the first actual vineyard and winery in Napa Valley. John Patchett and Hamilton Walker Crabb helped introduce the first vitis vinifera grapes to the area.
In 1859, Pratchett built his first wine cellar, and the very next year, he received his first official review. It was also the first ever review of a California wine.
Before Napa Valley was known for producing quality wine, many of the most popular American wines came from New York, Virginia, Ohio, and Missouri.
Charles Krug is credited with establishing Napa Valley's first commercial winery in 1861. His success and leadership sparked a wave of new growth, and by 1889 there were more than 140 wineries in operation including many that are still open today, like Beringer Vineyards, Schramsberg Vineyards, and Inglenook.
Sadly, in the 1890s the root louse phylloxera infected Napa Valley’s vineyards, killing off more than 80% of the vines. For the next 35 years, phylloxera continued to plague Napa Valley. People turned to walnut and prune farming to survive. Things got even worse when Prohibition came into effect in 1920.
With the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, Napa Valley's wine industry began its slow recovery. During this time, John Daniel Jr. resurrected Inglenook, Georges de Latour re-established Beaulieu Vineyards (BV), Louis M. Martini built his winery and the Mondavi family purchased Charles Krug Winery.
The wine industry in this region produces over 1,000 different brands of the highest-quality wines, and generates nearly $50 billion in yearly revenue.
Napa Valley American Viticultural Area
