NAPA VALEY, USA

12:38 Travel Bunny 1 Comments


DSCF3887Home to more than three hundred wineries, Napa Valley is the main wine growing region in the United States and also well known all over the world. It is also one of the most popular tourist attractions in California with more than five million visitors each year. The main attraction of Napa Valley is of course, the fine dining and wine tours, especially the wine tasting.


DSCF9899From Lake Tahoe, I journeyed on to Napa County.


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Woohoo, finally I have arrived at Napa Valley. Welcome to this world famous wine growing region.


DSCF9905The vineyards of Napa Valley.


DSCF9908The Mediterranean climate in Napa Valley (sunny days and cool nights with little rain) makes it suitable to grow grapevines for making wine.


DSCF9916The structure being placed before planting of the trees for the vineyard.


DSCF9921United States is the 4th largest wine producer and about 90% of the entire American wine is being produced here in California.


DSCF9915Founded in 1900, Beaulieu Vineyard is one of the early pioneers of California's wine industry.


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DSCF9930The vineyards are all located next to each other.


DSCF9934Passed by numerous winery and vineyards.


DSCF9962With over 45,000 acres of vineyards in Napa County and over 300 wineries, so which winery did I go for my wine tasting?


DSCF3860The Sutter Home Winery.


DSCF9939Sutter Home Winery is the 2nd largest independent family run winery and ranked as fifth-largest winery in the United States. Its most famous wine creation is White Zinfandel, a sweet pink colour wine.


DSCF9961Sutter Home Winery also provides bed and breakfast service. Wine for breakfast?


DSCF3861All excited as its my first time visiting wineries and vineyards.


DSCF3868The history of Sutter Home Winery dates back to the late 1800.


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DSCF3864The large wine barrel.


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DSCF3871Yay, wine tasting time!


DSCF3874Tasted their numerous types of wines and my preference goes to the Sauvignon Blanc white wine.


DSCF3869The corking machine.


DSCF9940After the wine tasting, it’s time to shop for souvenirs.


DSCF9941A cute apron inside the shop.


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DSCF9947Anyone interested in purchasing wine corks?


DSCF2845Bought four bottles of wine. Well, this picture was taken after me and beau drank it all.


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Its just a miniature bottle, just a bit bigger than the palm of my hand. To be precise, 187ml of wine per bottle.


DSCF9949Even the toilet sign is custom made for the winery.


DSCF3898The garden named after Sutter Home’s award winning White Zinfandel wine.


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DSCF3895A beautiful garden.


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DSCF3897Time to leave the winery.


DSCF3894Another winery in the area.


DSCF3879No wine tour is complete without visiting the vineyard! I am right now at the Leonardini Vineyard.


DSCF3882The grapes are almost ripe for harvest. Lucky me!


DSCF3880The original residents of this fertile valley, the Wappo Indians, named this place Napa, meaning ‘ land of plenty’, referring to the abundance of salmon, elk and waterfowls in the Napa River.


DSCF9953It was not until the 1840s, where the the first grape was cultivated and the first commercial winery was established in 1861. By 1889 there were 140 wineries in the area.


DSCF3888Rows of vine trees in the vineyard.


DSCF3884The grapes look so tantalising.


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DSCF3891Can I have a mouthful, please? Just kidding.


DSCF9955Unlike the sweet grapes we usually eat, the grapes grown in the vineyard are actually sour.


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DSCF9951The picturesque valley with acres and acres of robust grapes is truly a sight to enjoy.


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One final pose at the vineyard.


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A Napa car’s number plate.


DSCF9922The Napa Valley Wine Train. During the 3-hour-long, 36-mile (58 km) round-trip between Napa and St. Helena, passengers can choose to enjoy a gourmet meal and sample wine on board.

If you want to sample the many types of wine from the different wineries or simply to get drunk, the wine train is the best option to go.


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DSCF3911A train at California Northern Railroad.


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DSCF3919An American Navy recruiting office in the area. While posing for this photo, a uniformed officer came out and asked my beau, Interested in Joining the Navy? He then handed out some brochures.


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By law, you must be male to qualify. Navy seal, a reputation that’s renowned and in some circle’s even feared. The most highly trained military group that ever existed. Haha, don’t think my beau will survive a day in the SEAL.


DSCF9968A Premium Outlet in Napa? Too bad I didn’t have the time for a shopping spree.


DSCF9969The Napa Valley Airport.


DSCF9963Having Alaskan salmon and bread for lunch. Yummy!

 DSCF3916 I really had a fun time in Napa Valley. After days admiring the beauty of mother nature, it is time to travel back to the big city. San Francisco, here I come!


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