In 1976, a British wine merchant, Steven Spurrier, set up a blind tasting of American and French chardonnay, French Bordeaux, and California cabernet sauvignon. The French judges did their work "blind," not knowing which wines they were tasting. In each contest, it was the American wines—a Cabernet and a chardonnay from Napa— which came out on top, forever establishing Napa as a wine region to be reckoned with on the world stage.
You can still visit the winning wineries, Chateau Montelena and Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, and taste their wines all these years later—a testament to the longevity of the region. Since 1976, Napa has grown immeasurably, with new AVAs and countless wineries jockeying for a place in the historical record of the region. Though there is much to do in Napa, a day-long visit here is best done at a slower pace, pausing to enjoy the wines and the culinary delights and driving along its less-traveled corridors.