Plumpjack Cabernet Reserve, 1999

It’s the quality and reputation of Napa Valley wine that inspire crowds of tourists to visit Napa Valley wineries dotting Highway 29, nestled between the Mayacamas mountain range to the west and the Vaca Range to the east.

Despite its limited acreage, Napa Valley is a diverse growing region with many microclimates and varied soil types. Over the 30 miles from the cool San Francisco Bay north through Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena and Calistoga, the average temperature can increase 10 percent. So cool-weather varieties like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir thrive in Carneros, at the southern end of the region; warm-weather grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc fare better in the north.