- The first recorded colonial presence around Napa Valley was in 1776, when the Spanish Gov. Felipe de Neve built a fort in the area. Between 1821 and 1846, the valley was part of the Mexican province of California. White settlers began to move in during the 1830s, displacing the Native Americans who had been living there. Soon, Napa Valley was dominated by about a dozen ranches.
- Napa Valley, along with the rest of California, was annexed by the United States after the Mexican War and the Mexican Cession of 1848. California became a U.S. state in 1849. Settlers from the Eastern and Midwestern U.S. began to move into the area, with the original Mexican ranches being split up and given out to these pioneers. The area saw some silver mining in the 1860s. By the late 1800s, the various hot springs in the valley had been developed into spas, and these made the area a popular tourist destination for San Franciscans looking to escape their cold, foggy weather.
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A Napa Valley Vineyard.Viticulture in Napa Valley dates back to the Mexican period at the beginning of the 19th century, and there were roughly 140 wineries in the valley by the beginning of the 20th century. Of these "original" wineries, Beringer Vineyards, Chateau Montelena Winery, Charles Krug and Schramsberg continue to operate. The region is noted for its cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, merlot and zinfandel grape varietals, and it is arguably the premier viticulture area in the U.S.. Vineyards and wine-making have eclipsed the hot springs as the area's premier tourist attractions, and Napa Valley attracts more than 5 million visitors per year. - What catapulted Napa Valley into fame and fortune was the decision of winemaker Robert Mondavi to go into business for himself in 1965. Mondavi's family acquired the Charles Krug vineyard and winery, and a bitter dispute between Mondavi and his younger brother Peter resulted in Mondavi being fired from the family business. Mondavi set up a new vineyard in Oakville, then bought property in Napa Valley. He set the express goal of producing fine wines that would rival anything in Europe, and from the earliest stages he marketed labels that were identified by their grape varietal. This has changed the way New World wines are made and marketed, and the practice even started to creep into Europe. Mondavi's success as a farmer, winemaker and businessman brought the entire Napa Valley along on his coattails, and now the valley's wines are famous around the world. For contact data, see Resources.
- Napa Valley has resisted the surge of suburban development that has gripped the surrounding counties of Solano, Sonoma and Yolo. In 1968, vineyard owners used California's Williamson Act to turn the valley floor into an agricultural preserve, granting farmers special property-tax relief and preventing farmers from being driven off their land by rising property values. This covers 30,000 acres on the valley floor. The Land Trust of Napa Valley was founded in 1976 to promote the retention of as much open, natural space as possible, and that covers an overlapping 50,000 acres inside and outside the valley.
