Food & Wine USA - (04)April 2020

124 APRIL 2020

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IF YOU’VE BEEN TO NAPA VALLEY, you’ve seen the

signs: “Welcome to this world famous wine grow-

ing region,” the bold yellow letters read. And in

massive capitals right below: “NAPA VALLEY.” The

two identical signs were constructed in 1949 by

the Napa Valley Vintners, a group of winemakers

including Robert Mondavi and Louis Martini, to

bring awareness to their slice of California back

when there were just a handful of wineries in

the area. Both signs are located along Napa’s

main freeway, state Route 29. (One is just south

of Calistoga, the other in Oakville.) Doubling up

on the signs all but ensures that the 3.85 million

people who visit Napa each year will see at least

one of them—that is, if they don’t intentionally

seek them out. Thanks to social media, the signs

have become as much a destination as wine coun-

try itself. Linda Reiff, president and CEO of NVV,

offers an explanation for this phenomenon: “The

signs are the iconic location to show everyone

where you are. I am in Napa, and that also means

I’m having a great time.” —NINA FRIEND

THE MAKING

OF NAPA VALLEY

Prohibition is

repealed; Napa

begins to recover.

1933

Prohibition is

enacted; Napa’s

vineyards and win-

eries are largely

abandoned.

1920

Over 140 winer-

ies are operating

throughout the

valley, including

Schramsberg,

Beringer, and

Inglenook.

1889

Charles Krug

Winery, Napa’s first

commercial winery,

is established.

1861

George Calvert

Yount plants the

first grapes in

Napa Valley.

1839

Napa Valley Vint-

ners is founded.

1944

A group of NVV

members attend

a dedication

ceremony at the

Oakville sign.

1950

The Judgment of

Paris takes place;

Napa wines win

over French ones

in a blind tasting

competition.

1976

Napa Valley

becomes the first

American Viticul-

tural Area estab-

lished in California.

1981

Thomas Keller

purchases his

iconic Napa

restaurant, The

French Laundry.

1994

Approximately

475 wineries

are operating in

Napa; new ones

open every year.

2020

THOSE SIGNS, BY THE NUMBERS

$3,000

Cost in 1949 to build both

Napa Valley signs, with 10 vint-

ners chipping in $300 each

Vintners that founded NVV: Mondavi, Martini, Fernande

de Latour, Felix Salmina, Charles Forni, Louis Stralla,

(^7) and John Daniel Jr.
Years that the signs were guaranteed
to last, as promised by their creator,
(^5) artist Roland Hauck
Approximate number of times that
the signs have had to be touched up
(^12) over the past 71 years
Signs of Success
“I knew Napa Valley could become one of the great
wine-producing regions in the world.” —ROBERT MONDAVI
This quote is from The Silverado Squatters, published
in 1883 by the Scottish novelist Robert Louis
Stevenson about his honeymoon in Napa Valley.

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