Buying Napa-Labeled Wine

Wine labels don't always tell the whole truth. For instance, you should know the difference between Napa Valley and Napa County. There are two things to be aware of.

Napa County vs Napa Valley

Napa Valley is the famous grape-growing area and is only part of Napa County. Watch for valley vs. county on the label.

Labeling Regulations

If you label a wine with an appellation, like Napa Valley, then 85% of the grapes must come from that appellation. The other 15% can be from anywhere in the state. If you label by a gov't region, like Napa County, then it's at least 75% from that area and up to 25% from somewhere else.

What It Means

So you see how you can put the famous Napa name on your wine without the grapes actually being from Napa Valley plus one-fourth from somewhere less desirable (and cheaper). Maybe you're getting a combination of Napa Valley, other Napa County, and Central Valley fruit.

Napa County has 45,000 acres of wine grapes per the USDA (who tracks that stuff). Napa Valley lists itself as about the same. Per Wikipedia, almost all wines grown within the county can legally have Napa Valley on the label. I wasn't able to find any info on vineyards in Napa County that are not in Napa Valley proper.

Then there's the parts of the Napa Valley appellation that aren't on the valley floor, but in the  surrounding hills. That's a subject for another time.

Not saying wine labeled Napa County isn't good or is inferior to wine labeled Napa Valley. Just be informed. And this isn't just about Napa. For instance, Sonoma County and Sonoma Valley aren't anywhere near the same thing.

A Surprising Fact

Bronco and Gallo produce 45% of Napa's wine. When you add in the next 15 largest you've got 70% of the total wine production. These are wineries like Beringer,  Mondavi, Sterling, and the generic Napa Wine Co. Wineries like the word Napa on their label as they can charge more. Some wineries, of course, are located in Napa Valley. Others, like Bronco and Gallo, are using the name for marketing.