Around two hours from San Francisco's city center lies the world famous Napa Valley, known for producing superb wine. The valley is surprisingly small for such a famous wine region being roughly 30 miles long, yet its combination of mountains, valleys, Mediterranean climate, and diverse volcanic soils create a remarkable range of growing conditions. A destination for more than just wine, Napa also attracts visitors who come for hot-air-balloon rides, farm-to-table dining, art, historic towns, spas, and scenic drives through the countryside. Cabernet Sauvignon is Napa's superstar grape. The region is particularly renowned for powerful, structured red wines, although Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and other varieties are also grown here. A note from the writer: this is a pre-pandemic tale.