Some of the marketing and PR people in different areas will make the statement “We want to be known as the Napa of the …”. There are certain regions that could well become like another Napa. Coming to mind are the Finger Lakes in New York, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Palisade, Colorado and Temecula, California. There are similarities between Napa and these areas.

There are also differences. Napa has well over 300 wineries and close to five million visitors staying at least one night. At times during the year this can make for crowded tasting rooms and slow moving traffic on California Rt. 29. However there are months when the crowds have subsided and traffic is not a problem.

We visited Napa in late February 2007 and had a delightful time. Often we were the only ones in the tasting rooms seldom were there more than five people. The reward for traveling to Napa in late February is the mustard growing between the rows of vines (pictured). The yellow flowers offer a brilliant contrast to the winter. The vines’ architecture can readily be observed during winter. The wineries are relatively close together and one can easily visit three or more a day. You would need a couple of months to see all of them though. Interested in choosing a few wineries to visit? Check out our Napa itinerary at: http://winetrailtraveler.com/itineraries/napaca2.php

This week I’ll blog about some of the other areas that would like to become the “Napa of the ….”.