November 2, 2012 – Fall Color on its Way to Napa Valley

If you are a fan of autumn’s annual festival of color, then the time to visit Napa Valley is fast approaching.  (My fascination with fall colors must be hereditary as both my parents originate from Upstate New York.)  During a visit to Napa Valley today, I noticed the change starting to take place.  Nearly every vine has already been harvested and is starting to develop yellow colors in its leaves.  While the days have remained fairly warm (in the upper 60’s and lower 70’s), the temperature at night is dropping into the 40’s.  This should lead to some spectacular colors in the days ahead, especially in about two weeks (Nov 14^th-ish) as we get some really cold night temperatures.  This is about a week earlier than in the past few years.



Fall color commencing in the Sauvignon Blanc vines at Provenance on November 2, 2012.


If you are planning a drive through the area, there are a few special stretches that are my favorites.  On the south end of the valley, the drive along Highway 121 east near Domain Carneros is my all-time favorite as it develops more of the rusty red colors.  Second is the view of Oakville from either Silverado Vineyards or Miner Family Vineyards – both offer seating elevated well above the vineyard level.  I also enjoy the view from St. Clement vineyards just north of the town of St. Helena, the vineyard view from Cuvaison winery in Carneros, the roof of Opus One Winery in Oakville, and the gondola ride up to Sterling Vineyards in Calistoga.  Of course, if all you did was drive north along the Silverado Trail to Calistoga and return south along Highway 29 to Napa, you would still catch the majority of the fall color that Napa Valley has to offer.  Just try to go on a day that is at least partly sunny to catch it in all its glory.



The view from the Cuvaison tasting room in Carneros, November 27, 2009