Napa Valley

The Present
Nowadays, Napa Valley enjoys the popularity it deserves and is thriving despite all the obstacles that were put in its way in the course of two centuries. Almost 4.5 million people visit Napa Valley each year, making it a very popular tourist destination in California, and "The World's Best Wine and Food Destination" as awarded by TripAdvisor's 2010 Travellers’ Choice Awards. Today Napa Valley features more than 450 wineries and is known all over the globe as one of the premier wine regions in the world (Online 3). The history of Napa Valley shows how one small town grew and evolved until it became well known in international circles (Online 10).

“I’m praying for rain in California, so the grapes can grow and they can make more wine,” sang Dean Martin in 1967, and it was even before the big boom in the Californian wine industry – he must have known in his blood what a success these wines would become in a few years. The plot of the movie “Bottle Shock” was based on the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, and another one about the same event is in the works. “Sideways”, another Hollywood product was filmed entirely in Napa Valley, and wine plays one of the main roles. The fact that people are constantly drawn to this place proves that Napa Valley is a magical location; even the pictures on Google seem so warm and welcoming, like a sunny day in September.
After a long battle with all kinds of disasters, Napa Valley has finally conquered its spot under the sun, and is here to stay. Hopefully, so is the wine.
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