The Napa Valley Celebrates Cabernet Season™

NAPA VALLEY, Calif., Jan. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Harvest is complete, the wines are barrel-aging in caves and cellars, and the Napa Valley settles into its favorite winter coat – but visions of the frozen, snow-piled vistas that many traditionally equate with the vernal months don't belong here.  Instead, rows of gnarled dormant vines juxtapose with the brilliant colors of yellow mustard blooms, purple lupine, crimson clover, and emerald-green native grasses carpeting misty hills – indicating that it's officially Cabernet Season™ in the Napa Valley.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110106/FL26013 )

From late Fall through March, guests and locals enjoy a different side of the Napa Valley.  It's a time to slow the pace and revel in all of her natural beauty, from the rolling hills of the southern Carneros region, to the northernmost craggy-mountain palisades beyond Calistoga.  Intermittent seasonal rains that swell creeks and deliver much-needed moisture to replenish the vineyards yield to spectacularly clear and warm sunny days that stir the soul – proof that it's paradise.

"The Napa Valley is so colorful this time of year that it's a misnomer to call it 'winter,'" explained Clay Gregory, CEO of the Napa Valley Destination Council.  "The cooler weather inspires our local chefs to cook heartier foods, making it the best time to drink the great red wines from our region.  And since Cabernet Sauvignon is the king of red wines in the Napa Valley, it's really more appropriate to call this 'Cabernet Season.'  There's no better time to savor incredible food and wine pairings prepared by one of the many culinary talents at restaurants spread throughout the Valley," Gregory added.

Special offers from the Valley's gracious lodging establishments and spas – where the fireplace rivals the pool as the must-have amenity – entice guests to stay longer and experience more of the boundless activities available to lovers of all things related to wine, food, arts and wellness.  

Throughout the Valley, from vibrant Downtown Napa, to Yountville, Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena and Calistoga, art studios, museum exhibits, and charming main streets lined with locally owned boutiques are open to wander; performance venues offer lively entertainment; winery tasting rooms roll out the warmest of welcomes; healing geothermal hot spring waters provide the foundation for a cornucopia of restorative therapies; and miles of nature preserves with hiking and biking trails add encouragement to fill time with healthy endeavors when the sun breaks through the mists.

For more information on Napa Valley Cabernet Season™ special offers and opportunities, please visit www.LegendaryNapaValley.com.

About The Napa Valley

The Napa Valley is home to the founders of America's fine wine industry – legendary entrepreneurs who showed the world that the art of winemaking had crossed continents – and is prized for its natural beauty, phenomenal culinary scene, world-class hotel accommodations, robust arts community, and one-of-a-kind wellness experiences including the region's famed spas, mud baths and healing geo-thermal hot springs. The word Napa means 'land of plenty' in the language of its first known inhabitants, the Wappo Indians, and the Valley itself is one of the most precious agricultural preserves on earth - a place that moves in perfect synchrony with the seasons. Internationally recognized as one of only nine "Great Wine Capitals," the Napa Valley was voted the World's #1 Food & Wine Destination in the recent 2010 TripAdvisor® Travelers' Choice® Awards, and boasts 14 Michelin Restaurant Stars – the most per capita of any wine region in the world. Visit www.LegendaryNapaValley.com for more information, download the new VisitNapaValley iPhone App, and join The Napa Valley community on Facebook and YouTube.

SOURCE The Napa Valley