It would take more than a little water and mud to keep Napans down. Within days after the New Year’s Eve flood, Napa Valley was returning to normal. Thanks to the partway completed Flood Control Project, damages were primarily limited to a need for carpets and furniture in the affected areas.
By Kate King
Published: February, 2006
It would take more than a little water and mud to keep Napans down. Within days after the New Year’s Eve flood, Napa Valley was returning to normal. Thanks to the partway completed Flood Control Project, damages were primarily limited to a need for carpets and furniture in the affected areas.
So, if you’ve been thinking of visiting Napa, no need to hesitate. There are more wine tasting bars than ever, and delicious food is being served at a wide variety of restaurants, such as Pilar’s, the Bounty Hunter, Angele and Celadon. Or, stroll through art galleries, a unique dog specialty store, or pick up some bling-bling at one of the several jewelry stores in town, like Napa Valley Jewelers or Spinelle Fine Jewelry. Experience the Napa River for your self — have dinner on the Napa River Adventures Party Barge! For a different view of the vineyards, you can rent bikes at Bicycle Trax and take a tour of downtown and the surrounding open space.
With the free downtown trolley, you can make it a car-free experience.
Stay for the day, or plan to stay overnight at any of the wonderful B&B’s or hotels that welcome you.
Please visit www.napachamber.com
In January, the wineries were fully engaged in the usual mix of activities, which range from giving tours and tastings, to rearranging barrels in storage facilities and bottling wines.
It’s also the time of year when the pruning crews begin sculpting the vines for the next crop. These pruning stages have to happen at just the right time, because if water gets into fresh prune wounds the vines can become susceptible to moisture-induced infections.
In February, while the vines are in their seasonal dormant phase, the rain is replenishing the moisture load in the soil and helping to refill local reservoirs and underground aquifers. All this moisture will eventually help bring on the first buds and blossoms of our upcoming growing season.
Already, the valley is carpeted in butter-yellow mustard — a sure sign of spring.
In March, the growing season will be officially underway. Budbreak begins and new spring greenery will be visible in the vineyards, as you make your way up and down the valley. Budbreak is an annual stage in the growing season when vine buds crack open and small shoots emerge. It marks the end of the winter dormancy and the start of the new crop, a time when springtime sunshine warms up the valley and coaxes bud growth on vines.
Photo: Courtesy of Napa Chamber of Commerce
