What was the best Napa Valley vintage?

There is no single answer, because Napa vintages suit different tastes. Recent seasons widely regarded as outstanding include 2023 for its long mild growing season and generous yields, 2018 for its combination of quality and quantity, and 2016 for near-ideal conditions from start to finish. Older reference points include 2012, 1997 and 1990.

Does vintage matter in Napa Valley?

Less than in cooler wine regions, but it still matters. Napa's reliable sunshine means the valley rarely produces a failed year, so vintage variation shows up as differences in style rather than quality - cooler years like 2025 lean toward balance and lower alcohol, while warm years give riper, more powerful wines.

What is a Napa vintage chart?

A vintage chart records the key stages of a growing season, including daily high and low temperatures, rainfall and the timing of bloom and harvest. The Napa Valley Vintners publishes these charts for every year from 1990 onward, and growers use them to compare seasons and plan harvest logistics.

When is harvest in Napa Valley?

Most years, sparkling wine grapes are picked first from late July or early August, white varieties follow through August, and Cabernet Sauvignon runs from late September into October or early November. Cool years push the whole sequence later, and warm years pull it earlier.

A glass of Texas red overlooking Hill Country vineyards - most of what is in the glass began on the High Plains

Reference

Where Dogs Actually Drink Free

We have verified dog policies at 1,803 American wineries. The regions that welcome them are not the ones you would guess.

The map of good boys

Sonoma County leads with 174 verified dog-friendly wineries and Paso Robles follows with 149, which will surprise nobody who has driven either. What is less expected is what comes next: Oregon at 121, then Napa at 87, and then Indiana at 77 and Georgia at 53, both punching far above their size.

Indiana and Georgia rank ahead of several famous California regions on verified dog-friendly rooms.

There is a logic to it. Regions built around farm properties and outdoor seating say yes to dogs far more readily than regions built around seated indoor flights. The pattern tracks the architecture of the visit, not the prestige of the appellation.

What dog-friendly actually means

Almost always it means the outdoor areas: patios, lawns, picnic tables, vineyard paths. Very few tasting rooms allow dogs inside, and the ones that do usually say so explicitly. Leashes are the near-universal condition.

The practical version: bring water, plan around the patio rather than the bar, go on a weekday if your dog dislikes crowds, and call ahead if it is your only stop of the day. Policies change with insurance and management, which is why we date what we verify and still tell you to confirm.

Places we can point you to

In Lodi, Harney Lane, Klinker Brick, Oak Farm, Jessie's Grove all welcome dogs, and Harney Lane's shaded fountain courtyard is one of the more pleasant places to spend an afternoon with one.

In the Sierra Foothills and Delta, Grand Island Vineyards, Bella Grace keep the farm-property tradition. In Texas Hill Country, Flat Creek Estate welcomes leashed dogs across its outdoor areas alongside a disc golf course.

The fastest way to plan around a dog is the filter itself: open the map filtered to dog-friendly wineries and work outward from wherever you are.

A note on the numbers

These are wineries whose dog policy we have verified from the winery or a reliable regional source. A winery without the tag is one we have not confirmed either way, not one that turns dogs away, so treat the regional counts as a floor. Coverage is deeper in regions we have audited most recently.

Published September 2026.