This article originally appeared in the October issue of NCGA Golf Magazine
How Golf and the Wine Industry Intersect in NorCal
Northern California is renowned across the globe as a premier wine country destination and beacon of culinary creativity. Napa Valley has stood as the glossy postcard representation of California wine for decades. But each of the six primary wine regions in NorCal has its own personality and unique array of experiences.
In this issue’s cover story, we detail six distinctive wine communities that were drawing visitors to their golf courses long before vineyards blanketed their hills.
Once you skip past the wine cellar doors, you’ll find wine regions that are as intoxicating as the vintages themselves, and often with a culinary tradition to equal the wines. It’s where tight-knot communities, generations-deep traditions and a countryside stitched with character sharpen your senses to a world outside the bottle.
The very same creative, pioneering spirit that drove winemakers to settle here has continued to fuel a push for excellence, evolution and reinvention – one that goes far beyond wine and food. By all means, come for the vineyards and enjoy a side of golf. But stay for the family stories fermented over time and the kind of experience that rewires how you travel.