Our Napa retro logo uses California's bear and star motif, symbolizing resilience, independence, and pride. The bear reflects wilderness toughness and agricultural endurance, while the star recalls California Republic heritage. "1850" ties the motif to statehood pride. Its black-and-white styling is retro, resembling WPA posters and vineyard crate labels. The motif bridges Napa's dual identity: frontier farm hub and suburban wine capital. On merchandise, it conveys authenticity, resilience, and pride, retro vintage in tone. The bear and star emblem honors Napa's layered story, making it a vintage symbol of California heritage. Retro in style, it reflects resilience and cultural strength.
What’s with the name? Long before the vines, this was the homeland of the Wappo and Patwin peoples — the name Napa itself comes from a Patwin word whose exact meaning is still debated — and, as across California, colonization took a devastating toll on them; their descendants remain part of the valley’s story today. The Mexican rancho era carved the land into grants like Rancho Entre Napa, and in 1847 a twenty-one-year-old settler named Nathan Coombs laid out “Nappa City” at the confluence of the Napa River and Napa Creek — the uppermost point a boat could navigate, which made it a natural landing. The steamboat Dolphin reached town in 1850, and Napa incorporated in 1872.
Why People Visit Napa California
- Drive Highway 29, the historic Wine Road that runs north out of the city of Napa up the western edge of the valley past the founding-era estates between Yountville and St. Helena.
- Drive the Silverado Trail, the quieter parallel route a few miles up the eastern hillside, with the long-view back across the valley floor toward the Mayacamas.
- Drive past the 1861 stone winery on Highway 29 in St. Helena — founded by Charles Krug and among the oldest commercial wineries in California, still pressing grapes more than a century and a half later.
- Browse the Oxbow district on the downtown riverbend — the market halls, oyster bars, and coffee roasters of Napa’s eating-city era, a few steps from the river walk.
- See the exterior of the 1884 Rhine House on Highway 29 in St. Helena — the German-style mansion that is one of the valley's signature architectural landmarks.
- See the Napa Valley Opera House on Main Street in downtown Napa — the restored 1879 performing-arts landmark in the heart of the riverfront district.
- Walk the Napa River Walk and the downtown riverfront — promenades, plazas, and bridges along the river through the historic heart of the city.
- Hike Skyline Wilderness Park on the southeastern edge of the city — 850 acres of oak woodlands, lake loops, and hilltop views back across the valley.
- Drive north to Calistoga at the head of the valley for the mineral hot springs, the geyser country, and the long view south down the length of Napa Valley.
- Drive northeast to Lake Berryessa for the boating, the fishing, and the high-country views east of the valley floor.
- Climb (or drive partway up) Mount St. Helena, the 4,343-foot peak that closes the head of the valley — Robert Louis Stevenson State Park preserves the trail and the slopes where Stevenson honeymooned in 1880.
- Plan a visit during harvest season (August through October) for the crush, the cellar work, and the late-October press — the peak of the valley's working rhythm.
