The Napa Valley makes wines in a unique style unknown in other parts of the world. They take advantage of the long growing season and produce wines that taste very ripe and wholesome and usually with 1-2% residual sugar. Napa wines are crafted with care and in a style, which enables them to be consumed at three or four years in age. 
The full ageing potential is still unknown, as many of the wineries are relatively new. To buy the best wines, you must visit the several small family-owned wineries instead of the overcrowded commercial ones. It is better to hire a limo, with a driver who may know the layout of Napa, although he may not know very much about the wine.
To add to fun on your Napa tour, you can undertake a bike tour when you have the opportunity to cycle from winery to winery in the open air right alongside the vineyards. Touring the wine country by bike is a far more exciting and unforgettable experience than viewing the valley from the inside of a rental car or any other vehicle. Winery personnel in Napa region can help you to understand how to taste and enjoy the wine's color, texture and aroma.
Buying wine can be an interesting and never-ending adventure in NAPA but do not allow yourself become frustrated and give up. Wine vintages, no matter where the wine grapes are grown or who the winemaker is, have varying degrees of yearly changes. Such differences could be due to of reasons such as different weather conditions, change in winemaker, winemaking style, or grapes from a different grower.
Avoid last minute wine purchases. Read about wines and be prepared before going out to buy the wine. Find out the correct wine prices as well. The most expensive wine need not always be the best. You may also get some good bargain offers with new less known wineries. Carefully choose the wine retailers. Wines are best kept when stored on their side not standing up, which will eventually dry out the cork. Wine should also be kept at a constant cooler temperature and not warm. Erratic fluctuations in temperature might alter the wine's flavor. Avoid wines that are stored near sunlit windows as well. Wine retailers should be able to suggest types of wines that will go best with any foods you might be serving.
Never be afraid to ask questions and you will be surprised how much you can learn. Most wine retailers store their wines by grape variety such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc etc., with not only American wines but also foreign wines. Familiarize yourself with the store's categorical system, which will aid you in easily finding out the wine you want.
Your personal taste should be the deciding factor in the choice of wines you buy. Should it be possible, taste the wine before you buy it. There are a few wine tasting bars around. There are several in Napa and Sonoma. Make it a point to check the bottle of wine you are purchasing. Make certain it is full and does not have any leakage, which you will find at the top of the bottle. Also a good rule of thumb is not to purchase more than one bottle of the same wine unless you have tasted it. If there is a particular wine which you can not seem to get enough of, do not hesitate to buy one. You will find that some of the wines available in the Napa Valley wine tour are less expensive as they are sold out in the regular grocery store.
