A History of Stewardship

For more than 50 years, hundreds of growers, vintners, local leaders, journalists and every day citizens have toiled to preserve the beauty and splendor of our Valley for this and future generations. That is why the Napa Valley Agricultural Preserve is, and will remain, a slice of paradise unique to the world.



Designed to protect the Napa Valley growing region, the Ag Preserve was established in 1968 by the Napa County Board of Supervisors and the Napa County Planning Commission. The goal of the Preserve was clearly spelled out in the first section of the ordinance: “This district classification is intended to be applied in the fertile valley and foothill areas of Napa County from Napa to Calistoga in which agriculture is and should continue to be the predominant land use, where uses incompatible to agriculture should be precluded and where development of urban type uses would be detrimental to the continuance of agriculture and the maintenance of open spaces which are economic and aesthetic attributes and assets of the County of Napa.”