We Love Mustard Season for All the Right Reasons

When Napa Tosses on a Brilliant Blanket

We gotta give it to you, Napa. You’ve got style. As the days grow longer and we can count off the weeks until spring, Napa’s vineyards put on a special wintertime display…and it’s a show stopper.

Wine Country’s Blanket

From late January through early March, it’s a cinch to frame your picture-perfect photos. Bright blue skies above, puffy white clouds above rolling green hills and on the valley floor, an explosion of vibrant golden fields against woody brown vines.

Mustard History Mystery

Some say that Jesuit priests introduced mustard seeds to Northern California in the 19th century. Did seeds spill through holes in the sacks the missionaries carried or were the seeds intentionally dropped to mark a path? Nobody knows for sure.

Magical Mustard

Besides looking super pretty, the bright yellow, gold and orange blankets of mustard blossoms covering acre upon acre of vineyards are getting several important jobs done. Mustard is rich in nitrogen, so it's a natural fertilizer In the vineyards. As a cover crop, the flowering mustard prevents soil erosion, provides a habitat for beneficial insects, and discourages the proliferation of plant-parasitic nematodes that feed on roots.

A Walk on the Wild Side

We all wish the vines could talk. But the next best thing is to take a walk through the most beautiful vineyards with a winemaker during mustard season and hear authentic insider stories. Get in touch with the team at Cultured Vine. It will surely be a highlight of your customized Napa Valley visit this season…but don’t delay! The mustard flowers are ready and waiting.

Written By: Laurie Jo Miller Farr