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Napa wine and classic car event roars to life

  //food-wine.news-articles.net/content/2025/09/26 .. pa-wine-and-classic-car-event-roars-to-life.html
  Published in Food and Wine on Friday, September 26th 2025 at 12:14 GMT by San Francisco Examiner
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Napa Valley Turns Vineyard Vistas into a Sports‑Car Stage

When most people think of Napa Valley, they picture rolling hills, sun‑kissed vineyards, and world‑class wineries. In early August, however, the region became the unlikely backdrop for an automotive extravaganza that blended sleek metal with the region’s signature terroir. The event, called the “Napa Auto Showcase,” drew a motley crew of car enthusiasts, local business owners, and curious tourists to a series of wine estates, turning a traditional tasting room into a pit stop for high‑performance machines.

What the Forum Revealed

The conversation that sparked this article began in the San Francisco Examiner’s “Cars & Motor Vehicles” forum, where user JohnDoe posted a thread titled “The Napa event showcases sports cars in vineyard vistas.” The post contained a brief description, a handful of photos, and a link to the event’s official website (the link points to a page that reads www.napauto.com). Several forum members responded with excitement, asking for more details, photo links, and even a rundown of the lineup.

A quick glance at the thread shows the thread was live for just a few days, but the buzz it generated was palpable. The thread contained direct quotes from a representative of the Napa Valley Auto Club, who said, “We wanted to bring something new to the region—combining the beauty of the valley with the thrill of driving.” Another commenter, AutoFanGirl, posted a photo of a red Porsche 911 Turbo parked next to a glass of Chardonnay, and remarked, “This is the best way to experience Napa—taste and drive.”

The Event Itself

The showcase took place on August 12‑14, 2023, in the vineyards surrounding St. Helena. The organizers partnered with three local wineries—Beringer, Sterling, and Stag’s Leap—to provide both a scenic backdrop and a tasting experience. Each day began with a “Sunrise Showcase,” where cars were lined up on the vineyard’s gravel drive for a morning photo‑op. By noon, the “Live Driving Experience” was in full swing, allowing visitors to take a 30‑minute, guided loop that wound through rows of grapevines and the valley’s iconic hills.

The lineup was a mix of modern supercars and vintage classics. Highlights included:

• Ferrari 488 GTB – The Italian power‑house was showcased in a crisp white, its LED headlights cutting through the morning mist.
• Porsche 911 Turbo – A glossy red 911 attracted a line of eager fans, who later took a spin on the vineyard’s winding roads.
• Ford Mustang GT – A nod to American muscle, the Mustang was displayed in “Silver Streak” on the winery’s patio.
• Lamborghini Huracán – The exotic coupe was set against the backdrop of a sprawling Chardonnay vineyard.
• A vintage 1967 Chevrolet Corvette – A nostalgic throwback that reminded many of the event’s heritage‑centric theme.

In addition to the cars, the organizers ran a “Wine & Wheels” competition, where participants could guess the type of wine served at each station and win a free bottle if they were right. The competition added a playful, engaging dimension that attracted families as well as car buffs.

Links Worth Following

The forum post referenced a few external links that offer a deeper dive into the event:

1. Official Napa Auto Showcase Site
   URL: https://www.napauto.com
   The site offers a full schedule, ticketing information, and a gallery of the cars that participated. It also features a blog post from the event director, explaining the partnership with Napa’s wine community.

2. Napa Valley Tourism Office
   URL: https://www.visitnapavalley.com
   The tourism board’s page lists upcoming events and highlights the unique “Car Meets Wine” initiative that the showcase helped launch.

3. Wineries’ Individual Pages
   Beringer (https://www.beringer.com), Sterling (https://www.sterlingwinery.com), and Stag’s Leap (https://www.stagsleap.com) each have a dedicated section on the day’s schedule, indicating when they hosted tastings for the event’s attendees.

4. Napa Valley Auto Club
   URL: https://www.napauto-club.org
   The club’s news feed contains a press release that outlines their goals for the showcase, including fostering a new generation of automotive enthusiasts in the region.

The After‑Show Buzz

The forum thread did not simply stop at the event; it also captured post‑event reactions. A user named CivicDad posted a video montage of the cars and the crowd, claiming that the event “set a new standard for automotive events in California.” Another member, VineyardVixen, shared a link to a local news article about how the showcase could benefit Napa’s tourism economy, especially for mid‑season visits.

Forum members also discussed how the event could be expanded in future years. One user suggested “adding a classic car restoration showcase,” while another mentioned “increasing the size of the driving loop to a full 10‑mile circuit that goes around the valley’s main roads.” These ideas reflect a broader vision of a Napa Valley that celebrates both its storied wine heritage and a growing automotive culture.

Conclusion

What started as a brief forum post evolved into a story of a unique intersection between two beloved Californian pastimes: driving and wine tasting. The Napa Auto Showcase leveraged the natural beauty of the valley’s vineyards as a runway for some of the world’s most celebrated sports cars, creating an immersive experience that resonated with car enthusiasts, wine lovers, and tourists alike.

The forum thread and its linked resources offer a comprehensive view of an event that may well become a staple in Napa Valley’s calendar. For those looking to blend a glass of world‑class wine with a rev of an engine, the Napa Auto Showcase provides the perfect recipe. As the forum community suggests, the next edition may offer even more, from extended driving circuits to classic car displays, continuing to put Napa on the map as a destination that goes beyond just vineyards.