Our Story

Joe Vallerga founded Vallerga's Market in 1947. Joe's father Giuseppe Vallerga arrived in Napa in the 1880's from the Varazze-Savona area of northern Italy. He eventually bought property on First Street near downtown Napa (where Copia now stands), started a farm providing Napa with fresh vegetables, married his wife Kate, and started a family. The family ran a produce stand and delivery business for many years before the market was started.
Giuseppe Vallerga (circa 1940) on his farm, land now occupied by Copia.
The Vallergas ran a produce stand on their property—and delivered fresh produce by truck—for many years. (Shown are, left to right, Joe's brother Stanley Vallerga, father Giuseppe, mother Kate, niece Nancy Cirimele, and sister Malvina.)
In 1947, the first market opened on the corner of First Street and Juarez in what is now the parking lot for JV Wine & Spirits. In the automotive spirit of the times, it was called a Vallerga's Drive-In Market.
The first Vallerga's Market opened in 1947.
Blaine Cherrington and Joe Vallerga unload the produce truck at the store's delivery entrance circa 1947.
In seven years, the market was ready to expand, and Joe built a new market building behind the old one, which opened in 1954. The old store was moved by trailer west across the river to serve as a hardware store for Joe's brother Stanley.
A new, then extremely modern Vallerga's Market was built in 1954. This is now JV Wine & Spirits.
Joe checks a display in the new store in 1954.
Joe welcomes Joe Greco, then mayor of Napa, to opening day.
The old store was hauled away to make room for the new store's parking lot.
Vallerga's Market established itself even further in 1962 when it opened the Redwood Plaza location and 1964 when it opened its Riverpark location (which closed in 2005). The 1954 building became JV Wine & Spirits in 1983. (JV stands for Joe Vallerga, who owns the wine store as well.) Vallerga’s purchased the current store at First and Silverado in 1992, which closed in 2007.
The Redwood Plaza store opened in 1962 and recently has been substantially remodeled.
Here, the first customers of the Riverpark store have their picture taken on opening day in 1964.
Then Napa Mayor Ed Solomon cuts the ribbon on opening day of the Silverado Trail store in 1993. Left of Joe is then-future mayor Ed Henderson.
In 1997, the same year that Vallerga's Market celebrated its 50th Anniversary, a bit of store history passed on when the building that housed the original store was burned during firefighter exercises. The building was on land purchased from the Vallerga family for the construction of Copia on First Street.
The original Vallerga's store goes up in smoke—again and again—during firefighter training in 1997.