People Shaping Napa

People Shaping Napa is napa.fyi's short interview series: five or six questions with the chefs, winemakers, artists, and founders shaping Napa Valley right now. Every interview is published from a real conversation. Nothing here is invented.

Justin Perkins, founder of Napa Kayak, outdoors by a wooded creek

People Shaping Napa

Justin Perkins of Napa Kayak: The Napa Nobody Sees From Highway 29

Justin Perkins grew up swimming the Napa River up Valley, far from the polluted downtown stretch of his childhood. In 2013 he turned that river into a business, and his History Tour now pairs unscripted wildlife with the Wild West past most visitors never hear.

By David Mercer

October 17, 2026 Read →

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