Napa Valley
A brief overview.
The Napa Valley AVA, which includes nearly all of Napa County, is the king of the U.S. Wine producing regions. No wine region in America has a finer reputation around the world for high-quality grapes, attracts more visitors and has more Michelin-starred restaurants. Napa Valley has the highest priced Cabernet Sauvignons in america, price tags of $75 to $150 are the norm, with some reaching into the stratosphere. The best quality Napa grapes can command $10,000 dollars a ton, the general formula for pricing wine from purchased grapes is called the rule of 100: if a vintner pays $100 dollars per ton of grapes he needs to charge $1 for a bottle of wine. Thus, a $10,000 per ton wine will likely be priced at $100. Napa Valley is 30 miles long north to south and between 1 to 5 miles across. The Mayacamas Mountains and the Vaca Range flank the Napa River on the west and east. In general the southern portion near Napa and Yountville, is the coolest, and the northern end near Calistoga is the warmest. Despite Cabernet Sauvignon’s dominance the AVA is not a one grape wonder, there is more Chardonnay planted in the valley then Cabernet Sauvignon, only if you add in the acreage devoted to the blending partners of Cabernet Sauvignon does acreage surpass Chardonnay.
German immigrants played an enormous role in laying out the foundation of Napa Valley winemaking starting the first wineries in the 1860s and by 1889 there were more than 140 commercial wineries. Overproduction and phylloxera played havoc with the young industry, and in 1920 Prohibition dealt a near fatal blow, by the time Repeal came in 1933 most vineyards and wineries had closed. The 1940s brought newcomers to the valley to plant grapes and make wine, but the real boom came in the 1960s and 70s when a wave of icons to be hit Napa Valley. This was Napa Valley’s golden era, when vintners worked and learned together. They had Inglenook and Beaulieu Vineyard to show them the ropes being two of the stalwarts that survived prohibition. In 1960 a mere dozen wineries existed in the valley, by 1975 there were forty-five. To many, Robert Mondavi is synonymous with Napa Valley wine. He Left his Families Charles Krug Winery in St. Helena in 1965 to start Robert Mondavi Winery in Oakville. Not only did Mondavi produce good-quality wine he sold it with a passion and verve that put Napa Valley on the World wine scene. The Judgement of Paris in 1973 cemented Napa Valley as a world class wine producer when in a blind tasting Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay bested comparable wines from france with a panel of french judges.
Los Carneros
An interesting AVA in that it is both in Napa Valley and also Sonoma Valley. One of the coolest AVAs in california it has only recently been supplanted as the premier producer of cool-climate grapes in the region. Originally planted to produce sparkling wine for large international houses it has started to produce more still Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. One of the original producers of still wine in the area is Saintsbury Winery, they still produce excellent Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Climate: Cool, with marine winds from San Pablo Bay as well as the Petaluma Gap, High Temperatures rarely exceed 80°
Elevation: Sea level-700 feet
Principal varieties: Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Chardonnay
Coombsville
One of the coolest area in Napa Valley, Coombsville produces Cabernet Sauvignon with freshness and verve. Very new, formalized as an AVA in December 2011 with 1,360 acres of vines planted on soils made up of volcanic ash, debris and lava from ancient eruptions of nearby mount George.
Climate: Temperate Climate moderated by the near-proximity to the San Pablo Bay and the influences of marine air.
Elevation: Most vineyards are in the 100-500 foot zone, though a small portion tops 1000 feet
Principal varieties: Dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon on the hillsides with Merlot, Chardonnay, Syrah and Pinot Noir in the lower cooler sites.
Wild Horse Valley
Southeast of the Oak KNoll district is a remote Napa Valley Sub-AVA there are just forty acres of vines and vineyard irrigation is essential due to the shallow soils that don’t hold water well. The leading winery is the Kenzo Estate thats inaugural vintage in 2005 was entirely exported to Japan, the three wines they produce are high quality and hopefully will induce other people to invest in Wild Horse Valley.
Climate: a warmer area well to the east, but still moderated by both altitude and prevailing winds coming off Suisun Bay to the southeast.
Elevation: 600-1900 feet
Principal varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay
Mount Veeder
The coolest mountain AVA in Napa with many people pursuing Rhone varietals. At 15000 acres this is the largest AVA within Napa but only produces 1.3% of Napa valley’s yearly tonnage. Mayacamas Vineyards is one of the most famous wineries in the area along with Scaggs Vineyard and Mount Veeder winery. Mount veeder released the first Napa Cabernet Sauvignon with all five Bordeaux varietals in 1977.
Climate: Cool to moderate, with most vineyards above the fog line, meaning warmer nights and cooler days than on the valley floor, typical summer highs are 85°
Elevation: 500-2600 feet
Principal varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay.
Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley
Sedimentary, gravelly, alluvial loam soils prevail on the western side the east has heavier, more volcanic composition. The grapes of this area are widely used for blending with other areas of Napa Valley it is warm enough to grow Cabernet Sauvignon and cool enough to grow Chardonnay. This is a great area of Zinfandel with Robert Biale vineyards leading the way with excellent single vineyard wines.
Climate: Moderate to cool, with marine air and fog often remaining until late morning; afternoon breezes, frequently occur, maintaining slightly cooler temperature than up-valley; summer temperatures may reach 92° and drop to around 50° at night.
Elevation: sea level to 800 feet
Principal varieties: Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling.
Yountville
George Yount planted the first commercial vinifera in Napa Valley in 1836. Yountville has a patchwork of soil types dominated by gravelly silt loams and alluvial sediments, and a coolish climate similar to that of carneros, with early-morning and late-afternoon fog and breezes from San Pablo Bay that temper midsummer heat.
Climate: Moderate, with cool marine influence and fog contributing to cool summer mornings; the marine breeze keeps afternoons more comfortable then further up-valley; summer peak temperatures may reach 90° with night-time temperatures dropping into the mid 50s°
Elevation: 20-200 feet
Principal varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot.
Stags Leap District
Soils in Stags Leap District are primarily of eroded volcanic matter on the eastern elevations of the Vaca Mountains, and old Napa river sediments that are gravelly blends of clay and loam elsewhere. Stags Leap district was approved in 1989 after much legal wrangling between the two major wineries with Stags Leap in their name and the Stags Leap Winegrowers Association that was the major driving factor for the AVA.
Climate: Moderately warm with afternoon marine winds cooling the warmer air radiating off the bare rocks of Stags Leap and the surrounding hillsides; summer temperatures can reach 100°, but more regularly are in the mid-90s°.
Elevation: sea level — 500 feet
Principal varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc
Atlas Peak
Atlas Peak soils are volcanic in origin, iron-rich and red in color, and tend to be shallow and well drained. This is another important blending region with many wineries buying Atlas Peak grapes to round out their valley floor wines. This is a very secluded area in Napa Valley and is only accessed by two roads so most of the visitor centers for the wineries are located in Napa or Saint Helena.
Climate: Cool-mountain influenced with temperatures about 10-15° cooler than the valley floor in summer; above the fog line, there is a low day-to-night temperature range with summer days rarely rising above 90°.
Elevation: 760-2600 feet
Principal varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay
Oakville
Oakville is the heart of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon production many of the leading wineries are based here and source their grapes from the area. Sedimentary, gravelly, and alluvial-loam soils dominate the western side of the AVA, with vocanic matter and heavier soils on the eastern side of the. Some may disparage valley-floor vineyards as being too fertile and the wines made from them as lacking complexity and structure, but Oakville proves otherwise. Some of the most sought after wines of Napa Valley are grown and vinified here with such luminary names as Screaming Eagle, Far Niente and Opus One.
Climate: Moderately warm with temperatures in the mid-90s° in the summer, but affected by night and early morning fog; the east side receives more warm afternoon sun.
Elevation: Sea level — 500 feet
Principal varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc
Rutherford
Rutherford and St. Helena can claim the richest and most layered histories in the Napa Valley. One of the standout estates of the AVA is Beaulieu Vineyard founded in 1900 by Georges de Latour, a french immigrant, he started the vineyard with imported french rootstock that was phylloxera. Beaulieu was also the home of Andre Tchelistcheff the grandfather of Californian wine-making. He consulted for dozens of wineries in California but is best known for leading Rutherford and Napa Valley wineries in their restart efforts after prohibition.
Climate: Moderately warm, still marginally influenced by early morning fog; the western bench area is cooler, with less late afternoon sun; usual summer peak temperatures are mid-90s° with a distinct day-to-night temperature fluctuation.
Elevation: Sea level — 600 feet
Principal varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Zinfandel
Spring Mountain District
The Spring Mountain AVA is named for its numerous springs that are drained by several small streams. Most vineyards have eastern exposures. The vineyards are largely planted in soils derived from Franciscan sedimentary rocks — weathered sandstone and conglomerates — and the Sonoma volcanic series.
Climate: Cool weather prevails, with a low day-night fluctuation in temperatures.
Elevation: 600-2600 feet
Principal varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, and Zinfandel
St. Helena
St. Helena’s growing season is warm and there is little fog or wind incursion — both are impeded by the Mayacamas Mountains to the west and the Vaca Mountain range to the east. The AVA pinches down to just 3 miles across at one point but widens to the north and south. There is less diurnal temperature range here then in most Napa AVAs. This AVA is home to some of the oldest vineyards in California Krug and Freemark Abbey to name two.
Climate: Warm due to greater protection from western hills, with less fog and wind; the narrowing valley floor provides more heat reflection off the hillsides; summer temperatures often peak in the mid to high 90s°
Elevation: 100-700
Principal varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel, and Viognier
Howell Mountain
Growing conditions on Howell Mountain are similar to those on Spring Mountain, even though Howell is on the eastern side of Napa Valley in the Vaca Rang. Vineyards are planted above the fog line, in volcanic soils that are remarkably shallow and infertile, resulting in grapes with thick skins and forceful tannins.
Climate: Slightly warmer and drier overall due to strong afternoon sun influence.
Elevation: 600-2600 feet
Principal Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, and Viognier
Chiles Valley District
This AVA produces wine that benefits from the chilly night time temperatures. These conditions create wines with linear structure and refreshing acidity. Just seven wineries are located within the district.
Climate: Summer temperatures peak in the mid 80s°, but due to higher elevation and evening fog, drop to below 50°.
Elevation: 600-1200 feet
Principal varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc
Diamond Mountain District
Like Spring Mountain, Howell Mountain, and Mount Veeder AVAs, Diamond Mountain District is defined by its elevation. Vines planted at High elevation generally 800 feet and above — tend to stay cooler in the afternoons and warmer at night than those on the valley floor. The uplifted soils are typically reddish , very fine grained even gritty in texture, composed of weathered sedimentary and volcanic material. Red wines are solidly structured and tannic when young, with a graphite/mineral character.
Climate: Moderately warm with less fluctuation than the north Napa Valley floor, temperatures in the summer range from 50-90°
Elevation: 400-2200 feet
Principal varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc
Calistoga
With nearly all volcanic soils deposited there by ancient eruptions in northerly Lake county, rocks stones, and cobble littered loams in the hills and heavier clay and silt soils are found in the alluvial fans on the valley floor. Chateau Montelena the winner of the 1973 judgement of paris for its chardonnay produces long lived wines from the one of the warmest sub AVAs of the valley, they tend to closed and angular in their youth and begin to open after about five years in bottle.
Climate: Daytime summer temperatures may peak above 100° and fall to the low 40s° at night, due to cool marine air drawn into the valley from the northwestern hills; cool afternoon and evening breezes continue the process, and on clear nights are assisted by cold air sliding down the mountain sides to the valley floor.
Elevation: 300-1200 feet
Principal varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah, and Petite Sirah.
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