California: North Coast Flashcards
(83 cards)
1
Q
What two mountain ranges sandwich Napa Valley AVA
A
Mayacamas (west; marks the border with Sonoma County)
Vaca (east)
2
Q
What counties make up the North Coast AVA? (6)
Location of each
A
Mendocino: Most northerly on the west coast, north of Sonoma
Lake: SE of Mendocino and north of Napa
Napa: South of Napa and east of Sonoma
Sonoma: South of Mendocino and west of Napa
Solano: South and east of Napa
Marin: South of Sonoma on the coast
3
Q
How much acreage does Napa Valley contain of California?
How much of Napa wine makes up the state’s annual wine revenue?
A
- -4% of California’s wine acreage.
- -Due to the high value of the wines, 25% of the state’s annual wine revenue.
4
Q
Napa Valley AVA’s (16)
A
While Callie will take her diamond and throw it in the spring
St Helena would rather oak, yount, and leap over mount veeder into oak knoll district then take a car to comb a wild horse, at the peak of Atlas with a chile and a howell
Calistoga Diamond Mountain District Spring Mountain District St. Helena Rutherford Oakville Yountville Stags Leap District Mount Veeder Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley Los Carneros Coombsville Wild Horse Valley Atlas Peak Chiles Valley District Howell Moutain
5
Q
Name four principle towns of Napa Valley. N-S
A
Calistoga
St Helena
Yountville
Napa
As one moves north the temperatures warm perceptibly.
6
Q
What is the influence of the Peteluma Gap to Napa Valley?
A
Coastal influence of the San Pablo Bay funnels ocean air upward through the valley—Carneros, the southernmost AVA within Napa, is suitable for the production of sparkling wines, whereas Calistoga, the northernmost AVA, routinely sees daytime summer temperatures above 90° F suitable for sturdier grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel.
7
Q
How does altitude effect Napa’s climate?
A
It has a major effect on temperature–vineyards strecth from 0-2000 ft (approx 600 meters)
8
Q
What are the diverse soils of Napa Valley?
A
Volcanic, alluvial and maritime soil types, ranging from well-drained gravel loam to dense clays to the thin, rocky soils of the hillside vineyards
9
Q
Explain the difference between Cabernet Sauvignon “mountain fruit” and “valley fruit”? What creates these styles? Name an AVA that exemplifies each.
A
Mountain Fruit
-Prized for it’s density, dark fruit and concentration, and its ability to retain a good acid structure through intense ripeness. (i.e. Howell Mountain). Low nutrient soils make grapes struggle and produces smaller berries, influencing color, intensity and a higher level of tannins. The reason is the increased level of light intensity and affect of the inversion layer that creates these more intense, powerful wines
Erosion is a serious concern amongst Napa’s hillside growers, as heavy winter rains can literally wash away a vineyard’s entire topsoil, leaving nothing but hard bedrock behind.
Valley Fruit
-tends to produce a more elegant and supple style of Cabernet, with less intensity of color. (i.e. Rutherford). Valley fruit also tends to have deeper topsoil.
Basically The higher you are in the hills, the warmer nights and cooler the days. Initially ripening is slower for mountain fruit, but by the end of the summer the tannin and color have rocketed ahead….very different profile from the valley floor where the cool nights preserve aromatic freshness and you end up with more elegant Cabs.
10
Q
Name the Mountain Floor AVAs of Napa Valley
A
Mount Veeder (Mayacamas) Spring Mountain District (Mayacamas) Diamond Mountain District (Mayacamas) Atlas Peak (Vaca Mountains) Howell Mountain (Vaca Mountains)
11
Q
Name the Valley Floor AVAs of Napa Valley
A
Coombsville Oak Knoll of Napa Valley Yountville Stags Leap District Oakville Rutherford St. Helena Calistoga
12
Q
Name the outlier AVAs of Napa Valley (neither mountain or valley)
A
Chiles Valley District-most isolate Napa AVA
Wild Horse Valley-most sparsely planted Napa AVA
Los Carneros-Napa’s coolest growing region; extends into Sonoma.
13
Q
What is the inversion layer?
A
The inversion layer means that cooler air in the valley pushes hot air upwards; night-time lows in the mountains can be higher than valley lows, but the daytime highs are lower in the mountains than on the valley floor-afternoons tend to be cooler.
Fog, which settles on the valley floor in the late evening and may not burn off until mid-morning, impacts nighttime temperatures and sunshine hours on the valley floor. Mountain regions tend to be drier–there are few summer days of intense wetting from fog–and they are seldom affected by frost.
14
Q
How long is Napa Valley?
A
30 miles
1/8 the size of Bordeaux
15
Q
Howell Mountain AVA
A
- est. 1983 (first sub-ava in 1983; along with Los Carneros)
- High-altitude 1400 ft/430 m
- West-facing vineyards
- Mountain fruit Cabernet Sauvignon, pre-prohibition known for Zinfandel
- first sub-appellation wholly within Napa Valley to receive its own AVA (1983), first mountain AVA
- receives the most rainfall in Napa Valley? (averages 60” per year)
- Dunn Vineyards, La Jota, O’Shaghnessy, and Robert Craig
16
Q
Rutherford AVA
A
-AVA est 1993
- Rutherford Dust- some say it refers to the actual flavor (Dusty and spicy berry element that can be found in all great Rutherford Cabs. Some call it mocha or allspice), the texture of the tannins, or simply a metaphor for Rutherford’s unique terroir.
- sets the wines of Rutherford apart from Oakville and Saint Helena.
- Rutherford bench (extends into Oakville (i.e. To-Kalon)- loamy gravel, important for Cab Sauv, which needs well drained soil where the water leaves early in the summer and restrains the growth.If it grows vigorously you get green flavors and weak thin wines. The vines run out of water at veraison and stop growing.
- Producers- Inglenook, Frog’s Leap, Staglin, Beaulieu Vineyards, Caymus, Scarecrow, Cakebread, Grgich Hills
17
Q
Where are the two main points in Napa Valley for fog entry?
A
San Pablo Bay to the south (most of the fog) and the Chalk Hill Gap to the north (in Calistoga near Diamond Mountain)
—While much of Sonoma is covered by fog daily, the Mayacamas Mountains that separate the two counties act as a goalie, blocking most of the fog from proceeding eastward into Napa.
18
Q
What is the body of water at the south end of Napa?
A
San Pablo Bay
19
Q
What are “benchlands” and where are they found?
A
—Found in the valley floor Napa AVA’s (mostly located on the western foothills, due to the fact that the valley floor slopes gently southward and westward)
—deep, fertile, sloping soil deposits composed of run-off from mountain streams. In these alluvial fans, vines can develop deep root systems. and are the best sites for wine growing.
—Napa’s benches (alluvial fans) act as a transition point between rocky hillside vineyards and the fertile valley floor.
20
Q
Sonoma AVA’s (18)
A
Alex threw dry rock and pine from the fort on the coast at the knight.
We chalked it up to petting the russian in the green valley
Bennett went through the valley and the mountain to get to the moon and drove a car up north to the fountain.
Alexander Valley Dry Creek Valley Rockpile Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak Fort Ross-Seaview Sonoma Coast Knights Valley Chalk Hill Russian River Valley Green Valley of Russian River Valley Bennett Valley Sonoma Valley Sonoma Mountain Moon Mountain District Sonoma County Carneros AVA (majority, small share in Napa) Northern Sonoma Fountaingrove District (2015 addition) Petaluma Gap (2018 addition) West Sonoma Coast (2022 addition)
21
Q
Sonoma Coast AVAs (8)
A
—Bennett Valley
—Chalk Hill
—Green Valley of Russian River Valley
—Los Carneros
—Northern Sonoma
—Russian River Valley
—Sonoma Valley
—Petuluma Gap
22
Q
Northern Sonoma AVAs (9)
Who proposed the Northern Sonoma AVA?
A
Est. 1985 —Alexander Valley —Chalk Hill —Dry Creek —Green Valley of Russian River Valley —Knights Valley —Pine Mountain—Cloverdale Peak —Rockpile —Russian River Valley —Sonoma Coast **Proposed by Gallo of Sonoma, as part of Gallo's RRV expansion. They got another 45,000 acres added to Northern Sonoma. Gallo may now blend across pre-existing AVA boundaries for its estate-bottled wines.
23
Q
What is north of Sonoma County? What is south of Sonoma County?
A
north-Mendocino and Lake
south- Marin, Solano, and Contra Costa
24
Q
What is “goldridge”?
A
Sandy loam soil that characterizes Russian River Valley
25
Fort Ross AVA
- AVA est 2011
- assumption that Pinot Noirs would be leaner and more acidic than their Russian River cousins, which originally drove the price for these grapes to extremely high levels.
- elevation (exceeds 1800 ft/548 mt)of most Fort Ross AVA puts them above the maritime fog layer so that the grapes bud early and often ripen in late August leading to big body and bold fruit.
- producers- Hirsch, Flowers, Marcassin, Martinelli
- Principal varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah
26
Knight's Valley AVA
- AVA est 1983
- Separates the upper end of the Napa valley from the lower end of the Alexander valley (new Fountaingrove district may now claim this.)
- warmest AVA in Sonoma county
- It was originally developed by Beringer Vineyards
- Focus on Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varieties from gravelly soils.
- prominent winery owned by British businessman Peter Michael.
27
Alexander Valley AVA
- AVA est 1984
- The largest and most fully planted of Sonoma county
- Cabernet tends to show a more herbaceous character and less body than its Napa counterparts.
- Rodney Strong was the first of the pioneers to plant Cabernet
- takes in the Russian river watershed upstream of Healdsburg north to the Sonoma–Mendocino county line north of Cloverdale.
- Chateau Souverain 1973 and Jordan Vineyards in 1976 awakened the valley adding an elegance.
- -Accessibility is much more likely to be a general descriptor than longevity; Kendall-jackson's 1996 purchase of the mountain vineyards on Gauer Ranch; Gallo's acquisition of nearly 1,500 acres/600 ha since 1988.
- Russian river cuts through valley.
- Cabernet Sauvignon from volcanic redish soils and gravelly soils, with a signature note of chocolate warmth and agreeable mouthfeel (more herbaceous and less body than Napa Cabs) along with other Bordeaux varieties.
- Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel succeed often enough to make one wonder if they are not suited best to these particular suns and soils.
- Wineries that brought Alexander Valley to wide attention in recent years were Geyser Peak, Clos du Bois, and Murphy-Goode.
28
Dry Creek Valley AVA
and
Rockpile AVA
Dry Creek Valley AVA est 1983
- Known for Sauvignon Blanc.
- Known for ripe, powerful Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon.
- The valley heads north and west from Healdsburg, where Dry creek flows into the Russian river.
- Prominent wineries- Ferrari-Carano, Nalle, Preston, Michel Schlumberger, and Rafanelli
- Rockpile AVA est 2002
- Known for ripe, powerful Zinfandel
- Rockpile established plantings north of Lake Sonoma after years of no planting due to Warm Springs dam drowning patches of Zinfandel;
- Prominent wineries- Rosenblum exceptional, sun-drenched, chewy Zinfandel
29
Sonoma Valley AVA
Sonoma Valley AVA est 1981
- Known for Zinfandel, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
- first great winery name of northern California, Buena Vista courtsey of Agoston haraszthy
- Hanzell Vineyard started the rush to using French oak barrels to age California wines and thereby revolutionized their style, most especially Chardonnay's.
- warms from south to north because San Francisco bay's influence dwindles mile by mile.
- Steep mountains on each side make it geologically as well as climatically complex.
- Sebastiani and Gundlach-Bundschu are the old-timers of the valley. Kenwood, Benziger, St Francis, and Kunde. Carmenet is in the AVA in the eastern mountains, as is Ravenswood's tasting room.
30
Mt. Veeder AVA
- AVA. est 1990
- stretches out along ridgetops that separate the Napa and Sonoma valleys immediately west of the town of Napa.
- notable producers Mayacamas (oldest extant winery), Hess Collection (largest), Jackson Family Lokoya (mini-cult)
31
Which AVA is most of the appellation’s planted area currently belongs to only two massive vineyards: Stagecoach, purchased by Gallo in 2017, and Antinori’s Antica property, which occupies Foss Valley, a large indent near the summit?
Atlas Peak AVA (est. 1992)
—Italy’s Marchese Piero Antinori grew Sangiovese in Napa Valley to less than stellar reviews, but establishing Atlas Peak as an AVA
—principle grape variety: Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons focused and ageworthy. —think well drained red-tinged volcanic soils planted above the fog line.
—most of the appellation’s planted area currently belongs to only two massive vineyards: Stagecoach, purchased by Gallo in 2017, and Antinori’s Antica property, which occupies Foss Valley, a large indent near the summit. William Hill (also part of Gallo)
—Kongsgaard purchased a property atop Atlas Creek and built a new winery in 2004.
—Just north of Atlas Peak is Pritchard Hill.
--best Cabs are concentrated and well-structured, with a muscular frame and an iodine or bloodlike quality on the palate.
32
Which is the smallest mountain AVA in Napa Valley?
Diamond Mountain AVA
- AVA est. 2001
- This AVA is defined by its elevation (400 to 2,200 feet)
- volcanic soils, including small bits of volcanic glass which give the AVA its name.
- Weathered red sedimentary soils contribute graphite notes to the tannic Cabernet Sauvignons
- it has a distinct cooling effect on parts of the Diamond Mountain District, adds steel to the wines.
- notable producers Von Strasser sets the pace. Diamond Creek vineyards Napa’s first cult brand.
- principle varieties Cabernet Sauvignon and Cab Franc
- defined by the Napa-Sonoma county line on the west, Spring Mountain on the south, and Calistoga wraps around it to the east and north
* * there is no Diamond Mountain, just a collection of sloping, jagged hillsides gathered together under the AVA.
33
What AVA has the largest diurnal shift?
| What mountains are on all three sides of this AVA?
Calistoga AVA est. 2009
—up to 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
-northern most AVA in Napa
-delayed as an AVA after years of debate over two wineries’ use of the word Calistoga outside of district
-Home to historic Chateau Montelena, Araujo Estate (now owned by François Pinault of Chateau Latour and Chateau Grillet), and visitor magnet Sterling Vineyards, Storybook Mountain Vineyards for Zinfandel
-three sides of Calistoga are bordered by mountains: Howell to the east, Diamond to the west, and the towering Mount St. Helena to the north.-very warm (routinely over 90° during the summer), with cooling breezes from Knights Valley to the west dropping temperatures to 41° F (54 °C) overnight, making quality grapegrowing possible.
-principal varieties-Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Syrah
34
What Napa AVA serves as the transition point between the more sedimentary peaks to the south and the more volcanic mountains in the north?
Spring Mountain AVA
AVA est. 1993
-sits on the steep terraces of the Mayacamas Mountains.
-principal varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay and Zinfandel
-coolest and wettest of the Napa AVA's
Notable producers, Beringer Vineyards, Smith-Madrone Vineyards and Winery, Spring Mountain Vineyard, Stony Hill Vineyard, Phillip Togni, Pride (vineyards famously straddles the Napa/Sonoma line)
**NO Spring Mountain, per se; the area is more of a collection of peaks and ridges than a single landmass.
35
Stags Leap District AVA
-AVA est. 1989
-Well south and on the eastern side of the valley
-Stags Leap District (shunning the apostrophe)
-hallmarks of its Cabernets are a greater emphasis on sour cherry and blackberry flavours than in counterparts from other parts of Napa, and suppler tannins.
- first appellation to be designated an AVA based on the unique terroir characteristics of its soil. The soil of this region include loam and clay sediments from the Napa River and volcanic soil deposits left over from erosion of the Vaca Mountains, reflective heat from the Palisades rock formations on eastern edge, and breezes from San Pablo Bay to the south
-takes its name from a basalt palisade north east of Napa city, under the towering wall of which its vineyards lie, and from which deer were reputedly driven by indigenous hunters.
-Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon placed first in a blind tasting against a sampling of first and second growth Bordeaux in 1976 “Judgment of Paris,”
-only valley floor AVA that does not cross the river.
-notable producers- Clos du Val and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Shafer were the pioneers, since joined by Cliff Lede, Chimney Rock, Pine Ridge, Silverado Vineyards, Sinskey.
-Principal varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, Chardonnay
and Sauvignon Blanc
36
Yountville AVA
-AVA est. 1998
-The town's founder George Calvert Yount planted the first vineyard in this area around 1836
-one of the coolest wine regions in Napa Valley, which helps contribute to a long growing season.
-Large amounts of clay and the cooler temps make Yountville a source for seriously finessed and silky Merlot. Cabernet Sauvignon, especially from Dominus, Kapcsándy, and the Sleeping Lady Vineyard, tends to be more elegant than is typical for Napa, with gentle tannins, firm acidity, and fresh black fruits. .
-Bordeaux’s Christian Moueix staked his Napa claim in 1981, first partnering with John Lail’s Napanook vineyard, then taking over for his Dominus brand of ageworthy Cabernet Sauvignons.
-Moët and Chandon entered business in 1973. Chandon established Domaine Chandon for the production of traditional method sparkling wines--California ripe fruit marrying with champagne production methods.
-The small town of the same name has one of the Valley’s highest concentrations of restaurants.
Principal varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
37
Carneros AVA
-AVA est. 1983
-spans the extreme south of both napa and sonoma Counties. Sprawls across the last, low hills of the Mayacamas Range before it slips beneath San Francisco Bay. The larger part of the AVA lies within Sonoma County.
—can be bottled as either Carneros, Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley, or even Sonoma Coast.
- sprang to public notice in the mid 1980s, partly on the strength of some impressive Pinot Noirs and as much or more because of traditionally made sparkling wines blended from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grown in Carneros.
- In addition to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Carneros is gaining a reputation for Merlot and, to a limited extent, Syrah.
- Many wineries further north in Napa Valley either own vineyards or buy grapes, particularly Chardonnay, in the Carneros district in order to have a cooler climate blending component.
--notable producers: Acacia, Buena Vista, Carneros Creek, and Saintsbury were important producers of still wines throughout the 1980s; Gloria Ferrer (family behind Freixenet), Domaine Carneros (Taittinger), and Codorníu Napa were the pioneer sparkling wine producers following the lead of Domaine Chandon of Yountville, which first sourced grapes here.
38
From 2011 onward what are all wines produced in Sonoma County required to have on the label, regardless of whether or not the label also included an AVA?
Required to state "Sonoma County"
39
What two rivers merge at the southern portion of Mendocino County?
Russian and Navarro Rivers.
40
What AVA's are encompassed by Mendocino AVA? (7)
Which 3 AVA's are just outside of Mendocino AVA? (4)
Locations?
Andie Mcdowell smoking pot in redwood forrest with he Yorkie eating cool ranch Doritos with ridges along two rivers (dos rios) covered (covello) and pine forrest
```
—Redwood Valley: NW Mendocino
—Potter Valley: NE Mendocino
—Cole Ranch: small area; Central Mendocino, far south of Redwood Valley
—McDowell Valley: SE corner
—Yorkville Highlands: SW corner
```
—Anderson Valley: far west
—Mendocino Ridge (portion): south of Anderson Valley
- Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak which extends north of the Sonoma County border into Mendocino
- Dos Rios and Covelo in the northern sector of the county.
- Eagle Peak Mendocino County
41
Why did Mendocino AVA decrease their size in 2014?
So that is boundaries would not overlap those of the new Eagle Peak Mendocino County AVA.
42
What are the two single producer AVA's in Mendocino?
—Cole Ranch, the smallest AVA in America in total area (refers to area covered, not area under vine; 150 acres total, 60 acres planted); One vineyard here controlled by Esterlina Winery. (Good riesling here)
—McDowell Valley monopole of McDowell Valley wineries
43
What champagne house chose the cool, marginal climate of Anderson Valley as opposed to Carneros to establish their American operations.
Louis Roederer
44
What is the champagne tete de cuve of Roederer and what year did it debut?
L'Ermitage in 1989
45
What is the smallest wine producing county in the North Coast? What is their most prominent AVA?
Lake County and Clear Lake AVA
46
What is the most recent Napa AVA? When? What makes it geologically unique from the other sub AVA's?
Coombsville in 2011. It is a pretty interesting area. Kinda like a amphitheater. The fog kinda sits a bit longer. A lot of volcanic ash in the soil.
47
What is the most recent Sonoma AVA? When?
Fountaingrove District in 2015 (No longer...Petuluma Gap in 2017)
48
Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley
-Est. 2004
--relatively cool AVA; mostly on the valley floor, south of Yountville and Stags Leap but north of the city of Napa.
—sits on top of Napa city and connects Mount Veeder to Atlas Peak across the lowest reach of the valley floor. Quite flat, climbs a bit up into the foothills on either flank.
—One of the driest, coolest, and most fog-shrouded of Napa’s AVAs, and while Cab Sauv does exist, Merlot and Chardonnay tend to be more successful.
--Like Carneros, San Pablo Bay breezes cool the area at morning and night, yet daytime warmth is plentiful.
--Notable producers: Trefethen is one of its oldest wineries; Robert Biale (Black Chicken), Matthiason, Lewis Cellars and Monticello Vineyards (Corely) are also notable. Best known for quality of Merlot, and Biale’s Zinfandels are legendary.
--Captain Joseph W. Osborne, with the Gold Rush booming, settled in California in 1850. The following year he purchased a large tract of land three miles south of Yountville and named it Oak Knoll. In 1852 he brought vine cuttings introducing some of the first European grape varieties to California. Prior plantings had all been of the less-desirable Mission varieties brought by Spanish missionaries.
49
Where is the To Kalon Vineyard located?
Oakville, Napa Valley.
50
What river runs through Anderson Valley and Mendocino AVA?
Navarro river
51
Describe the differences between Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley valley floor vs. mountain
Name 6 Napa sub AVAs on the Valley Floor/Benchland and 5 on the Mountain/Hillside.
Mountain Fruit- More time in the sun; Drier with more rain but less humidity and wetting from the fog; the yields are naturally lower; more stressed vines, thanks to rocky soils and often steep aspects, harvest is generally later. Widely believed that mountain fruit has greater structure (higher acidity, firmer tannins (smaller berries).
Valley: More flattering. More approachable. More elegant
Valley: Calistoga, St. Helena, Rutherford, Oakville, Yountville, Oak Knoll
Mountain/Hillside: Western side (Mayacamas range) is Mount Veeder, Diamond Mountain, and Spring Mountain. Eastern side (Vaca range) Howell Mountain in the north and Atlas Peak in the south
52
Where is Pritchard Hill?
What are the soils/climatic features?
Name 5 producers who are based there?
North of Atlas Peak and South of Howell Mountain.
—features poor volcanic soils, a healthy exposure to the afternoon sun, and a variable amount of moderating influence from the large Lake Hennessey below.
—It is not an AVA, but is home to Colgin, Bryant, Dalla Valle, Chappellet, and Tim Mondavi's Continuum.
53
What unusual restriction is applied to Mendocino Ridge AVA?
Vineyards must be 12,000 feet above sea level.
54
What is Bennett Valley AVA known for?
Merlot. Climate too cool to ripen Cabernet Sauvignon.
55
Name the AVAs of Lake County (7)
```
Clear Lake (north)
Benmore Valley (far west)
High Valley (east; north of Red Hills across the lake))
Red Hills Lake County (south)
Kelsey Bench (west of Red Hills)
Big Valley (north of Kelsey Bench)
Guenoc (far south)
```
* *all but Guenoc and Benmore surround Clear Lake
* *Big Valley, High Valley, Kelsey Bench, Red Hills all sub AVAs of Clear Lake
56
Name the 10 AVAs of Monterey County (N-S)
Monterey and Central Coast (overarching AVAs)
```
Santa Lucia Highlands
Chalone
Arroyo Seco
Carmel Valley
San Bernabe
San Lucas
San Antonio Valley
Hames Valley
```
58
What is the most planted grape in Monterey County?
Chardonnay
59
What happened in Mendocino AVA in 2014?
Decreased in size as to not overlap with the newly appointed Eagle Peak Mencoino County AVA
60
What is the only non-contiguous AVA in the United States?
Mendocino Ridge AVA
61
The Gavilan Mountains influence which AVA?
Chalone AVA
62
Accordingly to Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) approximately how many physical wineries are in Napa Valley in 2017?
475, but the prevalence of custom crushing means that the actual number of brands is much higher.
63
How much wine does Harlan Estates and Screaming Eagle make annually?
Compare that to Latour and Margaux?
Harlan Estates: 2,000 cases a year
Screaming Eagle: 1,000 cases a year
Latour: 18,000 cases a year
Margaux: 11,000 cases a year
64
As of 2018, what is the newest AVA in California and the first AVA in Marin County?
Petuluma Gap AVA.
**Also the first AVA defined by the boundaries of where the wind off the Pacific Ocean through the Petaluma Gap maintains a regular speed of at least 8 mph; causes the stomata of grape leaves to close, thus slowing respiration of acidity. Some believe continual wind exposure also increases skin thickness.
65
AVA/Producer: Jackass Hill Vineyard
Russian River Valley: Martinelli Zinfandel
| *south easterly exposure remains the steepest non-terraced vineyard in Sonoma County
66
Napa AVA approvals by year?
1981: Napa Valley
1983: Howell Mountain, Los Carneros
1988: Wild Horse Valley
1989: Stags Leap District
1990: Mount Veeder
1992: Atlas Peak
1993: Oakville, Rutherford, Spring Mountain District
1995: St. Helena
1999: Chiles Valley, Yountville
2001: Diamond Mountain District
2004: Oak Knoll
2010: Calistoga
2011: Coombsville
67
Where elevations does the fog line sit in Napa?
Approximately 1,400 feet
68
What is the max slope allowed in Napa Valley?
Napa Valley forbids the cultivation of any slope greater than 30 degrees, which also limits vineyard size. That said, a handful of even steeper sites that were planted before this ordinance have been grandfathered in and can still be spotted among Napa’s many hillsides.
69
What AVA occupies the widest part of Napa Valley?
| What does that mean for the climate of the AVA?
Rutherford, which means a higher number of daylight hours for the valley floor vines.
70
What and when were the first and second vineyard designated wines of Napa Valley?
—Martha’s 1966 (Monte Bello in Santa Cruz Mountains was first in 1962)
—Eisele 1971
71
Which Napa AVA has a minimum altitude requirement? What is that altitude?
Howell Mountain
| -minimum 400ft
72
Which Napa AVA has a maximum altitude requirement? What is that altitude?
St Helena
| -maximum 400ft
73
What Napa AVA has a defined elevation of (400 to 2,200 feet)?
Diamond Mountain
74
Which geological feature separates Napa and Lake counties?
Mount St. Helena
75
What are the three basic bedrocks of Napa Valley?
Great Valley Sequence, Franciscan Complex, Napa Volcanics
76
Two Napa sub-AVAs where Cabernet Sauvignon is not the dominant planting by acre.
Wild Horse Valley (SB), Los Carneros (CH/PN)
77
Mount Veeder shares a border with which Sonoma County AVA?
Moon Mountain AVA
78
Colgin, David Arthur, and Ovid are located in this Napa Valley’s region. The wines from these producers are labeled under what appellation?
Pritchard Hill
| Napa Valley AVA
79
Bella Oaks, Bosché, and Sycamore vineyards are located in which AVA?
Rutherford
80
What AVA is shared between Napa and Solano counties?
Wild Horse Valley
81
Which AVA provides the longest growing season and lowest yields in Napa Valley?
Mt Veeder
82
Which has more planted acreage: Oakville AVA or Pauillac AOP?
Oakville (by around 450 acres).
Oakville = 3581 acres planted
Pauillac = 1215ha = 3002 acres
83
What are the AVAs not entirely within Napa, of which Napa is a part?
North Coast, Carneros (Sonoma), Wild Horse (Solano)
84
What Napa vintages to avoid from 1990 onward?
What is particular about these vintages?
Why might a guest not be keen on a recommendation for one of these?
When might the exception to this come into play?
2011; 2003; 2000; 1998; 1993
