Module 1- History and Appellations

Question 1

What is an AVA?

Answer 1

American Viticultural Area:
Delimited grape growing region distinguishable by a number of traits such as soil, elevation, topography etc that distinigush it from a nearby area

Question 2

How many AVAs are there in the USA? How many are in Napa Valley AVA?

Answer 2

256, 16

Question 3

What is the “75-85-95” rule?

Answer 3

• 75% of grapes used in wine must be of that grape variety to use a grape variety name
• to use an AVA name on label, 85% of grapes in wine must come from that AVA (unless label also says Estate, 100% of grapes must come from the estate on the label)
• if a vineyard name is listed on the label, 95% of grapes must come from that listed vineyard

Question 4

What is the difference between a sub-AVA and a nested AVA?

Answer 4

Nested AVA is a distinct AVA that falls within the boundaries of another AVA (e.g. Rutherford AVA in Napa AVA)
Sub AVA is more a name place that does not have an approved appellation designation but is a highlighted area within AVA (more common in Europe)

Question 5

If nested AVAs in Napa like Oakville etc. why do we always see “Napa Valley” also listed on label?

Answer 5

California law states, When using one of the 16 nested AVAs in Napa Valley, they words “Napa Valley” must also appear on label.

Question 6

What happened on February 27, 1981?

Answer 6

Napa Valley AVA was officially established

Question 7

What was a watershed moment in April 1968?

Answer 7

Napa County Board of Supervisors adopted the Agricultural Preserve Ordinance “Ag Preserve”- this saved Napa Valley from the loss of ag land and blight (as happened in Santa Clara Valley)

Question 8

What did Ag Preserve do?

Answer 8

Lower tax on ag land (on ag value instead of market value). also increase minimum parcel size of lands from 1 acre to 40 acres by 1979, halting “subdivisions”

Question 9

Who planted the first vineyard and where?
Who planted the first European grape varieties?

Answer 9

Father Serra in San Diego in 1769.
Jean Louis Vignes in LA in 1833.

Question 10

Who was the first permanent settler in Napa Valley in 1836?
What city is named for him in 1867?

Answer 10

George Calvert Yount
Yountville

Question 11

Who founded Napa’s first commercial winery in 1861?
What was the first chateau style winery in 1879? Who started it?
What helped immigrants for the grape harvest and building underground wine caves?
How many wineries were in Napa by 1889?

Answer 11

Charles Krug
Inglenook, Gustave Niebaum
Experience building railroads
140+

Question 12

What wreaked havoc on European vines by 1873?
Who was the first to sell wine in bottles?

Answer 12

phylloxera
Gustave Niebaum of Inglenook

Question 13

What happened in 1919?
What happened in 1933?
What happened in 1966?
What happened in 1976?

Answer 13

Volstead Act “Prohibition”
Prohibition repealed (but Great Depression ongoing)
Robert Mondavi broke ground on his winery
Time magazine article by George Taber on “Judgement of Paris”