Napa Valley and Sonoma Flashcards
The main grapegrowing regions of California are divided into five large AVAs. What are they?
North Coast AVA Central Coast AVA South Coast AVA San Francisco Bay AVA Sierra Foothills AVA
What region of California accounts for 75% of wine produced in the state, but is not an AVA?
Central Valley
The South Coast AVA covers vineyard land between what two cities?
Los Angeles and San Diego
Which two white grapes account for most of the vineyard acreage in the Central Valley?
Chenin Blanc and French Colombard
In a Meritage Blend there must be at least two BDX varietals, but no one grape can account for what percentage?
No grape may account for more than 90%
What are the 6 counties that comprise the North Coast AVA?
Mendecino Lake Napa Sonoma Marin Solano
Napa Valley accounts for approximately what % of California’s total acreage?
4%
How many subappellations are located in Napa Valley AVA?
16
Why are the southern AVAs of Napa Valley cooler than the northern?
Cool marine air blows eastward through the Petaluma Gap into the San Pablo Bay and funnels up the valley.
What are the mountains that define the Napa Valley?
Mayacamas Mountains (west) Vaca Mountains (east)
What are the 3 mountain AVAs from North to South in the Mayacamas Mountains?
Diamond Mountain District
Spring Mountain District
Mount Veeder
What AVAs are closest to Howell Mountain AVA to the west and which is closest to the east?
Calistoga and St. Helena to the west.
Chiles Valley District to the east
What are the mountain AVAs in the Vaca Mountains from north to south?
Howell Mountain AVA
Atlas Peak AVA
What is the wettest and coolest of the mountain AVAs?
Howell Mountain AVA
What was the first AVA within Napa Valley to receive AVA status?
Howell Mountain (1984)
To achieve Howell Mountain AVA status, the vineyards must be at least what altitude? Why?
1400ft; above the fog line which serves as a climate moderator for, instead, the valley below. Howell Mountain AVA climate is defined by its altitude and diurnal temperature variation.
What are the top 4 producers of Howell Mountain AVA?
Dunn Vineyards
La Jota
O’Shaughnessy
Robert Craig
Appellation of Stony Hill?
St. Helena AVA is where Stony Hill is located.
AVA where Antinori grew Sangiovese?
Atlas Peak AVA
AVA of Stagecoach Vineyard
Atlas Peak AVA
Where is Storybook Mountain Vineyards located?
Calistoga AVA
What are three top producers located in Calistoga AVA?
Chateau Montelena
Araujo Estate
Storybook Mountain Vineyards
From what Sonoma AVA do cooling breezes come from cooling Calistoga at night?
Knights Valley
AVA of Von Strasser?
Diamond Mountain District AVA
What is the AVA of Mayacamas?
Mount Veeder AVA
Three producers producing wine in Mount Veeder AVA?
Mayacamas
Hess
Lokoya (Jackson Family)
Who is credited for planting the To Kalon vineyard in Oakville? When?
Hamilton Crabb in 1868
Who are the two owners of To Kalon?
Robert Mondavi and Andy Beckstoffer
Where is the Rutherford Bench?
Stretches from St. Helena down to Yountville on the west side of the Napa Valley at the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains.
In what appellation are the Bella Oaks, Bosche, Sycamore, Inglenook, and Beulieu Vineyard located?
Rutherford AVA
Clos du Val is a pioneer of what AVA?
Stags Leap District AVA
What are 5 producers of Stags Leap District AVA?
Chimney Rock Pine Ridge Shafer Silverado Vineyards Sinskey
What are 4 notable producers located in Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley AVA?
Lewis Cellars
Trefethen
Robert Biale
Monticello Vineyards
What grape does Robert Biale champion and in what AVA is this producer located in?
Champions of legendary Zinfandel
Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley AVA
When was Domaine Chandon established and in what AVA is it located?
1973
Yountville AVA
What is the appellation of Dominus?
Yountville AVA
What is the first vintage of Dominus?
1983
In what AVA of Napa Valley is the Foss River a prominent feature?
Atlas Peak AVA
What are the Napa Valley AVAs (valley floor) from North to South?
Calistoga AVA St. Helena AVA Rutherford AVA Oakville AVA Yountivlle AVA Stags Leap AVA (borders Yountville east) Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley AVA Coombsville AVA Wild Horse Valley AVA (borders Coombsville to the east) Carneros AVA
How much larger is Bordeaux than the Napa Valley?
8 times larger
How much wine does Harlan Estate and Screaming Eagle produce annually? How much do First Growth estates in Bordeaux produce on average?
Harlan and Screaming Eagle produce less than 2,000 and 1,000 cases respectively.
First Growth Châteaux in Bordeaux produce on average over 10,000 cases of their grand vin
What was the first vintage of Harlan Estate? When was it released?
1990
Released in 1996
When did the Vitis vinifera vine first find its way into California? What was the first grape that thrived?
In the 1770s with Spanish missions that spread up the coast from San Diego.
Listan Prieto/Palomino Negro, brought from the Canary Islands. This grape became known as Mission.
Who is responsible for planting Napa Valley’s first vinifera (Mission) vines?
George Yount in 1838
When was California ceded to the United States from Mexico?
At the conclusion of the Mexican-American War in 1848
What caused a population boom in San Francisco?
The Gold Rush of 1849 following the conclusion of the Mexican-American War. Many came to California with hopes of gold but couldn’t afford return tickets so the population of the area boomed.
What was Napa Valley’s first commercial winery and when was it etablished?
Charles Krug in 1861
Who was largely responsible for the establishment of professional viticulture in the Napa Valley?
The influx of European immigrants like Charles Krug (Germany) during the gold rush who fell back on familiar crafts following the rush such as viticulture.
Who is credited for cultivating Napa’s first hillside vineyard?
Schramsberg
When did Phylloxera devastate the Napa Valley?
Late 1880s through the 1890s
What were the top grapes grown in the Napa Valley during the 1920’s? Why was this?
Alicante Bouschet
Petite Sirah
Zinfandel
Carignan
These were considered better “shipper varieites” and could tolerate long travel, often unrefigerated, compared to premium varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc which used to be the most planted.
When was Prohibition repealed?
December 5, 1933