Napa.Sonoma Flashcards
Which American settler planted the first California vineyard?
George Yount in 1839.
Who founded Buena Vista Winery?
Count Agoston Haraszthy, in 1849
Who founded the first winery in Napa Valley?
Charles Krug, in 1861 (St. Helena)
What are some other Very Old California wineries?
Schramsberg (1862)
Beringer (1876)
Inglenook (1879)
What was Napa Valley’s first sub-AVA?
Howell Mountain, 12/30/1983
Carneros, 8/18/1983 - not considered a nested AVA
What geographical feature cools Napa Valley?
The Petaluma Gap, allowing cool ocean air across the San Pablo Bay and up through the valley.
Napa Valley: Lakes
Lake Berryessa
Lake Henessey (foot of Howell Mountain)
What are the sub-AVA’s of Napa Valley?
Calistoga
Diamond Mountain
Spring Mountain
St. Helena
Rutherford
Oakville
Yountville
Stag’s Leap
Oak Knoll District
Mount Veeder
Los Carneros
Howell Mountain
Chiles Valley
Atlas Peak
Coombsville
Wild Horse Valley
Howell Mountain: elevation boundaries
1400-2200ft
How high are Mount Veeder’s highest vineyards? What is the lovest elevation allowed?
2630ft at the highest point (summit is 2700ft)
400ft is the lowest allowable elevation.
When was Wild Horse Valley AVA created? What counties does it cover? And what is are its elevation requirements?
1988 - second nested AVA in Napa Valley
Straddles Napa and Solano counties
1,351-2,137ft
Which two AVAs sit directly east of Wild Horse Valley?
Solano County Green Valley
Suisin Valley
What is Goldridge Sandy Loam?
A series of deep, moderately well draining soils formed from weakly consolidated sandstone.
What is the Franciscan Assemblage?
Mix of greywacke sandstone, limestone, deep sea radiolarian cherts, greenstone (altered mafic volcanic rock), serpentinites, shale, and metamorphic rock.
Second major series in Russian River.
What is the warmest AVA in Sonoma?
Knights Valley
What are the elevation boundaries of Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak?
1600-2600ft
Where is Lake Sonoma?
East of Rockpile, at the north end of Dry Creek Valley
What AVA was created in Sonoma in 2015?
Fountaingrove District, between Chalk Hill and Sonoma Valley up against the Mayacamas.
Since 2011, what is required on all wines produced in Sonoma County, regardless of whether the label indicates an AVA?
Sonoma County
What are the two key rivers of Sonoma?
Russian River
Sonoma Creek
What winery was the driving force behind the Bennet Valley AVA? Who owns it now?
Matanzas Creek (Jean Arnold, CEO)
Now owned by Jackson Family Wines
What are the AVA’s of Sonoma County?
Sonoma Coast
Fort Ross-Seaview
Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak
Rockpile
Dry Creek Valley
Chalk Hill
Russian River Valley
Green Valley
Carneros
Alexander Valley
Knights Valley
Sonoma Valley
Bennett Valley
Sonoma Mountain
Moon Mountain
Northern Sonoma
A Carneros wine can be labeled as the following:
Carneros
Napa Valley
Sonoma Valley
Sonoma Coast
Main soil of Carneros?
Clay-dominant sandy soils
-occasional pocket of volcanic soils can be found in the foothills of carneros
Notable vineyards of Carneros:
Taitinger
Domaine Carneros
Stanly Ranch (first winery established in 1850s)
Soil of Howell Moutain
Poor, think, rocky
–majority volcanic
-NW side rich in iron and clay
-SW compressed grey and white volcanic ash
Benchmark producer of Howell Mountain
Dunn (Randy Dunn)
Notabe Vineyard in Wild Horse Valley
Heron Lake
What Napa Valley floor AVA is the only one to not cross the river?
Stags Leap District
What is special about Stags Leap District?
Virtual wind tunnel
-smooth knolls deposited from ancient landslides off the Vacas
-knolls provide for some east-facing slopes and work to funnel and amplify the afternoon breezes that naturally flow through the valley
-keeps vines disease free and cool in the hot afternoons
How long is Napa Valley?
30 miles
1/8 size of Bordeaux
Where are the two main points in Napa Valley for fog entry?
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.
What is the body of water at the south end of Napa?
San Pablo Bay
What are “benchlands” and where are they found?
—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.
Which is the smallest mountain AVA in Napa Valley?
Diamond Moutain District
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
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.
-close enough to the Bay to experience a good amount of cooking ocean influence
-on the eastern end of the valley opens it up to the warm afternoon sun
-poor and shallow mountain soils to deep volcanic loam to compressed ash and diatomaceous earth
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.
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
AVA/Producer: Jackass Hill Vineyard
Russian River Valley: Martinelli Zinfandel
*south easterly exposure remains the steepest non-terraced vineyard in Sonoma County
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.
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
Which Napa AVA has a minimum altitude requirement? What is that altitude?
Howell Mountain
-minimum 1400ft
Mt Veeder
400 ft lowest allowed elevation
Which Napa AVA has a maximum altitude requirement? What is that altitude?
St Helena
-maximum 400ft
What Napa AVA has a defined elevation of (400 to 2,200 feet)?
Diamond Mountain
Which geological feature separates Napa and Lake counties?
Mount St. Helena
What are the three basic bedrocks of Napa Valley?
Great Valley Sequence, Franciscan Complex, Napa Volcanics
Two Napa sub-AVAs where Cabernet Sauvignon is not the dominant planting by acre.
Wild Horse Valley (SB), Los Carneros (CH/PN)
Mount Veeder shares a border with which Sonoma County AVA?
Moon Mountain AVA
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
Trailside, Bella Oaks, Bosché, and Sycamore vineyards are located in which AVA?
Rutherford
What AVA is shared between Napa and Solano counties?
Wild Horse Valley
Which AVA provides the longest growing season and lowest yields in Napa Valley?
Mt Veeder
Which has more planted acreage: Oakville AVA or Pauillac AOP?
Oakville (by around 450 acres).
Oakville = 3581 acres planted
Pauillac = 1215ha = 3002 acres
Where does one of the Vaca range’s biggest alluvial fans lie? What two vineyards is it split between?
Stags Leap District
-Split between two Stags Leap Wine Cellars vineyards - Fay and S.L.V
Notable vineyards of Stag’s Leap
Fay, S.L.V, Shafer
Soil of Mount Veeder
rocky and shallow
little volcanic material
shale, sandstone, clay and sandy loam are more common
Name two of the important pre-Prohibition developments in Mount Veeder
Fisher & Sons Winery
-now Mayacamas
Theodore Gier’s winery
-for many years served as the home of the Christian Brothers order (today part of Hess)
Notable vineyards of Mount Veeder
Hess
Mayacamas
Sky
Most of the this appellations planted area currently belongs to these two massive vineyards.
Stagecoach (purchased by Gallo in 2017)
Antinori’s Antica property - occupies Foss Valley
What mountain AVA in Napa is the most southernly of the Vaca range?
Atlas Peak
What elevation does Atlas Peak reach?
Over 2600 feet
-one of the highest peaks in the area
Soils of Atlas Peak
shallow, rocky, lots of iron-stained Volcanic material
Notable vineyards of Atlas Peak
Antica
Kongsgaard
Stagecoach
What does “Rutherford Dust” refer to?
A phrase coined by André Tchelistcheff when he joined Beaulieu Vineyard
-to honor the wines
-not sure whether referring to the actual physical texture of the tannins or was a metaphor for Rutherford’s unique terroir
What sits on the western edge of Rutherford?
The famous bench
-a sprawling alluvial fan that sneds gravelly tendrils to to and across Highway 29
Notable vineyards of Rutherford?
Inglenook, Frog’s Leap, Quintessa, Trailside, Beckstoffer
What are the two protrusion on the wester end of Rutherford? What is significant about them?
Fora Spring in the North
BV’s Ranch #2 in the south
-they were grandfathered in when the AVA was created to avoid breaking up those estates’ land holdings
Where is To-Kalon? What is the significance?
Oakville
-arguably the most important vineyard in the state of CA
-est in 1868 by H.W. Crabb
-winery burned down
-in 1943 Martin Stelling acquired the vineyad
-sold to BV
-today known as Beckstoffer To-Kalon
-Heirs of Martin Stelling sold a majority to Charles Krug in 1962
-Robert Mondavi left Krug and purcahsed the remaining acres from the Stellings’
today his now-famous winery is on the property
-Robert Mondavi gained control of all holdings in 1976
-remained To-Kalon
-Mondavi owns most of the vineyard
-Andy Beckstoffer and four other growers claim smaller portions
Where is To-Kalon? What is the significance?
Oakville
-arguably the most important vineyard in the state of CA
-est in 1868 by H.W. Crabb
-winery burned down
-in 1943 Martin Stelling acquired the vineyad
-sold to BV
-today known as Beckstoffer To-Kalon
-Heirs of Martin Stelling sold a majority to Charles Krug in 1962
-Robert Mondavi left Krug and purcahsed the remaining acres from the Stellings’
today his now-famous winery is on the property
-Robert Mondavi gained control of all holdings in 1976
-remained To-Kalon
-Mondavi owns most of the vineyard
-Andy Beckstoffer and four other growers claim smaller portions
What alluvial fan does To-Kalon occupy?
-its an exension of the Rutherford Bench
-a deep, gravel-rich, gently sloping piece of earth renowned for its viticultural affinity
Notable vineyards of Oakville?
Beckstoffer To-Kalon
Dalle Valle
Far Niente
Harlan
Martha’s Vineyard
Opus One
Rudd
Silver Oak
To-Kalon
What is the dominant aspect of Spring Mountain District?
East
What vineyard straddles the Napa/Sonoma County line on Spring Mountain District?
Pride Vineyards
What separates Diamond Mountain from Spring Mountain?
Ritchie Creek
What is the southern boundary of Spring Mountain?
Sulphur Creek
What is the winery that occupies most of Spring Mountain?
What historic estates is it a collection of?
La Perla
Miravelle
Chateau Chevalier
Notable vineyards of Spring Mountain
Cain - more stoic wines
Pride Mountain - plush and modern
Philip Togni - ;more stoic wines
Smith Madrone - more stoic
What is the skinniest part of Napa Valley?
the narrow center of St. Helena
What is the climate of St Helena?
Rather hot
-morning fogs are rare as are ocean breezes
-suited to Bordeaux varieties, Petite Sirah and Zin
What is an unofficial subregion of St Helena?
Spring Valley
-eastern side of the AVA, include the lowest slopes of Howell Mountain
-headquarters for Phelps and Heits
Style of wines from St. Helena
powerful
Notable vineyards of St Helena
Beringer
Charles Krug
Heitz
Kronos
Phelps
Turley
What affects the microclimate of Yountville?
-Ancient landslides deposited large chunks of mountain material on the valley floor
-these knolls influence airflow and provide for a range of exposures
Why is Yountville AVA a source for finessed and silky Merlot?
Clay soils and cooler temperatures
Notable vineyards of Yountville
Ghost Block
Grgich
Napanook
Dominus
Where does the Chiles Valley lie?
Parallel to Napa Valley
-behind Howell Mountain and Pritchard Hill
Chiles Valley has almost no ocean influence. How is the heat mitigated?
The elevation and winds-amplified by the steep slopes of the narrow valley
What is the boundary between Diamond Mountain and Calistoga?
Petrified Forest
How does Pacific fog and breezes penetrate the Diamond Mountain District?
There are gaps between peaks that are low enough to allow the fog and breezes in.
Soils of Diamond Mountain District
Rocky, poor, high in volcanic content
What is the site of Napa’s first hillside vineyard?
Diamond Mountain
-Jacob Schram developed its slopes in the 1860s
Notable vineyards of Diamond Creek
Gravelly Meadow
Red Rock Terrace
Volcanic Hill
Schramsberg
Notable vineyards of Oak Knoll District
Blackbird
Trefethen
Notable vineyards of Calistoga
Chateau Montelena
Eisele
Larkmead
What vineyard was the thired vineyard-designated wine after Martha’s and Monte Bello in 1971
Eisele
Notable vineyards of Coombsville
Arcadia
Caldwell
Haynes
Palmaz
Where is the Star Vineyard? What grape is it famous for?
Rutherford
Chardonnay
What are three unofficial appellations of Napa Valley?
Pritchard Hill
Conn Valley
Deer Park
Where is Pritchard Hill?
A mountain in the Vaca range that sits between Atlas Peak and Howell Mountain
Soils of Pritchard Hill, climatic influences?
poor, volcanic
-healthy exposure to afternoon sun
-variable amount of moderating influence from the large Lake Hennessey below
Whose wines brought Pritchard Hill fame?
Chappellet family
-acquired Charles Pritchard’s property in 1967
- first man to establish a vineyard in the area
Where is Conn Valley?
Across Lake Hennessey from Pritchard Hill
-reaches up the easternmost slopes of Howell Mountain
Where is Bond’s Melbury Vineyard located?
Conn Valley
Where is Deer Park?
It is the large area that falls below Howell Mountain’s 1400-foot lower limit and above St Helena’s 400-foot upper limit
