USA - California Napa Flashcards
Name the 4 large AVAs of California
North Coast
Central Coast
South Coast
Sierra Foothills
Name the counties within the North Coast AVA
Napa Sonoma Mendocino Lake Solano Marin
What l2 mountain ranges form the Valley in Napa?
Mayacamas Mountains
Vaca Mountains
Which sub AVA of Napa exemplifies the valley floor style?
Rutherford AVA
Name the 16 Sub AVAs of Napa Valley
Calistoga Diamond Mountain District Chiles Valley District Spring Mountain District Howell Mountain St Helena Rutherford Oakville Yountville Mount Veeder Stags Leap District Atlas Peak Oak knoll District Los Carneros Coombesville Wild Horse Valley
What were the first non native vines in the Napa?
Listan Prieto or Mission grape
Whixh winery did the Mondavi family purchase in the 1950’s?
Charles Krug
When and where did the Robert Mondavi winery open?
1966 in Oakville Napa
When was the judgement of Paris
1976
Which wines won the judgement of Paris?
1973 Chateau Montelana Chardonnay
1973 Stag’s Leap S.L.V. Cab Sauv
What happened in the 1997 vintage in Napa?
It was a warm and abundant vintage where producers did not have the tank space to process all the fruit at the same time. The second wave of fruit had hung for longer on the vine and made surprisingly concentrated wine
Who founded Inglenook Winery?
Gustav Niebaum in 1880
When was Beringer Winery founded?
In 1876 by the Beringer Brothers
What is the Climate of the Napa Valley?
Classified as Mediterranean, with long, dry, hot summers and cooler, wet winters
What 2 counties does Carneros AVA border?
Napa and Sonoma
Characteristics of the Los Carneros AVA
- AVA status granted in 1983
- Regular fog and constant ocean breezes make it an ideal place for cool climate varieties and sparkling production. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
- UC Davis Heat summation Region 1
Notable producers in Napa Carneros AVA
Domiane Carneros (Taitinger) Domaine Chandon Napa (Moet Chandon) Mumm Napa Mum) Artesa (Cordoniu) Etude Liana Saintsbury
Characteristics of the Howell Mountain AVA
- AVA status granted in 1983
- Vineyards must be located at 1400 feet above sea level to gain AVA status. This known as the fog line. Above this elevation vineyards have almost unmitigated access to sunshine
- Poor thin rocky volcanic soils
- Cooler daytime temps than the valley floor with a smaller diurnal shift. Resulting wines are quite tannic, powerful and ageworthy
Notable producers in Howell Mountain AVA
Dunn Vineyards, Robert Foley, O’Shaughnessy, White Cottage, Cade, Duckhorn Lamborn, Cakebread
Characteristics of Wild Horse Valley AVA
- AVA status granted in 1988
- Spans 2 counties Napa and Solano
- High elevation with close proximity to San Pablo Bay
- Cool growing conditions. Sauv Blanc, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
Characteristics of Stags Leap AVA
- AVA status granted in 1989
- Knolls created by landslides from the Vacas a critical feature as they provide for some rare east facing slopes and work to funnel cool afternoon breezes
- Complex soil types. Home to the Vacas biggest alluvial fan
- Cab Sauv is king. Historically supple texture, smooth tannins and firm acidity. Today harder to define.
Major producers of Stags Leap AVA
Shafer Vineyards Chimney Rock Clos du Val Stag's Leap WIne Cellars Taylor Family Vineyards
Characteristics of the Mount Veeder AVA
- AVA status granted in 1990
- One of Napas least developed AVAs due to the areas steepness
- second Closest AVA to the bay. Borders Carneros. Cool Craggy Terrain,
- Cabernet dominated plantings with some Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and Syrah
Major Producers of the Mount Veeder AVA
Villa Sorriso (owned by Pontet Canet)
Mayacamas Vineyards
Hess Collection
Sky Vineyards
Characteristics of Atlas Peak AVA
- AVA status granted in 1992
- Atlas is one of the highest peaks in the area reaching over 2,600 feet elevation. Most southerly of the Vaca Mountains and significantly cooler.
- Soils are ancient and volcanic, brick red and rich in iron
Major Producers of Atlas Peak AVA
Michael Mondavi Family Estate Antica Atlas Peak Vineyards (Antinori) Stage Coach Kongsgaard WInes AU Sommet (Heidi Barrett)
Characteristics of the Rutherford AVA
AVA Status granted in 1993
- The area takes its name from Thomas Rutherford, who married George Yount’s granddaughter in 1864 and was given over 1,000 acres of land as part of her dowry
- Located between St Helena and Oakville it occupies the widest stretch of the Valley
- Napa River runs through the centre and there is a large alluvial fan.
- Many great wines come from the Rutherford Bench home to
- Cab sauv in a range of styles from balanced and perfumed to super opulent. Sauv Blanc Chardonnay and Zinfandel are also popular
- Wines are considered slightly earthier in style, which may be what André Tchelistcheff meant when he called them “dusty.”
Major Producers of Rutherford AVA
Beaulieu Inglenook Niebaum-Coppola Grgich-Hills Far Niente Vichon Caymus Silver Oak Raymond Franciscan Vineyards,
Characteristics of the Oakville AVA
- AVA status granted in 1993
- Home to arguably the most important vineyard in California To-Kalon- basically an extension of the Rutherford bench
- Several distinct growing regions from sedimentary soils in the west, to fertile in the center, to volcanic in the east
- Varied terrain provides an argument for further sub division
Major Producers of Oakville AVA
- Harlan Estate
- Screaming Eagle
- Rudd
- Opus One
- Robert Mondavi
- Beckstoffer
- Far Niente
- Groth
- Dalla Valle
Characteristics of the Spring Mountain District AVA
- AVA Status granted in 1993
- Transition point between the more sedimentary peaks to the south and the more volcanic mountains in the north
- The thick presence of forest and the springs throughout the mountain give the area its name and personality,
- Soil composition is varied and irregular
- Cabernet is important but less dominant than in other appellations. Chardonnay, Sauv Blanc, Rielsing, Syrah, Zinfandel and even Pinot noir and port varieties are compelling
Major Producers of the Spring Mountain District AVA
Newton Cain Keenan Barnett Smith-Madrone Phillip Togni Pride Mountain Vineyards Spring Mountain Vineyard York Creek Cellars (Port Varieties) Lokoya
Characteristics of the St Helena AVA
- AVA status granted in 1995
- Climatically rather hot. Morning fogs and ocean breezes are rare
- An imortant hub of commercial and wine making activity
- Red Bordeaux varieties, zinfandel, and Sauvignon Blanc
- Red are powerful and intense
Major producers of St Helena AVA
Beringer VIneyards Louis M Martini Charles Krug Spottswoode Flora Springs
Characteristics of the Yountville AVA
- AVA status granted in 1999
- Yountville is named for George C. Yount, who planted Napa’s first vinifera vines inside the appellation in 1838 and 1839
- Yountville is quite bumpy and the knolls have a major influence on microclimates
- Relatively cool growing area often shrouded in fog
- Finessed and silky Merlot
- Cab Sauv is very elegant with gentle tannins, firm acidity and fresh black fruit
- Sauv Blanc and Chard also
Major producers of Yountville AVA
Charles Krug
Dominus Estate
Domaine Chandon
Kapcsandy
Characteristics of Chiles Valley AVA
- AVA status granted in 1999
- The only valley to the east of Napa that can claim it’s own AVA
- Almost no maritime influence however elevation mitigates the heat
- Reputation for cheap and easy fruit but there are a couple of quality producers
- Much left to be dicovered
Characteristics of the Diamond Mountain District AVA
- AVA status granted in 2001
- Particularly rugged and remote- The smallest of the mountain AVAS
- Soils are rocky and poor with a high volcanic content
- Fog has a distinct cooling effect here
- Cabernet dominates here and leans to the stricter more stoic side of it’s expression
Major Producers of Diamond Mountain AVA
Schramsberg Vineyards
Diamond Creek VIneyards
J Davies
Hall WInery
Characteristics of Oak Knoll AVA
- AVA status granted in 2004
- Quite flat. One of the coolest, driest, most fog shrouded AVAs
- Rich deep soils with a high clay content
- Best known for Merlot which is fruity and supple. Also Cabernet and Chardonnay
Characteristics of Calistoga AVA
- AVA status granted in 2010
- Northernmost of Napa’s floor AVAs
- Highly volcanic soils with some gravel and loam
- situated furthest from the bay Calistoga is quite warm but it has a significant diurnal swing
- Ultra rich reds from Bordeaux varieties, Zinfandel and Petite Syrah. Also Sauv Blanc
Major Producers of Calistoga AVA
Chateau Montelena
Araujo
Aubert
Characteristics of the Coombsville AVA
- AVA status granted in 2011
- Position at the eastern end of the valley gains exposure to afternoon sun but still close to the bay so with cooling maritime influence
- Relatively new AVA that is still to be defined
Why is Pritchard Hill not an AVA of Napa?
The Chappellet family have a trademark on the name
Characteristics of Pritchard Hill
- A mountain in the Vaca peak that sits between Atlas Peak and Howell Mountains
- Poor Volcanic soils, above the fog line so a healthy exposure to the sun and a moderating influence from Lake Hennesey
- Wines are ripe and powerful made primarily from Cabernet but also other bordeaux varieties, Syrah and Zinfandel
Major Producers on Pritchard Hill
Chappellet (owner of trademark and biggest vineyard) Colgin Bryant Family Montagna Villa del Lago
Which side of the Valley is Screaming Eagle located?
The East
Which side of the Valley is Harlan Estate located?
The West
NEWEST AVA OF NAPA?
Coombsville - where faust is
what county is the suisun valley and wild horse valley in?
Solano
Forst vintage of Harlan
1990
What cava house produces los Carneros?
Jose and Gloria Ferrer
What Ava of Napa has its vineyards completely located in the Foss River valley? What Ava of Napa is planted at the lowest elevation?
Atlas peak / oak knoll
Where would you find the lamb, eisle, and three palms vineyard and what natural features most influence it? Name three producers
Calistoga - Mayacamas range and chalk hill gap
Schrader / montelena / hundred acre
The Hyde, Hudson, and the Truchard vineyards are in what Ava?
Los Carneros
Hyde most famous - Kistler / Aubert / Hobbs / Littorai
Between 2019-2023 name two vintages least affected by drought
2019/2023
Why was sorting so important in the 2022 Napa valley vintage?
September heat spike cause lots of dried and shriveled berries
Name two key ways Napa valley producers handle heat waves
Overhead sprinklers and white sun cloths that reflect heat
what lake moderates napa valley on the east?
Lake hennessey
