Wine AVAs of Napa Flashcards
Name the outlined AVA.
Los Carneros
Name the outlined AVA.
Coombsville
Name the outlined AVA.
Oak Knoll District
Name the outlined AVA.
Yountville
Name the outlined AVA.
Stags Leap District (SLD)
Name the outlined AVA
Oakville
Name the outlined AVA.
Rutherford
Name the outlined AVA.
St. Helena
Name the outlined AVA.
Calistoga
Name the outlined AVA.
Mt. Veeder
Name the outlined AVA.
Spring Mountain District
Name the outlined AVA.
Diamond Mountain
Name the outlined AVA.
Howell Mountain
Name the outlined AVA.
Chiles Valley
Name the outlined AVA.
Atlas Peak
What are the main varietal(s) of Los Carneros?
Chardonnay
Pinot Noir
Los Carneros covers parts of what two counties?
Napa and Sonoma Counties
On the Napa side, Los Carneros is home to what wineries?
Cuvaison
Truchard
Etude
Ceja
What are three notable vineyards in Los Carneros?
Hyde
Hudson
Truchard
Describe the climate of Los Carneros.
Influenced by maritime breezes and fog from its southern border with the San Pablo Bay. Cool, with prevailing marine winds from the San Pablo Bay and through the Petaluma Gap to the west. High temperatures during summer rarely exceed 80F (27C) with less diurnal range variation.
Describe the soil of Los Carneros.
Clay dominated, very shallow in general, with more loam and hillside alluvial in the northern section. Yields typically are restrained by the hard claypan subsoil, which prevents deep rooting.
Los Carneros was the first wine region in California to be defined by ____________ rather than ____________ boundaries.
Climate, Political
What are the main varietal(s) of Coombsville?
Cabernet
Los Carneros received its AVA designation in what year?
1983
Coombsville received its AVA designation in what year?
2011
Coombsville is home to what wineries?
Palmaz (Hagen’s Reserve)
Caldwell
Describe the climate of Coombsville
Moderated by its proximity to the San Pablo Bay; Frosts are mitigated , fog covers settle more frequently and burn off later in the day than neighbors to the north; Daily average high temperatures can be as much as ten degrees cooler durning the hot months than most other appellations, and heat spikes tend to be less severe.
Describe the soil of Coombsville.
Primarily weathered volcanic rock and alluvial deposits from the Vaca Range that surrounds the region.
What are the principle varieties and characteristics of the grapes that grow in Coombsville?
Dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon on the hillsides with Merlot, Chardonnay, Syrah and Pinot Noir in the lower cooler sites. Coombsville wines can be recognized by their typically soft but significant tannins, which provide excellent structure and mouth feel, along with underlying layers of earth and mineral flavors; they are quite often approachable yet sophisticated, layered and not at all simplistic.
What are the principle varieties and characteristics of the grapes in Los Carneros
Chardonnay: minerally pear-apple and spice flavors; Merlot: sinewy and lightly herbal, with fine tannins and sleek structure; Pinot Noir: ripe cherry-cinnamon spice flavors with earthy notes.
What are the main varietal(s) of Oak Knoll District?
Cabernet
Merlot
Chardonnay
Oak Knoll District received its AVA designation in what year?
2004
Oak Knoll District is home to what wineries?
Monticello/ Corley Family Darioush Trefethen Robert Biale Black Stallion Lewis
Describe the climate of Oak Knoll District.
Moderate to cool marine air and fog can remain until mid-morning; Late afternoon breezes frequently occur, maintaining slightly cooler temperatures than upper valley; Mid-summer temperatures may reach 92F (33.3C) and drop to around 50F (10C) at night.
Describe the soil of Oak Knoll District.
The valley’s largest alluvial fan formed by Dry Creek creates the defining feature of the district. The northwest area is composed of volcanically derived soils, with stony. Or gravelly consistency. South and east areas are transitional from gravel to clay loam.
What are the principle varieties and characteristics of the grapes in Oak Knoll District
Merlot, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon; Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon benefit from a longer growing season with slightly cooler temperatures, though crop size is typically less, than in other AVAs. Elegant style is the common theme with fruit flavors of cassis, tobacco and spice typical to Bordeaux-style reds. Chardonnay showcases flavors of crisp apple, mineral notes, and tropical fruit with fine acidity.
Modern history in Oak Knoll District began with the establishment of what wineries? In what era were they established?
Monticello Cellars and Trefethen in the 1960s
What are the main varietal(s) of Yountville?
Cabernet
Yountville received its AVA designation in what year?
1999
Yountville is home to what wineries?
Blankiet Dominus Chandon Girard Kapscandy
What are three notable vineyards in Yountville?
State
Lane
Wolff
Describe the climate of Yountville
Cool air currents from San Pablo bay to the south, are trapped when they reach what are known as the Yountville Mounts. Keeping natural “air conditioning” working even on the warmest summers days. These milder temperatures allow the grapes of the region plenty of time to develop unique flavor characteristics.
Describe the soil of Yountville.
Volcanic soils on the eastern flank are similar to the neighboring Stags Leap District but also features centuries old coastal deposits, and both sedimentary and alluvial soils exist to the west, interspersed with sandy and gravelly loam, as well as a little clay.
What are the principal varieties and characteristics of the grapes in Yountville?
Elegant, rich but silky Cabernet is what Yountville is known for.
__________ planted Napa’s first vineyard in __________ in this area, referred to as _________.
George Yount
1836
NapaNook (Dominus)
What notable restaurant makes the town of Yountville its home?
The French Laundry
What are the main varietal(s) of Stags Leap District (SLD)?
Cabernet
Stags Leap District received its AVA designation in what year?
1989
Stags Leap District is home to what wineries?
Shafer
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellar
Chimney Rock
Silverado
Describe the location of Stags Leap District and its relative size.
Stags leap is in the eastern portion of Napa Valley, 5 to 7 miles north of the town of Napa and east of the Napa River along the Silverado Trail. Barely a mile wide and three miles long, the district compromises roughly 2,700 acres, of which half are planted vineyards.
Describe the climate of Stags Leap District.
Temperatures rise more quickly during the day due to rock facades of the Vaca Range above that reflecting the heat. It has cooler nighttime temperatures due to the breezes of San Pablo Bay, allowing the grapes to achieve an excellent balance of acid and sugar.
Describe the soil of Stags Leap District.
Volcanic gravel-loams on the floor of the valley, with rocky hillsides and low to moderate fertility due to hard clay sub soils.
What are the principal varietals and characteristics of the grapes in Stags Leap District?
Cabernet, with limited plantings of other Bordeaux varietals dominate the vineyards of Stags Leap producing wines, in comparison to Marguax. Stags Leap District wines reflect a marriage of power and grace, like the wines of Margaux. Stags Leap District wines are often referred to as an iron fist in a velvet glove.
Stags Leap District was the first appellation to be designated an AVA based on what?
Soil characteristics
Modern history of Stags Leap District began with the planting of what vineyard in what year? What was the winery that used that vineyard?
Fay vineyard
1961
Heitz Cellar’s
What event grew Stags Leap District reputation? What winery and what wine won in said event and the one that took place ten years later?
The Judgment of Paris
Stag’s Leap Cellar’s Cabernet
What are the main varietal(s) of Oakville?
Cabernet