Napa Valley AVAs

Atlas Peak

The Atlas Peak AVA is an American Viticultural Area located within Napa Valley AVA just northeast of the city of Napa. The appellation sits on a higher elevation than most of Napa’s wine region which limits the effects of the cool fog coming in from Pacific Ocean. The westward orientation of most vineyards on the Vaca Mountains also extends the amount of direct sunlight on the grapes. The soil of this AVA is volcanic and very porous which allows it to cool down quickly despite the increased sunlight. The area has a fairly significant diurnal temperature variation upwards of 30°F between daytime and night. This contributes to the balance of acidity that grapes from Atlas Peak vineyards are known to have.
[space height=”0″]

Calistoga

The Calistoga AVA is located in the northern portion of California’s Napa Valley AVA. The appellation is distinguished by its volcanic soil, high temperatures up to 100 °F (38 °C) during the day, and cool nights during the growing season due to breezes from the Russian River, causing the highest diurnal temperature variation in the Napa Valley—up to 50 °F (10 °C).
[space height=”0″]

Chiles Valley

The Chiles Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located within Napa Valley AVA. The Chiles Valley is nestled in the Vaca Mountains on the northeast side of Napa Valley. The appellation has a warmer and more continental climate than other portions of Napa Valley. The cooling fog and winds that moderate temperatures in other parts of Napa Valley have difficulty reaching as far inland as Chiles Valley. The most planted grapes in Chiles Valley are Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. Chiles Valley was named after Joseph Ballinger Chiles, who received the Rancho Catacula Mexican land grant in the 1841.
[space height=”0″]

Coombsville

The Coombsville AVA is an American Viticultural Area located within the Napa Valley AVA just east of the city of Napa. The appellation varies from near sea level at the Napa River on the west to 1,900 feet at the ridge of the Vaca Mountain Range. The appellation was officially designated the 16th sub-appellation of the Napa Valley AVA on December 14, 2011. The most planted grapes in Chiles Valley are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah.
[space height=”0″]

Diamond Mountain District

The Diamond Mountain District AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in California’s Mayacamas Mountains in the northeast portion of the Napa Valley AVA. The appellation sits at a higher elevation than most of Napa Valley’s wine region, resulting in less cool fog coming in from San Pablo Bay, and more direct exposure to sunlight. The soil of this AVA is volcanic and very porous which allows it to cool down quickly despite the increased sunlight.
[space height=”0″]

Howell Mountain

The Howell Mountain AVA is an American Viticultural Area located within Napa Valley AVA. Howell Mountain is located in the Vaca Mountains on the northeast side of Napa Valley around the town of Angwin, and overlooks the town of St. Helena, California. Designated an AVA in 1983, Howell Mountain was the first sub-appellation within Napa Valley AVA. Most vineyards in the Howell Mountain AVA are planted between 1,400 feet (430 m) and 2,200 feet (670 m) above sea level, well above the elevations in Napa Valley that are most affected by the cool fog and winds from San Pablo Bay. The mountain does get cool breezes directly from the Pacific Ocean, and the relatively high elevations result in a cooler climate than on the valley floor. The soil in the appellation is volcanic with excellent drainage.[space height=”0″]

Los Carneros

Los Carneros AVA (also known as Carneros AVA) includes parts of both Sonoma and Napa counties in California, U.S.A.. It is located north of San Pablo Bay. The proximity to the cool fog and breezes from the bay makes the climate in Los Carneros cooler and more moderate than the wine regions further north in Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley. The cooler climate has made Los Carneros attractive for the cultivation of cooler climate varietals like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Many of the grapes grown in Los Carneros are used for sparkling wine production. Receiving its AVA status in 1983, the Carneros area was the first wine region in California to be defined by its climate characteristics rather than political boundaries.
[space height=”0″]

Mount Veeder

Mount Veeder AVA is an American Viticultural Area located within Napa Valley AVA among the Mayacamas Mountains. The boundaries of this appellation include 25 square miles (64.7 km2) with 1,000 acres (400 ha) planted on thin volcanic soil. Many vineyards are found on the steep mountain face some as steep as 30°. The steepness of the angle gives the vineyards benefits of more direct sunlight and better drainage. The unique sense of place, or terroir of Mount Veeder AVA produces wines that are typically powerful in structure – depending on how they are made and how the vines are tended. For example, Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the mountain commonly shows “briary” flavors, moderate to bold tannins and herbal, floral aromatics. With the increasing interest in wine in America, wines grown in sub appellation AVA’s such as Mount Veeder are gaining recognition for their unique sense of terroir.
[space height=”0″]

Oak Knoll District

The Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located within Napa Valley AVA at the southern end of valley floor. The appellation’s close proximity to San Pablo Bay results in a climate that is cooler and more moderate than any region in Napa Valley other than the Los Carneros AVA. A wide variety of wine grapes do well in this climate, including varieties not widely grown in other parts of Napa Valley, such as Riesling and Pinot Noir. Oak Knoll District has begun to develop a reputation for a restrained, delicate style of Chardonnay. The appellation was officially designated a sub-appellation of the Napa Valley AVA on February 25, 2004.
[space height=”0″]

Oakville

The Oakville AVA is an American Viticultural Area located within Napa Valley AVA and centered around the town of Oakville, California. The appellation extends over a flat expanse of well drained gravel soil between the Vaca and Mayacamas Mountains. Oakville AVA is known for its success with Bordeaux varietals, which have produced wines of rich texture, firm tannins and notes of mint and herbs.
[space height=”0″]

Rutherford

The Rutherford AVA is an American Viticultural Area located within Napa Valley AVA and centered around the town of Rutherford, California. The area is known for its unique terroir particularly with its Cabernet Sauvignon. The well drained soil of this area is composition of gravel, loam and sand with volcanic deposits and marine sediments from the Franciscan Assemblage. The appellation accounts for only 6,650 acres (27 km2) in the center of Napa Valley but has been home to some of the regions most historic and world renowned wineries such as Beaulieu Vineyards and Inglenook Winery.
[space height=”0″]

Spring Mountain

The Spring Mountain District AVA is located in the Napa Valley AVA in California. Spring Mountain District AVA was officially established as an American Viticulture Area in 1993. Encompassed within its bounds are about 8,600 acres (3,480 ha), of which about 1,000 acres (400 ha) are planted to vineyards. Given the small crop yields on hillsides, the region represents less than 2% of Napa Valley wine. Currently the region has just over 30 winegrowers. The appellation sits on steep terraces of the Mayacamas Mountains that separate Napa Valley from Sonoma Valley and the Santa Rosa Plain. It lies in a northwestern portion of the Napa Valley above and behind the town of Saint Helena. The boundaries of the appellation extend from the top of the ridgeline on the western edge, tracing the Sonoma/Napa County border. From the ridgeline the boundaries extend down to the 400 feet (122 m) contour line at the eastern base of the hillside. The southern boundary is Sulphur Creek and one of its tributaries, while the northern boundary is Ritchie Creek.
[space height=”0″]

St. Helena

The St. Helena AVA (or Saint Helena AVA) is an American Viticultural Area located within Napa Valley, centered around the town of St. Helena, California. The appellation covers 9,000 acres (3,642 ha) along the flat narrow land towards the northern end of the valley between the Vaca and Mayacamas Mountains. Charles Krug, one of pioneers of Napa Valley winemaking, opened his winery here in 1861.
[space height=”0″]

Stags Leap

The Stags Leap District AVA is an American Viticultural Area located within the Napa Valley AVA 6 miles (9.7 km) north of the city of Napa, California. The Stags Leap District was the first appellation to be designated an AVA based on the unique terroir characteristics of its soil. The soil of this region include loam and clay sediments from the Napa River and volcanic soil deposits left over from erosion of the Vaca Mountains. Like many Napa Valley AVAs, Stags Leap District is particularly known for it Cabernet Sauvignon. In 1976 at the Judgement of Paris wine tasting, the 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet from the area that would become this AVA won first place in the red wine category, beating out classified Bordeaux estates. Today, the Stags Leap District is home to twenty different wineries.
[space height=”0″]

Wild Horse Valley

The Wild Horse Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area whose borders overlap both Napa County and Solano County, California and is partially contained within the Napa Valley AVA. The appellation’s southerly location results in more hours of sunshine than other locations in Napa Valley or nearby Green Valley. The proximity to San Pablo Bay results in a cooler climate, making Wild Horse Valley attractive for the cultivation of grapes like Pinot Noir.
[space height=”0″]

Yountville

The Yountville AVA is located within Napa Valley AVA and centered around the town Yountville, California. The town’s founder George Calvert Yount planted the first vineyard in this area around 1836. Yountville AVA is one of the coolest wine regions in Napa Valley, which helps contribute to a long growing season. The area is particularly known for its very tannic Cabernet Sauvignon varietal wines that have the capability of aging well in the bottle.
[space height=”0″]