Napa Valley AVA

Napa Valley AVA (wine region)
Lightmatter napa valley.jpg
Napa Valley is most famous for its wine.
Type American Viticultural Area
Year established 1981[1]
Country USA
Part of California, Napa County, North Coast AVA
Sub-regions Atlas Peak AVA, Chiles Valley AVA, Diamond Mountain District AVA, Howell Mountain AVA, Los Carneros AVA, Mt. Veeder AVA, Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley AVA, Oakville AVA, Rutherford AVA, Spring Mountain District AVA, St. Helena AVA, Stags Leap District AVA, Wild Horse Valley AVA, Yountville AVA
Size of planted vineyards 43,000 acres (174 km2)[2]
Varietals produced Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and more
No. of wineries Over 300

Napa Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Napa County, California, USA. Napa Valley is considered one of the top wine regions in the United States and one of only nine Great Wine Capitals on earth, with a history dating back to the nineteenth century.

The combination of Mediterranean climate, geography and geology of The Valley are conducive to growing quality wine grapes. John Patchett established the Napa Valley's first commercial vineyard in 1858. In 1861 Charles Krug established Napa Valley's first commercial winery in St. Helena. Viticulture in Napa suffered several setbacks in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including an outbreak of the vine disease phylloxera, the legal institution of Prohibition, and the Great Depression. The wine industry in Napa Valley recovered, and helped by the results of the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, came to be seen as capable of producing the best quality wine - equal to that of Old World wine regions.

Almost 4.5 million people visit Napa Valley each year, making it a very popular tourist destination in California, and "The World's Best Wine and Food Destination" as awarded by TripAdvisor's 2010 Travelers' Choice Awards.

Contents

Geography

The combination of Mediterranean climate, geography and geology of the valley are conducive to growing quality wine grapes. The valley floor is flanked by the Mayacamas Mountain Range on the western and northern sides the Vaca Mountains on the eastern side. Several smaller valleys also exist within these two ranges. The floor of the main valley gradually rises from sea level at the southern end to 362 feet (110 m) above sea level at the northern end in Calistoga at the foot of Mount Saint Helena. The Oakville and Rutherford American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) lie within a geographical area known as the Rutherford Bench in the center of the valley floor. The soil in the southern end of the valley consists mainly of sediments deposited by earlier advances and retreats of San Pablo Bay while the soil at the northern end of the valley contains a large volume of volcanic lava and ash. Several of the small hills that emerge from the middle of the valley floor near Yountville are indicators of the region's volcanic past.

Panoramic view of vineyards in Napa Valley, California

Climate

Several microclimates exist within the area due to various weather and geographical influences. The open southern end of the valley floor is cooler during the growing season due to the proximity of San Pablo Bay while the sheltered, closed northern end is often much warmer. The eastern side of the valley tends to be more arid because winter storms tend to drop much more precipitation on the western mountains and hills.

History

fruity grapes in one of the vineyards of Napa Valley

Early years

Early pioneer George C. Yount planted the first wine grapes in Napa Valley. In 1864 Yount's grandson-in-law Thomas Rutherford and his new bride Elizabeth received 1,040 acres (4 km2) of land in the area now known as Rutherford as a wedding present from Elizabeth's grandfather. Rutherford made a serious investment in grape production and winemaking from 1850 to 1880, and established himself as a grower and producer of high-quality wines.

John Patchett established the valley's first commercial vineyard in 1858. In 1861 Charles Krug established Napa Valley's first commercial winery in St. Helena. Captain Gustave Niebaum established Inglenook Winery in 1879 near the village of Rutherford. This was the first Bordeaux style winery in the USA. Inglenook wínes won gold medals at the 1889 World's Fair in Paris.

In 1868 H. W. Crabb bought land near Oakville close to the Napa River. Crabb established a vineyard and winery named To Kalon, and by 1877 had planted 130 acres (0.5 km2) and was producing 50,000 US gallons of wine per year. Crabb experimented with over 400 grape varieties in a quest to find the types best suited for the area.

By the end of the nineteenth century there were more than one hundred and forty wineries in the area. Of those original wineries, several still exist in the valley today including Beaulieu, Beringer, Charles Krug, Chateau Montelena, Far Niente, Mayacamas, Markham Vineyards, and Schramsberg Vineyards.

Phylloxera, Prohibition and The Great Depression

Viticulture in Napa suffered several setbacks in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Phylloxera root louse killed many of the vines throughout the valley. Prohibition was enacted across the country in 1920 and many wineries were shut down. A few remained open with agreements to produce sacramental wine. Growers who elected to keep their vines planted sold their crops to home winemakers.[3] The Great Depression slowed the wine business further. These events stalled the growth of the wine industry in Napa County, California for years.

Modern era

André Tchelistcheff is generally credited with ushering in the modern era of winemaking in California. Beaulieu hired Tchelisticheff in 1938. He introduced several new techniques and procedures to the region, such as aging wine in small French Oak barrels, cold fermentation, vineyard frost prevention, and malolactic fermentation.

Brother Timothy; a member of the Christian Brothers was also very instrumental in the creation of the modern wine industry in Napa. After an earlier career as a teacher, he transferred to the order's Mont La Salle located on Mount Veeder in the Mayacamas Mountains northwest of Napa in 1935 to become the wine chemist for the order's expanding wine operations. The Christian Brothers had grown grapes and made sacramental wine in Benicia, California during Prohibition, but decided to branch out into commercial production of wine and brandy after the repeal of Prohibition. The science teacher was a fast learner and soon established Christian Brothers as one of the leading brands in the state's budding wine industry; Brother Timothy's smiling face in advertisements and promotional materials became one of the most familiar images for wine consumers across the country. Following the Second World War, the wine industry in Napa began to thrive again.

Robert Mondavi

In 1965, Napa Valley icon Robert Mondavi broke away from his family's Charles Krug estate to found his own winemaking operation in Oakville. It was the first new large scale winery to be established in the valley since before prohibition and included the original To Kalon land. Following the establishment of the Mondavi estate, the number of wineries in the valley grew rapidly, as did the region's reputation.

Napa Valley as a top wine region

Mature Napa vines

In 1976, the region got a boost from the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, which featured a Napa Valley Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon besting several famous French labels in a blind tasting format. The results of this tasting cemented the region's reputation of its ability to produce world class wines.

A modern outbreak of phylloxera was discovered in the valley in 1983 in a vineyard planted with AxR1 rootstock. Many growers seized upon this outbreak and used it as an opportunity to switch to varieties that were better suited to the climate and soil. By the late 1990s nearly 75% of the affected vineyards had been replanted with phylloxera resistant rootstock. The growers in the region are currently channeling their energy to battle the Glassy-winged sharpshooter, a non-native pest that carries Pierce's Disease.

Today Napa Valley features more than 450 wineries that grow many grape varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Zinfandel, and other popular varietals. While some winemakers produce wines from specific AVAs within the valley, the majority choose to blend or cuvée their wines using a mixture of wine from grapes grown on the valley floor and the surrounding hillsides.

Wine tourism

Almost 4.5 million people visit Napa Valley each year, making it a very popular tourist destination in California, and "The World's Best Wine and Food Destination" as awarded by TripAdvisor's 2010 Travelers' Choice Awards. The Napa Valley is also internationally recognized as one of only nine Great Wine Capitals on earth.

American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) of Napa Valley

A vineyard in Napa Valley.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Code of Federal Regulations. "§ 9.23 Napa Valley." Title 27: Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Part 9 — American Viticultural Areas; Subpart C — Approved American Viticultural Areas. Retrieved Oct. 29, 2007.
  2. ↑ Appellation America (2007). "Oakville (AVA): Appellation Description". Retrieved Oct. 29, 2007.
  3. ↑ Burnham, Kelsey (2010-04-18). "Prohibition in Wine Country". Napa Valley Register. http://www.napavalleyregister.com/lifestyles/real-napa/article_ed8bdf22-4a81-11df-bb7d-001cc4c002e0.html. Retrieved 2010-04-18. 

External links

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