| Stags Leap District AVA (wine region) | |
|---|---|
A vineyard in the Stags Leap District AVA |
|
| Type | American Viticultural Area |
| Year established | 1989[1] |
| Country | USA |
| Part of | Napa Valley AVA |
| Other regions in Napa Valley AVA | Atlas Peak AVA, Calistoga AVA, Chiles Valley AVA, Diamond Mountain District AVA, Howell Mountain AVA, Los Carneros AVA, Mt. Veeder AVA, Coombsville AVA, Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley AVA, Oakville AVA, Rutherford AVA, Spring Mountain District AVA, St. Helena AVA, Wild Horse Valley AVA, Yountville AVA |
| Total area | 2,700 acres (11 km2)[2] |
| Size of planted vineyards | 1,200 acres (5 km2)[3] |
| Varietals produced | Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Zinfandel |
| No. of wineries | 20[4] |
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.[3] Today, the Stags Leap District[5] is home to twenty different wineries.
Grapes were planted in the area that would become the Stags Leap District as early as the 1870's, with the first winery in the area being founded in 1878.[4] Nathan Fay planted the first Cabernet Sauvignon in the area in 1961, on land that would later be purchased by Warren Winiarski for Stag's Leap Wine Cellars.[6]