In Focus: Napa Valley

A case can be made that Napa Valley is the most important wine region on earth. Before you Francophiles leave here me out: The United States is poised to soon become the largest market in terms of wine consumed on the planet. This is a giant shift in attitude from the 1950s when wine was considered in the U.S. as a second-class drink for immigrants and the poor. Today wine is found on the table of a broad palette of peoples in the States from the richest of the rich to Joe Everyman. This change in the winds of wine can be directly attributed to the success story that is Napa Valley.

The transformation that has occurred in this small rift of land above San Francisco bay that is barely 30 miles long is intense, from a quiet farming community with stands of nut trees and plum orchards to a giant in terms of wine quality, power, tourism and fame. Napa is now synonymous with the great wine regions of the world, a player on the world stage with real estate values soaring past tens of thousands of dollars per acre. The most amazing part is how quickly all this has happened. Only 40 years ago Robert Mondavi joined pioneers such as Inglenook and Château Montelena in harvesting grapes in Napa. Quite a short period of time when compared to the fame that Bordeaux, Burgundy, et al. built over the centuries.

By both size and volume, Napa cannot compete with other regions in California. Smaller in size than Sonoma to the west, Napa produces less than 5% of all the grapes in California. But the quality is where she really shines. The combination of warm days tempered by high elevations and the cooling winds that travel up the valley from San Francisco Bay has created a Garden of Eden for grape growing. Numerous soil types exist, but overall the valley has been a hotbed for Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and to a lesser extent Italian varietals, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir and the other noble Bordeaux grapes.

There are many generalities that can be applied to the valley, but a few stand out as more fact than opinion:
• It is cooler in the southern end and grows hotter as you travel north.
• The hotter climates further north provide wines with a slightly bigger backbone and more tannins than their more southerly counterparts.
• The western half of the valley is generally better from the intense morning sun, though this rarely applies to winery location as many wineries buy fruit from other vineyards in better locations.
• The thinner soils on the hillsides of the valley produce wines with more concentration and distinction that the more fertile lands on the valley floor.

What follows is a listing of the individual AVAs (American Viticultural Area) of the heart of Napa Valley and the styles of wine, geography, vineyards and grapes grown therein.

Yountville

Yountville is located at the southern end of Napa Valley just above the AVA of Los Carneros which straddles both Napa and Sonoma. The cool air that blows in from the bay has provided a refuge for excellent Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, as well as Merlot which thrives in the clay-rich soil. Yountville is also a home to fine sparkling wines from Domaine Carneros.

Stags' Leap

Just to the east of Yountville and at a slightly higher elevation. Arguably the place that put Napa on the globe when Stags' Leap Wine Cellars won first place at a competition in 1976 against the best that France had to offer. In the years since the Stags’ Leap district has produced incredible wines from mostly Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot vines that are caressed by the chilly night air. Wineries such as Shafer, Stags' Leap Wine Cellars, Chimney Rock and Pine Ridge are quite famous today. Look for wines from the Steltzner Vineyards for quality at value prices.

Oakville

As we continue north we venture into California's home of Cabernet Sauvignon. Some of the best vineyards are located in the confines of Oakville. Heitz Cellars’ Martha’s Vineyard has long been regarded as one of the best in the world. This is arguably the most famous spot as well. Famous wineries both new and old abound, none more so than Robert Mondavi and his joint project with the Rothschild family of Bordeaux appropriately named Opus One. Opus One was for many years the leader in terms of quality, technology, prestige and price for Oakville, though today the sheer volume of production from Opus One has allowed it to be passed by other cult Cabernets such as Bryant Family, Harlan and Screaming Eagle.

Rutherford

Another area that is a laundry list of who’s who in Napa, Rutherford is home to superstar Cabernets and Bordeaux-style blends that have an earthy note from the “Rutherford dust” that permeates the Rutherford bench plateau. Caymus, Frog’s Leap, ZD, Niebaum Coppola… the names go on and on. This area is no stranger to fine vineyards as well with names such as Bella Oaks, Rubicon, and the Moffett vineyard.

St. Helena

Warmer than Rutherford, St. Helena is home to some of the largest and most commercial wineries in California. Beringer and Sutter Home may not have the same amount of mystique that their cult counterparts carry, but there is no arguing the importance of these wineries that have modernized California and brought her wine to the masses. There are also many wonderful wines produced here from wineries such as Duckhorn, Grace Family and Colgin, as well as fine examples of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the likes of Turley, Rombauer and Merryvale.

Spring Mountain

Just to the west of Saint Helena the steep slopes of Spring Mountain is home to fine and graceful reds from Pride, Cain Cellars and Barnett Vineyards. In addition to its high elevation this area has the added bonus of cool pacific air from Chalk Hill. The wines here have some of the power of their counterparts in St. Helena but some of the finesse of the wines from further south down the valley.

Calistoga

The northern end of Napa Valley is surrounded by mountains. The varied soils in this region provide many styles of Cabernet based wines. If you can afford them the wines of Diamond Creek are not to be missed. For more affordable alternatives turn to wineries such as Von Strasser, Sterling and Robert Pecota.

Napa Valley is known for red wines of considerable character and weight, but this is by no means the only quality product. Zinfandel has found a home in the warm regions of the northern half of the valley. Italian varietals such as Sangiovese and Barbera are springing up everywhere, as well as fine examples of Syrah grown on the sloped vineyards on the sides of the valley. There is also the ubiquitous Chardonnay, which can be quite nice if given a cooler spot and subtle oak. A pleasant alternative can be the crisp Sauvignon Blanc with its tropical fruit character and tingly acidity. These wines may not taste like their European brethren, but they certainly are distinct.

Wine labeled with the name of an AVA (Oakville, Spring Mountain, etc.) must contain at least 85% of grapes grown in that particular area. This is important to note that very few wineries produce wine solely from the grapes at their winery. Often times the fruit is purchased from other locations, or perhaps from a vineyard with a better location. Still, wine from a particular AVA can be a very good indicator of the terroir of that region, especially now as more and more wines are sourced from individual vineyards. Regardless if they are from estate vineyards or sourced from other parts of the valley the wines of Napa are world-class and will continue to be the driving force behind the American wine economy. The prices may continue to go up, but it seems that the level of quality can match it step for step.

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