Napa County wine

Last updated

Napa County
Wine region
Mount Saint Helena, viewed from Napa Valley.JPG
Vineyards and Mount Saint Helena
Type U.S. County
Years of wine industry185 [1]
CountryUnited States
Part of California, North Coast AVA
Other regions in California, North Coast AVA Sonoma County, Mendocino County
Sub-regions Atlas Peak AVA, Chiles Valley AVA, Diamond Mountain District AVA, Howell Mountain AVA, Los Carneros AVA, Mt. Veeder AVA, Napa Valley 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
Total area748 square miles (478,720 acres) [2]
Size of planted vineyards45,275 acres (18,322 ha) [3]
Grapes produced Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Pinot noir, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, and more

Napa County wine refers to the viticulture and winemaking in Napa County, California, United States. County names in the United States automatically qualify as legal appellations of origin for wine produced from grapes grown in that county and do not require registration with the United States Department of the Treasury Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). [4] TTB was created in January 2003, when the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, or ATF, was extensively reorganized under the provisions of the Homeland Security Act of 2002. [5]

Contents

The vast majority of Napa County's 45,275 acres (18,322 ha) cultivated land is within the boundaries of the world-famous Napa Valley AVA and its numerous sub-appellations. [6] The portion of the county that falls outside of the boundaries of the Napa Valley AVA is northeast of the Chiles Valley AVA, where few grapes are cultivated.

Few wines are produced that carry a Napa County appellation of origin designation, as almost every wine produced from grapes grown in the county is eligible for release with the more commercially profitable Napa Valley AVA designation. The most common use of Napa County on a wine label is when a wine has been produced from grapes grown in two or more counties, such as Sonoma County and Napa County. In such a case, the wine label must indicate what percentage of grapes were sourced from each county.

History

Early history

The Napa County wine industry began when George Yount, of Sonoma County, grew the first wine grapes in Napa Valley in the mid-nineteenth century. [1] [7] Although he is credited with starting the wine industry, Yount did not grow the industry, and it was not until Charles Krug arrived in Napa that the industry began to explode. [7] In 1858, Charles Krug began producing wine in Napa with vintner John Patchett’s grapes. [7] Three years later, in 1861, Krug founded Charles Krug winery (Napa County's first commercial winery), which still exists today, and with the guidance of winemakers Agoston Haraszthy and John Patchett along with Patchett's grapes, Charles Krug began to produce wine. [7] Between 1870 and 1880, Napa County's wine output increased by almost 1000%, and by 1890 Napa County was California's leading county in terms of gallons of wine produced. [1] Much of the growth that Napa County experienced in the late nineteenth century is due to developments in infrastructure such as the telegraph and the railroad as well as cheap Chinese labor. The development of the railroad in Napa made it easy to transport crops, wine, and tourists. [1]

During Napa County's wine production boom, California wine had a reputation for false labelling and dishonest adulteration processes. [1] At this time, Gustave Niebaum, a wealthy businessman, established Inglenook winery with the intention of improving the wine industry's image. [1] Niebaum had a vision for Napa County, and in 1888 Niebaum began growing high quality wine grapes using French methods and techniques. [1] Napa County experienced global exposure at the 1889 World's Fair in Paris where Inglenook wines won awards. [1] Niebaum helped to improve the wine-making business in Napa so that it began to attract other wealthy entrepreneurs. [1]

Major setbacks

As the turn of the 20th century approached, a series of setbacks commenced that devastated the Napa County wine industry for decades. A phylloxera outbreak decimated the wine grape crop, and this was followed by Prohibition in 1918, which made the production and transportation of alcohol illegal in the United States. [1] [7] In 1933, when Prohibition was repealed, the United States was in the midst of the Great Depression, and as a result the Napa County wine industry did not fully recover until 1960's. [1]

Modern era

In 1944, seven vintners signed an agreement that formed the Napa Valley Vintners trade association that would grow up until becoming an association with 550 wineries. [8]

The Napa County wine industry was once again in a period of expansion as new entrepreneurs with big visions such as Robert Mondavi in 1966 flocked to the valley; however, this time vintners and residents concerned about the population growth and shift towards urbanization in the region worked together to enact legislation making it more difficult to develop land in Napa. [1] [9] [10] In 1968, Napa County passed the Napa Valley Agricultural Preserve, which protects rural open space within the county. [10] [1] [8] As the new investors and entrepreneurs began focusing on Napa County, the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 placed Napa viticulture on the world stage as two local wines were ranked #1, by renown French oenophiles, in a blind tasting over highly regarded French vintages. [1] Since then, Napa County is internationally renown as a primer wine-producing region. [1]

After the 1976 event, the Napa County wine industry grew exponentially. [11] [1] [10] In 1975, Napa County was home to 45 wineries, and in 1980 there were over 100 wineries operating in Napa County. [9] In 1981, Napa Valley became California's first designated American Viticultural Area (AVA). [12] This level of growth has sustained to the present day, as in 2012, there were 430 wineries in Napa County. [9] The relatively new brand of high quality wine that is now associated with Napa County has attracted many wealthy investors to the region, and today Napa's economy is booming due to the success of the wine industry and a thriving wine tourism industry. [1] [10]

Terroir

The Napa Valley is located east of Sonoma County under the backdrop of Mount Saint Helena, which is part of the Mayacamas Mountain Range. [9] During the wine grape growing season, cool marine air from the Pacific Ocean and the San Pablo Bay flows into the southern end of the valley and goes up in elevation towards the northern end. [9] Because of the increase in elevation, temperatures at the northern end of the valley tend to be significantly warmer than temperatures at the southern end. [9] In addition to the differences in temperature, the western and northern portions of the valley experiences higher levels of precipitation than the eastern and southern portions due to a rain shadow caused by the vast differences in elevation in the region. [9] The Napa Valley as a whole contains several climate regions, and this provides an ideal terroir for growing a variety of wine grapes due to the variation in temperature and precipitation as well as variations in soil composition and topography. [9]

Wine and the local economy

By the numbers

In 2005, the Napa County wine industry was estimated to be worth in excess of $9.5 billion. [13] Nearly 89% of all United States wine is produced in California, and roughly a third of California wineries are based in Napa County, but only about 4% of California wine is produced in Napa. [13] [14] Once Napa County wine was recognized on the world stage in France, local producers used the newfound reputation to sell wine from the region for a premium over other wines produced elsewhere in California of the same quality. [1] Over 50% of California wine bottles costing more than $15 are produced in Napa County. [13] It is because of this reputation that the return on one ton of wine grapes grown in Napa is $3600, while neighboring Sonoma comes in second at $2200 per ton as of 2012. [14] In comparison with other wine grape growing regions in California, Napa ranks second to last in terms of wine grape yield per acre at just over 3 tons grown per acre. [14]

Tourism

Wine tourism is a staple for Napa County's local economy. [11] [10] The concept of wine tourism is relatively new, and researchers have concluded that there are a number of factors that make Napa County an attractive destination for tourists. [11] The Napa County lifestyle, for instance, which embodies the importance of wellness and relaxation as well as luxury and fine wine and cuisine, is thought to be a distinguishing factor that draws tourists. [11] Another factor is the level of interconnectedness between industries within Napa County. [14] [11] Wine production is the bedrock of the local economy, and local hotels, restaurants, and wineries work together to collectively promote tourism in the region. [10] [14] [11] Additionally, there is a high level of community involvement and support for the wine tourism industry in Napa County, as roughly half of the local population is employed by the wine related industries. [11]

In 2014, around 3.3 million people visited Napa Valley. Almost half of the visitors came from the San Jose–San Francisco–Oakland, MSA. Tourism supported 11 766 jobs in the zone. Travelers generated $1.63 billion in direct Napa County spending that year. [10]

As of April, 2016, Napa County is home to approximately 70 hotels, resorts, inns, and bed and breakfast type establishments geared towards the tourism industry, with a total room count of 4,815. [10] This number is up from 3,371 in 2005 largely due a 40% increase from 2006 to 2010. [10] The Great Recession caused a number of proposed development to be put on hold, and now many experts are saying the hotel industry in Napa County is on the verge of another boom, with more than 2,000 new guestrooms at 18 locations either being planned or currently under construction. [10]

Environmental preservation controversy

There are significant benefits as well as negatives to the booming wine tourism industry in Napa County. For example, the Napa County wine industry generated $1.4 billion in wages in 2004. [13] Most of the county's residents depend on the wine industry and tourism. [11] On the other hand, the growing demand for hotels and resources for the tourism industry is causing controversy among locals. [10] [1] Many residents are concerned about increased levels of traffic, a dwindling water supply, infrastructure, and environmental pressures. [10] Working to slow the growth in the wine tourism industry, there are many agricultural land protection policies (meant to maintain the character and agricultural quality of the region) in effect in Napa County that make it difficult and expensive to expand the tourism industry. [10] [1]

See also

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Mohan, Suruchi (2014). "Viticulture's Promised Land:: A Brief History of Napa Valley". SiteLINES. 10 (1): 17–19. JSTOR   24889476.
  2. ↑ "Napa County, CA". NACo. National Association of Counties. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Napa County Wine Industry". Napa Valley Vintners. 2008. Archived from the original on January 1, 2008. Retrieved January 4, 2008.
  4. ↑ "§ 4.25 Appellations of Origin" (Title 27: Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Part 4 — Labeling and Advertising of Wine; Subpart C — Standards of Identity for Wine). Code of Federal Regulations. Retrieved January 4, 2008.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  5. ↑ "The TTB Story". TTB.gov. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, Treasury. 2002.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  6. ↑ "Napa Valley Viticultural Area" (27 CFR Part 9 [TD ATF-79; Re: Notice No. 3371] Final Rule). Federal Register . Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Treasury Department. 46 (18): 9061–9063. January 28, 1981.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Teiser and Harroun, Ruth and Catherine (1983). Winemaking in California . McGraw Hill.
  8. 1 2 "History of Wine in the Napa Valley". Napa Valley Vintners. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Thompson, Bob (1993). The Wine Atlas of California. Simon and Schuster.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pinnock, Katie (April 18, 2016). "Market Pulse: Napa, California". Hospitalitynet.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Jones, Marjorie F.; Singh, Neha; Hsiung, Yvonne (2015). "Determining the Critical Success Factors of the Wine Tourism Region of Napa from a Supply Perspective". International Journal of Tourism Research. 17 (3): 261–271. doi:10.1002/jtr.1984.
  12. ↑ "Napa Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA)". Napa Valley Vinters. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Heeger, Jack (June 16, 2005). "Report: Wines, vines generate $9.5 billion in Napa County". Napa Valley Register. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 Hira and Swartz, Anil and Tim (2014). "What makes Napa Napa? The roots of success in the wine industry". Wine Economics and Policy. 3: 37–53. doi: 10.1016/j.wep.2014.02.001 . hdl: 10419/194479 .

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Viticultural Area</span> Designated wine grape-growing region in the U.S.

An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States, providing an official appellation for the mutual benefit of wineries and consumers. Winemakers frequently want their consumers to know about the geographic pedigree of their wines, as wines from a particular area can possess distinctive characteristics. Consumers often seek out wines from specific AVAs, and certain wines of particular pedigrees can claim premium prices and loyal customers. If a wine is labeled with an AVA, at least 85% of the grapes that make up the wine must have been grown in the AVA, and the wine must be fully finished within the state where the AVA is located.

The state of Oregon in the United States has established an international reputation for its production of wine, ranking fourth in the country behind California, Washington, and New York. Oregon has several different growing regions within the state's borders that are well-suited to the cultivation of grapes; additional regions straddle the border between Oregon and the states of Washington and Idaho. Wine making dates back to pioneer times in the 1840s, with commercial production beginning in the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Napa Valley AVA</span> Wine region

Napa Valley is a American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County, California. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier wine regions in the world. Records of commercial wine production in the region date back to the nineteenth century, but premium wine production dates back only to the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Maria Valley AVA</span> American wine region located in California

Santa Maria Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) which straddles the boundary of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties in California's multi-county Central Coast AVA. It was established on August 5, 1981, by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) as California's second oldest AVA. A portion of the AVA crosses the Cuyama River into the southernmost corner of San Luis Obispo County. The east–west orientation of the 152.3 square miles with a wide, open valley and rolling hills means cool winds and fog flow in freely from the Pacific Ocean, settling most noticeably in lower-lying areas. The result is a mild Mediterranean climate that lengthens the growing season and contributes to the eventual sugar/acid balance in the grapes from Santa Maria Valley's 7,500 acres (3,000 ha) cultivated vineyards. On January 28, 2011, the AVA was granted an 29.4 square miles expansion to its southern boundary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suisun Valley AVA</span>

The Suisun Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area in Solano County, California, located just east of the Napa Valley wine region in the Coast Range. It was established as a wine appellation on 27 December 1982, making it among the first AVAs of California, Napa Valley being the first.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonoma County wine</span> Wine made in Sonoma County, California

Sonoma County wine is wine made in Sonoma County, California, in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of American wine</span>

The history of American wine began when the first Europeans explored parts of North America, which they called Vinland because of the profusion of grape vines found there. However, European settlers, namely the Spanish, would later discover that the wine made from the various native grapes, had flavors which were unfamiliar and which they did not like. This led to repeated efforts to grow familiar Vitis vinifera varieties. The first vines of Vitis vinifera origin came up through New Spain (Mexico) and were planted in Senecu in 1629, which is near the present day town of San Antonio, New Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Carneros AVA</span>

Los Carneros AVA is an American Viticultural Area which 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 farther 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Coast AVA</span> American Viticultural Area in California

The North Coast AVA is an American Viticultural Area in the state of California that encompasses grape-growing regions in six counties located north of San Francisco: Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma, and Solano. This large appellation covers over 3,000,000 acres (5,000 sq mi) and includes a number of smaller sub-appellations that all share the common ecology trait of weather affected by the fog and breezes off the Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Helena AVA</span>

St. Helena is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located within Napa Valley, centered in and around the town of St. Helena, California. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on October 11, 1995, after the ATF received a petition from Mr. Charles A. Carpy, Chairman of the St. Helena Appellation Committee, proposing to establish a new viticultural area in Napa County to be known as "St. Helena."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spring Mountain District AVA</span> American Viticultural Area in California, United States

The Spring Mountain District AVA is an American Viticultural Area 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California wine</span> Wine made from grapes grown in California, United States

California wine production has a rich viticulture history since 1680 when Spanish Jesuit missionaries planted Vitis vinifera vines native to the Mediterranean region in their established missions to produce wine for religious services. In the 1770s, Spanish missionaries continued the practice under the direction of the Father Junípero Serra who planted California's first vineyard at Mission San Juan Capistrano.

Leona Valley AVA is an American Viticulture Area (AVA) in northeastern Los Angeles County, California. It is located in Leona Valley within the Sierra Pelona Mountains of Southern California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake County wine</span> Appelation that designates wine in Napa Country, CA

Lake County wine is a appellation that designates wine made from grapes grown mostly in Lake County, California and located north of Napa County. Although each region within Lake County has unique viticultural attributes, all are influenced by Clear Lake, the largest inland body of water in California. County names in the United States automatically qualify as legal appellations of origin for wine produced from grapes grown in that county and do not require registration with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). TTB was created in January 2003, when the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, or ATF, was extensively reorganized under the provisions of the Homeland Security Act of 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cucamonga Valley AVA</span> American Viticultural Area in California

The Cucamonga Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area in San Bernardino County, California. It is in the Cucamonga Valley region of the Pomona Valley, about 15 miles (24 km) west of San Bernardino.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sta. Rita Hills AVA</span> Winemaking region in California, United States

Sta. Rita Hills is an American Viticultural Area located in Santa Barbara County, California. From its creation in 2001 through 2006, the wine appellation was officially named Santa Rita Hills AVA. The formal name change was the result of a protest by and subsequent negotiations with Vina Santa Rita, a very large Chilean wine producer that was concerned about the AVA name diluting its international brand value. The name change took effect on January 5, 2006, with a yearlong period for producers in the AVA to change their wine labels. In 2016, TTB expanded the approximately 33,380 acres (52 sq mi) “Sta. Rita Hills” viticultural area by approximately 2,296 acres (4 sq mi).

Petaluma Gap AVA is an American Viticultural Area established on January 8, 2018 by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). The area spans 202,476 acres (316 sq mi) stretching through an 30 miles (48 km) inland valley from the Pacific coast at Bodega Bay southeast to Highway 37 at Sears Point on San Pablo Bay straddling the border of northern Marin and southern Sonoma counties. The AVA lies entirely within the North Coast AVA and partially in the Sonoma Coast AVA with eighty commercially-producing vineyards cultivating 4,000 acres (1,619 ha) and nine bonded wineries. The wind gap in its coastal mountain range funnels cooling breezes and fog east from the Pacific Ocean through the city of Petaluma to San Pablo Bay. A persistent afternoon breeze causes lower grape yields and longer hang time contributes to the AVA vintages' unique flavors and fruit characteristics which defines their character and distinction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moon Mountain District Sonoma County</span> American Viticultural Area in California

Moon Mountain District Sonoma County is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) within Sonoma Valley and North Coast viticultural areas, just north of the city of Sonoma. This mountainous region on the very eastern edge of Sonoma County has a historic reputation for producing rich, intensely-flavored wines from Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah varietals since the 1880s. The District was established on November 1, 2013, by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). Its designation covers 17,663 acres (28 sq mi) of land stretching north-south along the western slopes of the Mayacamas mountains between Sugarloaf Ridge State Park and Los Carneros viticultural area with the Napa Valley’s Mount Veeder viticultural area outlining the eastern slopes. Its name is derived from Moon Mountain Road, which traverses through the area and itself a reference to Sonoma, which means 'valley of the moon' in the local Native American dialect. A clear view to San Francisco 50 miles (80 km) south is not uncommon from Moon Mountain District vineyards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Barbara County wine</span> Wine region in California, US

Santa Barbara County wine is an appellation that designates wine made from grapes grown mostly in Santa Barbara County, California which is located approximately 50 miles (80 km) north of Los Angeles County. County names in the United States automatically qualify as legal appellations of origin for wine produced from grapes grown in that county and do not require registration with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) of the Treasury Department. TTB was created in January 2003, when the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, or ATF, was extensively reorganized under the provisions of the Homeland Security Act of 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monterey County wine</span> Appelation that designates wine in Monterey County, CA

Monterey County wine is a appellation that designates wine made from grapes grown in Monterey County, California which lies entirely within the expansive multi-county Central Coast viticultural area. County names in the United States automatically qualify as legal appellations of origin for wine produced from grapes grown in that county and do not require registration with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). TTB was created in January 2003, when the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, or ATF, was extensively reorganized under the provisions of the Homeland Security Act of 2002.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.