There are over a hundred different soil variations in this very small wine region, thirty miles long and five miles wide. About half of all soils that exist in the world are present in the Napa Valley!
Some examples of soils in the Napa Valley are:
Valley Floor : Sand carried down from the mountainsides. The dirt can be sedimentary, gravel-sandy, and alluvial
East Side : Vaca Mountains have volcanic soil and some of the soil can display a basaltic red color
South : Carneros Region – San Pablo Bay floods over the soil offering a unique biodiversity and the soil is generally dominated by clay.
West Side: Mayacamas Mountains were developed by tectonic plates that pushed up from the ocean floor hundreds of years ago, creating oceanic influenced soil structures
Within the Napa Valley AVA (American Viticulture Area) there are 16 sub-appellations affecting the structure, composition and character of the wine produced here. This year, we are celebrating our 40th year in recognition of the Napa Valley AVA in California. The soil in each of the AVA’s is one aspect that makes them unique.
We salute our vineyard crews for their hard work tending soils and loving the vines, creating wonderful wines for us to drink!
Source: Napa Valley Vintners.
