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 its Cabernet Sauvignon. In 1976 at the Judgment 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 is home to twenty different wineries.[5]
| Wine region | |
 A vineyard in the Stags Leap District AVA | |
| Type | American Viticultural Area |
|---|---|
| Year established | 1989[1] |
| Country | United States |
| 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 Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, |
| No. of wineries | 20[4] |
History
edit
Grapes were planted in the area that would become the Stags Leap District as early as the 1870s, 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]
Winery Association
editOne of the leading forces in the region is Stags Leap District Winery Association which aims to promote the wines of the AVA and host an annual day-long event called Vineyard to Vintner which allows consumers the opportunity to interact with wineries and taste the regions wine. The following wineries are members:[7]
References
edit- ^ "§ 9.117 Stags Leap District" (Title 27: Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Part 9 — American Viticultural Areas; Subpart C — Approved American Viticultural Areas). Code of Federal Regulations. Retrieved October 31, 2007.
- ^ Stags Leap Winegrowers Association (2007). "Visit the District". Retrieved October 31, 2007.
- ^ a b "Stags Leap District (AVA): Appellation Profile". Appellation America. 2007. Archived from the original on October 8, 2008. Retrieved October 31, 2007.
- ^ a b "AVA Spotlight: Stags Leap District". The California Association of Winegrape Growers. February 11, 2011. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
- ^ Napa's Stags Leap District AVA novusvinum.com
- ^ Topper, David (July 7, 2009). "Stags Leap District AVA". Goose Cross Cellars. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
- ^ Heeger, Jack (April 27, 2006). "Stags Leap's Vineyard to Vintner event draws national crowd". Napa Valley Register.