Napa Valley - The Carneros Wine Region

Carneros is located in the eastern most part of Napa Valley. Carneros has become distinctly exceptional during the thirty or so years that Napa Valley has come to prominence in the wine community. Ample amounts of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir can be found at Carneros, but Syrah and Merlot can also be had there, as well.

Talisman Cellars, Truchard and Etude Vineyards are among a few of the famous wineries that can be found in the Carneros region. Carneros' success can be attributed to the San Pablo Bay that brings in a cooling fog. The Napa side remains quite warm compared to the many other wine regions of California, especially the Sonoma side of Carneros where it is cooler.

The vineyards in Carneros are developed in significant ways due to the low, rolling hills of the terrain. The soil is rather shallow, which tends to make the grapes in those vineyards located in this area grow more slowly. Because of this, vineyards will typically measure about 2 or 3 inches in diameter despite the fact that some may be 10 years old or more.

Despite the relatively unfertile soil, robust pioneers used both Spanish and Mexican land grants to develop the Carneros region, the greatest part of which was granted in 1840 to Jacob lease. Lease, along with Nicholas Higuera, subdivided and sold thousands of acres for the purposes of growing grapes, for which the land was used for more than 150 years. In the middle of the nineteenth century, this area of Napa Valley began the development and production of wine. Rancho Huichica, which is an 18,000 acre plot of land, was credited as the first place Lease planted vineyards during this time. Higuera later sold part of his estate to Nathan Coombs, who then surveyed and established the town of Napa.

Winter Winery was founded in the early 1870s after a large parcel of Lease's land was bought by William H. Winter in the 1850s. The main market for wine made in this area was the city of San Francisco, but in the beginning of the 1880s, many vineyards in Carneros were devastated by the Phylloxera Louse.

James Simonton purchased the Winter Winery in 1881 and renamed it Talcoa Vineyards. Talcoa was the first winery to experiment with certain kinds of rootstocks that were Phylloxera resistant. However, a great amount of damage was already done by the louse in the area. The passing of the Prohibition laws seemed to spell doom for the Carneros region were it not for the dedication and commitment of several people.

The first Carneros region winery after the abolition of Prohibition was established by John Garnetto in 1935. Two hundred more acres in the region were purchased in 1942 by Louis M. Martini who went on to experiment with many cooler weather suited varietals. Carneros became established as an AVA in 1983.

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