The Calistoga AVA is an

American Viticultural Area 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 winery, wineries and consumers. Winemakers frequently want their consumers to know abo ...

located in the northern portion of

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

Napa Valley AVA Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County in California's Wine Country. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier ...

. The

appellation An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical boun ...

is distinguished by its

volcanic soil The soil composition of vineyards is one of the most important viticultural considerations when planting grape vines. The soil supports the root structure of the vine and influences the drainage levels and amount of minerals and nutrients that the ...

, high temperatures up to during the day, and cool nights during the growing season due to breezes from the Russian River, causing the highest

diurnal temperature variation In meteorology, diurnal temperature variation is the variation between a high air temperature and a low temperature that occurs during the same day. Temperature lag Temperature lag is an important factor in diurnal temperature variation: peak d ...

in the Napa Valley—up to .

Geography and Climate

Despite sharing a name, the Calistoga AVA does not encompass the entirety of the town of Calistoga. The area is noted for its topographical diversity and uniform geology, with bedrock almost exclusively made through

volcanic A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates a ...

action. The hot days provide color and flavor in the wines, while the cool nights help to maintain acidity and structure The appellation abuts the

Diamond Mountain District AVA The Diamond Mountain District AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in California's Mayacamas Mountains in the northwest portion of the Napa Valley AVA. The appellation sits at a higher elevation than most of Napa Valley's wine region, re ...

to the south and west, the Saint Helena AVA to the southeast, and the

Howell Mountain AVA The Howell Mountain AVA is an American Viticultural Area located within Napa Valley AVA of California. Location The AVA is located in the Howell Mountains within the Vaca Range on the northeast side of Napa Valley around the town of Angwin, an ...

is a short way to the east.

History

The name Calistoga dates back to 1857, with the first vine plantings in 1862. Viticultural and winery census data from 1880 list Calistoga as a distinct region separate from Napa. The appellation was proposed in 2003 by

Bo Barrett Bo Barrett (born James P. Barrett) is the current winemaker of Chateau Montelena. He is the son of Jim Barrett, under whose ownership the 1973 vintage Chardonnay won first place among white wines at the 1976 Judgment of Paris wine tasting. Bar ...

petitioning for separate AVA status, with final approval coming through in 2009, effective 2010.

Controversy

When the appellation was proposed, two wineries (Calistoga Cellars and Calistoga Estate) fought against the proposal, as under U.S.

wine law Wine laws are legislation regulating various aspects of production and sales of wine. The purpose of wine laws includes combating wine fraud, by means of regulated protected designations of origin, labelling practices and classification of wine, a ...

they would either have to use 85% grapes from the new AVA (neither did at the time) or change their brand names. Several compromises were proposed, and ultimately rejected, before the AVA was approved. During the process, the

Tax and Trade Bureau The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, statutorily named the Tax and Trade Bureau and frequently shortened to TTB, is a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury, which regulates and collects taxes on trade and imports of alcoho ...

, the

federal Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to: Politics General *Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies *Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...

body in charge of AVA designations, paused the process of all AVA proposals due to the need to redefine regulations. Ultimately, the wineries using the Calistoga name were given three years to come in compliance with the appellation rules or discontinue using the name.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Calistoga Ava American Viticultural Areas of the San Francisco Bay Area Napa Valley Geography of Napa County, California 2010 establishments in California American Viticultural Areas

Geography and Climate

History

Controversy

See also

References