Coombsville is an
agricultural
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating Plant, plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of Sedentism, sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of Domestication, domesticated species created food ...
area and location of the
Coombsville AVA, and
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 ...
(AVA) located at the southeastern end of the
Napa Valley's grape-growing appellation.
Since the middle of the 20th century, it has gained recognition for its suitability for the slow-ripening
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...
varietals such as
cabernet sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebanon' ...
.
Terrain and climate
A geographic area shaped like a “cup and saucer”, Coombsville is characterized by gently hilly terrain formed millions of year ago by shifting masses of earth.
The Coombsville AVA is a sub-
AVA of the
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 ...
, approved in December 2011. Coombsville is distinguished from other parts of the by its slightly cooler climate and soil conditions, which are a mix of well-draining river rock and mineral-rich volcanic ash. The rolling terrain provides various aspects that lend to optimization of many
varietal
A varietal wine is a wine made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label.The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, 2000.winepros.com.au. ...
s, though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates the abundant hillside vineyards.
History to present
The area takes its name from
Nathan Coombs
Nathan Coombs (June 12, 1826 – December 26, 1877) was a California pioneer and Democratic politician who served in the California State Assembly and is best known for founding the city of Napa, California.
Life
Nathan Coombs lived in Massachu ...
, who purchased the land from Nicholas Higuera's
Rancho Entre Napa, an 1836
Mexican land grant
The Spanish and Mexican governments made many concessions and land grants in Alta California (now known as California) and Baja California from 1775 to 1846. The Spanish Concessions of land were made to retired soldiers as an inducement for ...
. It was at this parcel that Coombs created the city of
Napa in 1847.
Located east of Napa, Coombsville’s agricultural orientation was initially focused on
livestock
Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animals ...
and subsistence
farming
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
as opposed to vineyard development. It was only in the mid-20th century that the region began to attract attention from grape growers and vintners.
Coombsville History, Calwineries California Wines Defined
Retrieved on December 2, 2007.
See also
* Coombsville AVA
*
References
{{Napa County, California
Napa Valley
California wine
Geography of Napa County, California