Moon Mountain District Sonoma County is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) within Sonoma Valley and

North Coast North Coast or Northcoast may refer to : Antigua and Barbuda * Major Division of North Coast, a census division in Saint John Parish Australia *New South Wales North Coast, a region Canada *The British Columbia Coast, primarily the communiti ...

viticultural areas, just north of the city of Sonoma. This mountainous region on the very eastern edge of Sonoma County has a historic reputation for producing rich, intensely-flavored wines from Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah varietals since the 1880s. The District was established on November 1, 2013 by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). Its designation covers of land stretching north-south along the western slopes of the

Mayacamas mountains The Mayacamas Mountains are located in northwestern California in the United States. The mountain range is part of the Northern Inner Coast Ranges, of the California Coast Ranges System. Geography The Mayacamas Mountains are located south of the ...

between

Sugarloaf Ridge State Park Sugarloaf Ridge State Park is a state park in Northern California, United States. Located in the Mayacamas Mountains north of Kenwood, the park straddles the boundary between Sonoma and Napa counties. The park contains the Bald Mountain and ...

and Los Carneros viticultural area with the

Napa Valley 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 ...

’s Mount Veeder viticultural area outlining the eastern slopes. Its name is derived from Moon Mountain Road, which traverses through the area and itself a reference to Sonoma, which means 'valley of the moon' in the local Native American dialect. A clear view to

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

south is not uncommon from Moon Mountain District vineyards.

Terroir

The distinguishing features of Moon Mountain District are its topography, geology, climate, and soils. It lies in one of the warmer parts of Sonoma County due to its inland location. At elevations ranging from above sea level, vines grow in a variety of soils, mainly rocky and of volcanic origin, on the western slopes and ridge tops of the Mayacamas Mountains. The district's boundaries are outlined by proceeding south along the mountain ridge from the Rutherford locale down the meandering Sonoma-Napa County boundary to the Sonoma-Napa county southeast intersection; then travels southwesterly in a straight line north of Arrowhead Mountain toward the Pueblo lands of Sonoma; the boundary then proceeds northwesterly along the western foothills pass the locales of Eldridge,

Glen Ellen Glen Ellen is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California, United States. The population was 784 at the 2010 census, down from 992 at the 2000 census. Glen Ellen is the location of Jack London State Historic Par ...

, through the Valley of the Moon and settling in the Kenwood vicinity; finally, turning east-northeasterly it proceeds to a marked 1,483-foot peak south of Sugarloaf Ridge and then east-southeasterly in a straight line back to the Sonoma-Napa County boundary.

Climate

Crosswinds from both the

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to the west and

San Pablo Bay San Pablo Bay is a tidal estuary that forms the northern extension of San Francisco Bay in the East Bay and North Bay regions of the San Francisco Bay Area in northern California. Most of the Bay is shallow; however, there is a deep water ch ...

in the south bring cooling maritime influences to the vineyards, but by the time the winds have travelled across the valley floor they have warmed considerably. Most of the region's vineyards face southwest, subjecting them to stronger afternoon sunlight. The higher elevation vineyards places their varietals above the influence of the famous Sonoma fog. The warmer climate gives Moon Mountain District a longer growing season than other parts of Sonoma Valley, with earlier budburst in the spring and a longer hang time for the grapes in the autumn. Cold air tends to drain off the hillside vineyards into the valley, reducing the risk of damaging frosts and allowing for a long, slow maturation period. As a result, Moon Mountain District grapes have a good balance of sugars and acidity, leading to well-balanced wines.

Soil

Moon Mountain's volcanic origins gave the area's winemakers cause to petition for a separate AVA title, which was approved in 2013. The region's iron-rich volcanic soils are quite distinct from the sedimentary soils of the surrounding area. These red, rocky soils are thin, well-drained and therefore highly suited to viticulture. Louis M. Martini's famed Monte Rosso vineyard, a 120-year-old vineyard within the appellation, is named for these red soils.

Wine Industry

TTB received a petition from Patrick L. Shabram on behalf of Christian Borcher, a representative of the vintners and grape growers in the area, proposed the establishment of the “Moon Mountain District Sonoma County” AVA. Moon Mountain contains 11 wineries and 40 commercially-producing vineyards that cultivate approximately well-established throughout the mountainous area around the hills and ridges.

References

External links

Moon Mountain Wine Region and Appellation
Sonoma County Tourism *
TTB AVA Map
{{coord, 38.33252 , -122.44563 , format=dms , display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-CA American Viticultural Areas of California American Viticultural Areas California wine Geography of Sonoma County, California 2013 establishments in California