The Stags Leap District 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 within 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 ...

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 Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–sil ...

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 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' ...

. In 1976 at the Judgment of Paris wine tasting, the 1973

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Stag's Leap Wine Cellars is a winery founded by Warren Winiarski in 1970 and based in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley, California. The winery achieved significant international recognition in 1976, four years after its establishment ...

Cabernet from the area that would become this AVA won first place in the red wine category, beating out

classified Classified may refer to: General *Classified information, material that a government body deems to be sensitive *Classified advertising or "classifieds" Music *Classified (rapper) (born 1977), Canadian rapper *The Classified, a 1980s American roc ...

Bordeaux estates. Today, the Stags Leap District is home to twenty different wineries.

History

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. Nathan Fay planted the first

in the area in 1961, on land that would later be purchased by

Warren Winiarski Warren Winiarski (born 1928) is a Napa Valley winemaker and the founder and former proprietor of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars. Winiarski owns and operates Arcadia Vineyards in the Coombsville AVA of Napa Valley, which produces Chardonnay, Cabernet S ...

for

Winery Association

One 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: *

Baldacci Family Vineyards Baldacci Family Vineyards is a California winery located in the Stags Leap District AVA of Napa Valley.Jancis Robsinon and Linda Murphy ''American Wine: The Ultimate Companion to the Wines and Wineries of the United States'' pg 77, University of ...

* Chimney Rock Winery *

Cliff Lede Vineyards In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of Rock (geology), rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs a ...

* Clos Du Val * Malk Family Vineyars *

Ilsley Vineyards Ilsley may refer to: * Ilsley (name) * Ilsley (ship), a private schooner in the War of 1812 * East Ilsley or West Ilsley, possible site of the Battle of Ashdown (a defeat of the Danes by Alfred the Great) * Ilsley, Kentucky, an unincorporated commu ...

* Pine Ridge Vineyards * Regusci Winery * Shafer Vineyards * Silverado Vineyards *

Stags' Leap Winery Stags' Leap Winery is a winery located near Yountville, California, United States, in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley. The winery's estate vineyard was first planted in 1893. In 1997, Stags' Leap was purchased by Beringer Wine Estates, ...

* Steltzner Vineyards * Taylor Family Vineyards

References

{{Authority control American Viticultural Areas of the San Francisco Bay Area Geography of Napa County, California American Viticultural Areas 1989 establishments in California