Napa County wine

Napa County
Wine region
Vineyards and Mount Saint Helena
TypeU.S. County
Years of wine industry185[1]
CountryUnited States
Part ofCalifornia, North Coast AVA
Other regions in California, North Coast AVASonoma County, Mendocino County
Sub-regionsAtlas Peak AVA, Chiles Valley AVA, Diamond Mountain District AVA, Howell Mountain AVA, Los Carneros AVA, Mt. Veeder AVA, Napa Valley AVA, Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley AVA, Oakville AVA, Rutherford AVA, Spring Mountain District AVA, St. Helena AVA, Stags Leap District AVA, Wild Horse Valley AVA, Yountville AVA
Total area748 square miles (478,720 acres)[2]
Size of planted vineyards45,275 acres (18,322 ha)[3]
Grapes producedCabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Pinot noir, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, and more

Napa County wine refers to the viticulture and winemaking in Napa County, California, United States. County names in the United States automatically qualify as legal appellations of origin for wine produced from grapes grown in that county and do not require registration with the United States Department of the Treasury Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB).[4] TTB was created in January 2003, when the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, or ATF, was extensively reorganized under the provisions of the Homeland Security Act of 2002.[5]

The vast majority of Napa County's 45,275 acres (18,322 ha) cultivated land is within the boundaries of the world-famous Napa Valley AVA and its numerous sub-appellations.[6] The portion of the county that falls outside of the boundaries of the Napa Valley AVA is northeast of the Chiles Valley AVA, where few grapes are cultivated.

Few wines are produced that carry a Napa County appellation of origin designation, as almost every wine produced from grapes grown in the county is eligible for release with the more commercially profitable Napa Valley AVA designation. The most common use of Napa County on a wine label is when a wine has been produced from grapes grown in two or more counties, such as Sonoma County and Napa County. In such a case, the wine label must indicate what percentage of grapes were sourced from each county.

  1. ^ Mohan, Suruchi (2014). "Viticulture's Promised Land:: A Brief History of Napa Valley". SiteLINES. 10 (1): 17–19. JSTOR 24889476.
  2. ^ "Napa County, CA". NACo. National Association of Counties. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  3. ^ "Napa County Wine Industry". Napa Valley Vintners. 2008. Archived from the original on January 1, 2008. Retrieved January 4, 2008.
  4. ^ "§ 4.25 Appellations of Origin" (Title 27: Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Part 4 — Labeling and Advertising of Wine; Subpart C — Standards of Identity for Wine). Code of Federal Regulations. Retrieved January 4, 2008.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. ^ "The TTB Story". TTB.gov. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, Treasury. 2002.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  6. ^ "Napa Valley Viticultural Area" (27 CFR Part 9 [TD ATF-79; Re: Notice No. 3371] Final Rule). Federal Register. 46 (18). Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Treasury Department: 9061–9063. January 28, 1981.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.