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Sonoma valley wine maps3/28/2023 ![]() ![]() That said, picking at perfect ripeness and a judicious use of oak means that while these will age beautifully for years, no one would fault you for opening a bottle now. ![]() At the same time, cooler temperatures at higher altitudes aid in retaining acidity this balanced tannin and acidity create wines that are made to last. Mountain conditions create berries with thick skin, offering a higher peel to juice ratio and stronger tannins. And while many wines from Napa and neighboring Sonoma benefit from cooling Pacific fog that rolls in each morning, Howell Mountain’s vines sit above the fog line, offering full sunlight throughout the day. What sets this small American Viticultural Area near Saint Helena apart from many other wine regions is that its perimeter is delineated not just by geographic borders but by altitude: All vineyards must be a minimum of 1,400 feet above sea level. It took almost another hundred years for official government recognition in 1983 Howell Mountain was named the first AVA within the greater confines of the Napa Valley AVA. Keyes and Frederick Hess, were awarded gold and bronze medals, respectively, for their Howell Mountain wines. Ten years later, two other early hillside settlers, W.S. Chaix, pioneers in what is now the high-altitude AVA in the northeast of the valley took home a bronze medal from the Paris World Competition. In 1889, a wine made by Jean Adolph Brun and Jean V. Long before the 1976 Judgment of Paris put Napa Valley’s vinous treasure on the wine world map, bottles from Howell Mountain were taking home medals at international contests. ![]()
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