Fact Sheet

Location

Napa Valley, west of Napa and Yountville, within the Mayacamas Range. The only one of the five Napa Valley mountain appellations that adjoins the cool Carneros District.

Total Area

16,000 square acres (64.7 km2)

Acres under Vine

about 1,000 (400 hectares), 64% Cabernet Sauvignon

Cases Produced

approximately 40,000 per vintage, about 1.3% of total Napa Valley production

Highest Vineyards

2,550 feet (Lampyridae Vineyards)

Highest Winery

2,400 feet (Mayacamas Vineyards)

First Wine Recorded

1864 by Captain Stelham Wing, from today’s Wing Canyon Vineyard

AVA Established

1993

Wineries

35 member vintners producing wines from the Mount Veeder AVA

Growers

7 member growers

Soil Types

primarily sandstone and shale derived from old sea floor, with some volcanic soil at the highest elevations

Top Soil Depth

typically 12 to 24 inches

Vineyard Slope

varies, typically 10° to 30°

Cabernet Sauvignon, 513 acres

Chardonnay, 76 acres

Malbec, 72 acres

Merlot, 39 acres

Syrah, 34 acres

Cabernet Franc, 23 acres

Viognier, 15 acres

Zinfandel, 10 acres

Petit Verdot, 8 acres

Gewürztraminer, 2 acres

Riesling, 2 acres

Gruner Veltlner, 2 acres

Albariño, 2 acres

Grenache (red), 1 acre

Sangiovese, 1 acre

Carignane, <1 acre

Carmenere, <1 acre

Counoise, <1 acre

Marsanne, <1 acre

Mataro, <1 acre

Mondeuse, <1 acre

Mourvedre, <1 acre

Roussanne, <1 acre

Sauvignon Blanc, <1 acre

St. Macaire, <1 acre

Of Note

• First California appellation to grow Petit Verdot. Cuttings from these vines were shared with many Napa Valley growers in the 1970’s and early 1980’s, so that most of the Petit Verdot in Napa Valley today originated from Mount Veeder AVA.
• First California appellation with all five red Bordeaux grapes planted to one vineyard.
• First California appellation to produce one wine with all five red Bordeaux Varieties.

Descriptors

• Red wines: Blackberry, black cherry, bay, briary, brambly, tobacco flavors. Black fruit, herbal, floral aromatics. Tannins moderate to bold, with assertive, fine texture. Reserve wines may often be cellared for ten-plus years with improving quality.
• White wines: Minerally, luscious stone fruit, hints of citrus and herb aromas and flavors. Texture, richness, and age-worthiness vary according to winemaking techniques.