Coombsville
Named after Nathan Coombs, the founder of the city of Napa, Coombsville is not new to wine grape growing with the first recorded vineyards and winery dating back to 1880. Part of a larger land grant, Rancho Entre Napa, the region was used mainly for livestock and smaller family farms relying on what they raised and grew.
The Coombsville AVA was formed and shaped by volcanic activity and finessed by the ancient Napa River as it moved landslide debris from the area. The bowl-shape of the region is a caldera, a collapsed volcano, and forms the basis of the topography. Moved and shaped again by the uplift of the Vaca Range, the area settled down forming a unique horseshoe shaped ridge and what is often referred to as the “cup and saucer” on maps of the Coombsville area. The elevations climb from near sea level at the Napa River to the highest point,1900 feet, on the ridge of the Vaca Range.
The dominate soil types are Hambright-Rock outcrop complex and Coombs. These gravelly, stony loams are at their highest concentration in the Coombsville AVA, yet practically unaccounted for in other AVA’s within Napa. This well-drained gravelly soil is particulary well suited for wine grape growing and for many of the farmers here, the Bordeaux varieties are the cultivars of choice.
The Coombsville AVA was formed and shaped by volcanic activity and finessed by the ancient Napa River as it moved landslide debris from the area. The bowl-shape of the region is a caldera, a collapsed volcano, and forms the basis of the topography. Moved and shaped again by the uplift of the Vaca Range, the area settled down forming a unique horseshoe shaped ridge and what is often referred to as the “cup and saucer” on maps of the Coombsville area. The elevations climb from near sea level at the Napa River to the highest point,1900 feet, on the ridge of the Vaca Range.
The dominate soil types are Hambright-Rock outcrop complex and Coombs. These gravelly, stony loams are at their highest concentration in the Coombsville AVA, yet practically unaccounted for in other AVA’s within Napa. This well-drained gravelly soil is particulary well suited for wine grape growing and for many of the farmers here, the Bordeaux varieties are the cultivars of choice.
