American Viticultural Area · CA
Stags Leap District
Stags Leap District is a federally-designated American Viticultural Area in CA, established in 1989. The map below shows its official TTB boundary alongside nearby AVAs.
The Stags Leap District boundary is highlighted. Nearby AVAs are rendered in gray — click any of them to view that AVA's page.
At a glance
Established
1989
State
CA
Climate
Mediterranean
Signature varietals
Boundary recorded in 27 CFR Part 9 · Source: TTB
About the Stags Leap District AVA
Stags Leap District, designated 1989, was the first Napa Valley sub-AVA established on the basis of distinctive soils and microclimate rather than a pre-existing geographic name. The AVA sits along the eastern side of the Napa Valley floor, north of the town of Napa, where the volcanic palisades to the east radiate heat back onto the vineyards during the day while afternoon breezes from San Pablo Bay cool things off in the evening.
Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon is widely characterized as softer and more perfumed than the more tannic mountain Cabernets from Howell Mountain or Diamond Mountain District. The 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting placed a 1973 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars S.L.V. Cabernet at the top of its category, marking the start of California's modern fine-wine reputation and effectively putting the district on the world map a decade before it was formally designated.
Nearby AVAs
Other American Viticultural Areas closest to Stags Leap District — useful when a vineyard sits inside more than one AVA at once.