Wine Regions Highlighted on Your Tour
An American Viticultural Area (AVA) - or appellation - is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States. AVAs exist to provide geographic pedigrees of wines, as wines from a particular area can possess distinctive characteristics as a result of the specific appellation's terroir (a French term used to describe the environmental factors that affect a crop's unique traits).
On the Wine on the Napa River tours, you'll experience the famed region's terroir by water, and then revisit that terroir in your glass!
The tours start in Napa Valley section of the Los Carneros AVA, known for its geographic proximity to the cool fog and breezes of San Pablo Bay. The area lends itself to the cultivation of wine varietals like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that thrive in cool temperatures. Notably, the Los Carneros appellation is known for its sparkling wine production.
In addition to Los Carneros, the tours highlight several other appellations that are visible in the nearby mountains and hillsides from the boat. These regions are hotter by nature and provide an ideal climate for cabernet sauvignon grapes that are powerful in structure. These appellations include Atlas Peak, Mt. Veeder and Coombsville.
Certain ‘Wine on the Napa River’ tours include an optional splash of wine from these appellations during your trip. So join us as we make a splash in more ways than one!
Los Carneros
Known for its geographic proximity to the cool fog and breezes of San Pablo Bay. The area lends itself to the cultivation of wine varietals like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that thrive in cool temperatures. Notably, the Los Carneros appellation is known for its sparkling wine production.
Coombsville
Located just east of the City of Napa, the Coombsville AVA rises from near sea level to the foothills of the Vaca mountains, where its vineyards are planted in
soil containing abundant rock and gravel, but are layered with deposits of volcanic ash.
Atlas Peak
Located on the western front of the Vaca mountains on Napa Valley's East side, vineyards in the Atlas Peak AVA are also planted on sloping vineyards of porous, volcanic soil.