Discover Coombsville Grand Tasting Event
Wines at the Coombsville Grand Tasting Event
This was a wonderful tasting with over 30 wineries pouring. The first question though might be where is Coombsville? It is an AVA located in the southern hills of Napa Valley on the east side of the valley floor. The next question might be what is an AVA?
The Napa Valley is itself an AVA which is an American Viticultural Area. It was the first AVA designated in California in 1981. There are 16 AVAs officially designated within the Napa Valley AVA, and they are denoted as nested-appellations. These AVAs have distinct microclimates and different terrains that impact the flavor profiles of the grapes grown within them. They are officially designated by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, better recognized as the TTB. The TTB reviews petitions for proposed regions that feature unique geographic, climatic, and soil characteristics that distinguish them from surrounding areas. There are 12 globally recognized soil orders, and Napa Valley is home to half of them, including more than 100 soil variations. With mountains surrounding the valley, the bay breezes from the south, and the proximity to the ocean to the west – is it any wonder that Napa Valley has so many distinct wine regions?
So what is the Coombsville Grand Tasting Event? It took place at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa and was the 7th Annual event for this AVA. There were over thirty wineries pouring that day. The cost was $150 per person, and the event spanned over three hours. Snacks were a part of the tasting event. This is a wonderful event to enjoy wineries you are familiar with and the opportunity to experience new wineries as well. The event is a robust experience of wonderful wines and an opportunity to meet some of the winemakers. I have tasted over a third of the wines in the past and thoroughly enjoyed getting to experience some new wines.
What distinguishes the Coombsville AVA itself are the cool, marine winds from the San Pablo Bay. The high temperatures of the area rarely exceed 80 degrees. The elevation runs from sea level to 700 feet, and there is a known presence of volcanic soils. The key grape varieties that are grown in the AVA are Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Chardonnay. As you can see from that line-up, you would enjoy a diverse set of wines.
In the past, I have written about the Taste of Howell Mountain. That is held every June and enjoys the presence of over 50 wineries from Howell Mountain along with an auction. You can read about it here.
What is taking place next is the Taste of Mount Veeder. It takes place on Saturday, August 8th at Charles Krug Winery in St. Helena from 12 – 3pm. It is an opportunity to taste over 60+ wines from Mount Veeder. The cost now is $195, and you can visit MtVeederWines.com to purchase tickets. It is an opportunity to enjoy and discover new wines!
Enjoy!
