Napa Valley Appellation Fast Facts

The Napa Valley Appellation & Land Use

• Although the most renowned in the United States, the Napa Valley AVA is also one of the smallest yet most diverse winegrowing regions in the world. o Only 4% of ’s winegrapes come from Napa Valley. o Only 9% of Napa County (485,000 acres) is planted to or about 45,000 acres under cultivation. o The Napa Valley has a Mediterranean climate , which covers only 2% of the Earth’s surface , and is ideal for growing grapes. o Napa Valley contains 33 soil series with more than 100 soil variations , and half of the soil orders that exist within the world can be found in the Napa Valley. o Its elevations range from sea level to 2,600 feet above sea level. o Its varying topography includes flat valley floor; low, sloping alluvial fans; narrow, linear valleys; steep mountain slopes and ridges; and high plateaus. o There are currently 16 approved AVAs within the Napa Valley AVA. • The Napa Valley Ag Preserve, established in 1968, was the first of its kind in the United States to set land aside specifically for agriculture and today protects roughly 38,000 acres of valley floor land • Nearly 47,000 acres of land are enrolled in Napa Green Certified Land , a signature land and environmental certification program; more than 26,000 acres have been certified. • More than 53,000 acres are in permanent Conservation Easements or about 10 percent of Napa County.

Economic Impact

• The Napa Valley wine industry creates an economic impact of nearly $11 billion annually to the Napa County economy. • The region is responsible for nearly 30% of the economic impact of California’s wine on the California economy. • It also represents nearly 34% of the industry’s impact on the US economy – a mighty $42.4 billion . • The Napa Valley wine industry generates 40,000 jobs in Napa County , and 231,000 nationwide

Wineries/Growers/NVV Members

• There are approximately 625 growers in Napa County. • There are approximately 325 facilities in Napa County – many of which house multiple brands, representing roughly 400 • The NVV has 428 members • Of NVV Members, 92% produce 10,000 or fewer cases annually; and nearly 64% produce 5,000 or fewer cases annually. • 95% of Napa Valley’s wineries are family owned.

Charitable Giving

• Over its 30-year history, the NVV has given $100 million to Nap County healthcare, affordable housing and youth service non-profits through its annual community fundraiser: Auction Napa Valley, the American Wine Classic –

Want to learn more about the Napa Valley AVA? Visit www.napavintners.com

Consider sharing some of these fast facts when marketing your summertime , or talking about the America’s Cup this summer.

Summertime Growing Season

• The long growing season is marked by warm summer days and cool evenings – ideal for wine grapes to ripen slowly and evenly, with great balance between sugar and acid development. • Lack of summer rainfall helps to contribute to consistency of and reduces the risk of diseases. • During the summer growing season, conditions exist for creating a recurring pattern of marine fog from the Pacific Ocean. • As hot air in California’s interior valley rises, it creates a vacuum effect which draws in moist, cool air from the Pacific Ocean, forming fog. This pattern repeats most days during the warmer months of the year. • Fog is more prevalent in the southern reaches of the Napa Valley where it comes up from the San Pablo Bay. • In the upper valley, fog enters through the Chalk Hill Gap in the Mayacamas Mountains. • Except on rare days, summer fog will burn-off by mid-morning in all areas of the valley. • Typically, the fog has a greater impact on the valley floor – often the hillsides are not reached by the fog. • Daytime temperatures can also vary dramatically throughout the AVA during the growing season. • The southern part of the valley, particularly Los Carneros AVA, is closer to San Pablo Bay and is cooled by marine breezes. • In summer, there can be as much as a 10-15°F diffe rence between Carneros and St. Helena, to the north. • On many days, due to the cooling effect of the fog, there is a large diurnal (day to night) temperature swing throughout the valley.

White Wines of Napa Valley:

• In 2011, there were 10,292 bearing acres of grapes, and the was 32,037 tons. • The total percentage of white wine grapes harvested in 2011 was 16.3% of the total ; of that accounted for 11.19%, 3.66% and all other white wine grapes 1.47%. • Among the white wine harvested in Napa Valley were: Albarino, Chardonnay, , Gewurztraminer, , Muscat Blanc, , /Grigio, , Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Musque, Semillon, , White , and many others.

America’s Cup:

• The America’s Cup is the oldest active trophy in international sport, predating The Ashes and Modern Olympics by decades. • The America’s Cup was named after the schooner America which beat a fleet of British yachts in a race around the Isle of Wight in 1851. • The America's Cup has been held in six global locations. In 2013, the race will be hosted in San Francisco, California. • The AC45 catamarans can sail up to three times the speed of wind. • 2012 America’s Cups World Series Races o June 23- July 1, 2012 Newport, Rhode Island, America’s Cup World Series o August 18 – 26, 2012 San Francisco, America's Cup World Series o October 4-7, 2012 San Francisco, America's Cup World Series • 2013 America’s Cups World Series Races o July - September 2013 (dates TBD)