Napa Valley is a strange and wonderful place, perhaps in equal parts. In an area about 1/8 of the size of Bordeaux, we are able to grow a great number of different grape varieties with remarkable success. For the wonderful array of Napa Valley wines we enjoy today, we owe our thanks to Mother Nature and some rather impressive mood swings on her part.

It appears we have a history of violence, geologically speaking. Over the last 10 million years, massive collisions of the earth's crust created our mountains and valleys. Repeated volcanic eruptions spewed forth rock, lava and ash, and created some of the small knolls you see as you drive through the valley. Changing sea levels sent flood waters washing in and out of the valley like the waves of the sea, depositing layers and layers of sedimentary clay and sand of vastly different ages. These major events, in conjunction with many minor ones, worked together to create an area of unsurpassed beauty and diversity.

What it all adds up to, is that 33 different soil profiles, representing half of the soil orders that exist on the planet can be readily found in the Napa Valley¹. It's important to note that all of this exists in an area that produces about 4% of California's wine². Extensive soil diversity can also be found within individual sub-appellations, such as the Spring Mountain District, an area that encompasses only 8,600 acres and contains 22 different soils series. What this means, is that viticulturists shouldn't assume that a vineyard site, even a small one, will be uniform in soil type. Our own 9.5 acre vineyard at Goosecross is divided into 12 different sections according to variety, clone³ of the variety, rootstock hybrid⁴ and vine spacing-mainly due to variations in the soil.

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