Knights Valley Terrain (Back to overview)
The terrain of the Knights Valley AVA is made of heavily volcanic soils. The Russian River once ran through the Knights and Napa Valleys. Mount St Helena erupted millions of years ago and changed the river's course.
The Effect of Soil & Terrain on Knights Valley Grape Growing
This eruption had a massive impact on the geology of Knights Valley. Soils are a product of this volcanic activity as well as the passage of rivers through the region over time. They are shallow and are a combination of alluvial, gravel and volcanic ash and rock.
These soils are well suited for Bordeaux varietals and Cabernet Sauvignon is the most widely grown grape in the AVA. Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir and Mourvedre are grown to a lesser extent. Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay dominate the white varietals.
Beringer Vineyard owns approximately 2,000 acres of vines in Knights Valley. Beringer makes some interesting cuvees with grapes from the region that I find appealing. Their 2002 Alluvium Blanc is a very nice white Bordeaux blend.
There aren't any comments about Knights Valley yet.
Be the first to comment!