Spring Mountain District Association was started with the purpose of promoting Spring Mountain District Appellation by engaging the broad community of member vineyards and wineries, while working within the resources available. The Association is committed to promoting the unique attributes and wines of the Spring Mountain District and to be an integral part of the fabric of the community on Spring Mountain and in the Napa Valley.
Spring Mountain District - above the Napa Valley - is a place of individuals, more often than not, of couples, of families, with passion, dreams and a whole lot of energy.
Spring Mountain, officially established as an AVA (American Viticulture Area) in 1993, was described 25 years ago by a prominent wine writer as "probably more responsible than any other Napa hillside for creating the mystique of 'mountain grapes'."
The rugged hillside AVA of Spring Mountain perched on the west side of the Napa Valley was one of the first vineyard areas to be planted by the early settlers in the 1800s. Named for its many natural springs, it is endowed with forests and meadows of great natural beauty amid charming reminders of the historic past. The name Spring Mountain has been used in a regional context and does not refer to the name of a peak or prominent point. The area has numerous springs, and is drained by several small streams. The appellation lies above the town of St. Helena on the eastern slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains that separate Napa Valley from Sonoma Valley and the Santa Rosa Plain. Encompassed within its bounds are about 8,600 acres, of which about 1,000 are planted to vineyards. This mountain appellation is defined by vineyards that range from small to smaller, often hand-tilled on terraces and sloping meadows, and wineries hidden from view among dark forests and steep winding roads.
The mountain landscape presents numerous challenges for today's viticulturist. Establishing vines in the lean soils, obtaining and distributing water in the dry growing season, and preventing erosion are constant concerns. Weather patterns, strongly influenced by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the San Francisco Bay to the south, tend to intensify the harshness of winter storms and moderate summer heat. Spring Mountain's good vineyard parcels are naturally small and widely distributed, always far from the conveniences on the valley floor. It is well known that grapevines that struggle at the edge of their habitable range for water, nutrients and sunlight develop fruit of more intense character and taste, and hence more memorable and long-lived wines. So this rugged mountain environment is in some sense ideal for creating great wine. It is the winemaker's charge to maintain that fine degree of nurturing that results in vines being stressed but not overstressed, by assuring them of just enough necessities to bring forth the finest fruit.
Perhaps as a result of the hillside's unique requirements and promise, the viticulturalists and winemakers here are an unusual group of individuals dedicated to tackling the challenges with strong ideals of integrity and faithfulness to the terroir. Spring Mountain properties require an attention to detail that eliminates the possibilities of mass production and corporate style winemaking. Many of our hands-on winemakers have been attracted here after successful careers in other fields, and a number of them might be characterized as stubborn individualists. They nevertheless agree on the potential of Spring Mountain wines, and are dedicated to making them some of Napa Valley's finest. Over the years, despite its limited space and remoteness, this appellation produces luscious and memorable wines acclaimed worldwide for the unmistakable intense flavor and delicate, balanced tannins that are now the signature of Spring Mountain wines.
Today Spring Mountain produces wines of outstanding power, quality and elegance.