Oakville Wineries - Napa Valley
American Viticultural Area

This print by artist Kerne Erickson depicts the Oakville AVA from the eastern slope of the Vaca Mountain range. This located within Napa Valley AVA and centered on the town of Oakville, California. The appellation extends over a flat expanse of well drained gravel soil between the Vaca and Mayacamas Mountains. Oakville AVA is known for its success with Bordeaux varietals, which have produced wines of rich texture, firm tannins, and notes of mint and herbs.
The soil of the Oakville AVA is the result of sedimentary deposits from the hills that form Napa Valley. The soil is gravelly and sandy, with exceptionally good drainage. The portion of the AVA between State Route 29 and the Silverado Trail is a mix of clay and well-drained sandy loam. Oakville AVA has a warm climate well-suited to wine grape production. Wind and fog arriving from San Pablo Bay can affect the morning and evening hours, but their effects are limited by the intervening Yountville Mounts. W. Crabb planted the first vineyard here in 1868, on 240 acres of land close to the Napa River that he named To Kalon, Greek for "most beautiful". By 1877, Crabb had planted 130 acres and was producing 50,000 gallons of wine per year. By 1880, his vineyard had increased to 430 acres. Today there are over 50 wineries in the Rutherford AVA.