Stags Leap District AVA

For other uses of Stags Leap including the California wineries with similar names, see Stags Leap.

Stags Leap District is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County, California, directly east of the town of Yountville and approximately 7 miles (11.3 km) north of the county seat of Napa. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury on January 26, 1989 after reviewing the petition received in 1985 from the Stags Leap Appellation Committee for establishment of a viticultural area in Napa Valley, California, to be known as "Stags Leap."^[2][6]
According to the ruling, the ATF concluded that the soil (including the topsoil) is the primary geographical feature that distinguishes Stags Leap District from the surrounding areas. The Bale soil series predominates the region with clay loam sediments from the Napa River and volcanic soil deposits left over from erosion of the Vaca Mountains. Stags Leap District is a small sub-appellation, only about one by three miles (1.6 by 4.8 km), within the renown Napa Valley appellation and is particularly known for its Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah. As of 2025, Stags Leap District is resident to approximately twenty wineries.^[5][7]

Stags Leap District

Wine region
Napa Valley AVAs
Type	American Viticultural Area
Year established	1989[1]
Years of wine industry	153[2][3]
Country	United States
Part of	California, North Coast AVA, Napa County , Napa Valley AVA
Other regions in California, North Coast AVA, Napa County , Napa Valley AVA	Atlas Peak AVA, Calistoga AVA, Chiles Valley AVA, Crystal Springs of Napa Valley AVA, Diamond Mountain District AVA, Howell Mountain AVA, Los Carneros AVA, Mt. Veeder AVA, Coombsville AVA, Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley AVA, Oakville AVA, Rutherford AVA, Spring Mountain District AVA, St. Helena AVA, Wild Horse Valley AVA, Yountville AVA
Precipitation (annual average)	25 to 30 in (640–760 mm)[1]
Soil conditions	Bale, Kidd, Perkins, Millsholm and Boomer soil series[1]
Total area	2,550 acres (4 sq mi)[2][4]
Size of planted vineyards	1,250 acres (510 ha)[2]
Varietals produced	Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignane, Chardonnay, Grenache, Malbec, Merlot, Mourvedre/Mataro, Peloursin, Petit Verdot, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Syrah/Shiraz, Zinfandel[5]
No. of wineries	23[5]

History

The origin of the name "Stags Leap" is not well documented. Most common oral histories attribute it to a native Wappo legend of a stag leaping to escape hunters as another version refers to a large, majestic stag that eluded a generation of hunters, always leaping and escaping at the last moment.^[3] Grapes were planted in 1872, by Terrill L. Grigsby, on the family's 700-acre (1 sq mi) parcel where the current Stag's Leap estate resides. He built Occidental Winery, the area's first, in 1878.^[8] Nathan Fay planted the first Cabernet Sauvignon in the area in 1961, on land that would later be purchased by Warren Winiarski for Stag's Leap Wine Cellars.^[9] At the relatively unknown Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, celebrating the United States Bicentennial, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars' 1973 Cabernet vintage, grown and processed in the locale later given AVA status, ranked first in the red wine category besting wines from top-rated Bordeaux estates, and suddenly elevating California, especially Napa Valley, as a primer viticulture region.^[5]

• 
  Stags Leap vineyard
• 
  1976 Judgment of Paris '73 Cabernet vintage
• 
  Stag's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon

Winery Association

One of the leading influences in the region is the Stags Leap District Winery Association which promotes the viticultural area wines and hosts an annual day-long event called Vineyard to Vintner giving consumers the opportunity to interact with local wineries and wine tastings. The following wineries are members:^[10]

• Baldacci Family Vineyards
• Chimney Rock Winery
• Cliff Lede Vineyards
• Clos Du Val
• Malk Family Vineyards
• Ilsley Vineyards
• Pine Ridge Vineyards
• Regusci Winery
• Shafer Vineyards
• Silverado Vineyards
• Stags' Leap Winery
• Stag's Leap Wine Cellars
• Steltzner Vineyards
• Taylor Family Vineyards