St Helena

St Helena is an AVA (American Viticultural Area) in the northern Napa Valley and is notable because it was the wineries in this area that shaped the history of Californian wine production. This began in 1861, when a German immigrant named Charles Krug founded the first winery in the valley. Other Germans quickly followed, including the Beringers and the Schrams. Today more than 60 wineries work within this AVA.

St Helena has a warmer climate than more southern Napa Valley regions due to its greater protection from the western hills, which also means it gets less fog and little wind, though more rainfall. The valley floor narrows in this part of the region too, which provides more heat reflection off the hillsides.

Soils on the south and west borders are more sedimentary, gravel-clay, with lower fertility and moderate water retention, while those further north and to the east are prevalently volcanic, deeper and more fertile.

Cabernet Sauvignon and well-structured, blackberryish Zinfandel are a couple of the grapes that particularly thrive here. Others grown include Cabernet Franc and Merlot, which, with Cabernet Sauvignon, are characterised by deep, ripe often jammy flavours with firm tannins and appealing aromas of currant and black fruit, as well as Rhone varieties Syrah and Viognier, which in St Helena produce fleshy, supple and slightly earthy wines. Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc are widely planted on the valley floor.

If a bottle says St Helena, it means 85 per cent of the grapes must come from that AVA or a minimum of 75 per cent if the grape name is on the label.