WSP 281 — Wine and Geology in Napa Valley: A Weekend Exploration
Spring
Sat/Sun
Date(s)
Apr 23—Apr 24
2 days
Drop By
Apr 9
1 Units
Fees
$495
Format
Off-campus course ex
Limit 30
Closed
Soil is only the top layer of what winemakers call terroir. Millions of years of geologic upheavals have contributed to the unique properties of each wine region of the world. In this unique hands-on exploration of the relationship of geology and wine, we will spend a weekend in Napa Valley exploring the connection between wines and their terroir—the complete natural environment in which a wine is produced. We will see for ourselves how the geologic history of the land—along with the grapes, their viticulture, the climate, and the winemaker’s skills—is crucial to
the characteristics of wines.
Though geology and terroir will be a focus of the workshop, no previous knowledge of either is necessary to understand the stories of deep-sea sediments, volcanic eruptions, uplifted mountains, earthquake faulting, gigantic mega-landslides, and torrential flooding—all active players in the making of the modern Napa Valley. Participants will explore a cross-section of the Oakville American Viticultural Appellation (AVA), located in the heart of Napa Valley, including four private tastings to see how the earth and the wine compare and contrast from place to place. In essence, we will bring the geology to the wine and the wine to the geology.
Tentative Schedule:
April 23:
Meet in the Groth parking lot (750 Oakville Cross Rd., Oakville, CA 94562) at 10:00 am, carpooling from there.
Stop 1: Oakville Ranch (owner Jennifer Rue, vineyard manager Phil Coturri)
Stop 2: Rudd (winemaker Frederick Ammons, vineyard manager Macy Stubstad)
Stop 3: Groth (Lunch) (owner Suzanne Groth)
Stop 4: Swanson Vineyard
Stop 5: Opus One (winemaker Michael Silacci)
April 24:
Meet in the Mondavi parking lot at 9:00 am, and carpool from there.
Stop 1: Nickel and Nickel Sullenger vineyard (Aaron Fishleder, vineyard consultant)
Stop 2: Paradigm (owner Ren Harris)
Stop 3: Mondavi (Lunch); To-Kalon vineyard (Mondavi education specialist)
Stop 4: Macdonald vineyard-Apex of To-Kalon fan (Graeme Macdonald, owner)
Stop 5: Harlan Estate (Cory Empting, winemaker; Mary Maher, vineyard manager)
Though geology and terroir will be a focus of the workshop, no previous knowledge of either is necessary to understand the stories of deep-sea sediments, volcanic eruptions, uplifted mountains, earthquake faulting, gigantic mega-landslides, and torrential flooding—all active players in the making of the modern Napa Valley. Participants will explore a cross-section of the Oakville American Viticultural Appellation (AVA), located in the heart of Napa Valley, including four private tastings to see how the earth and the wine compare and contrast from place to place. In essence, we will bring the geology to the wine and the wine to the geology.
Tentative Schedule:
April 23:
Meet in the Groth parking lot (750 Oakville Cross Rd., Oakville, CA 94562) at 10:00 am, carpooling from there.
Stop 1: Oakville Ranch (owner Jennifer Rue, vineyard manager Phil Coturri)
Stop 2: Rudd (winemaker Frederick Ammons, vineyard manager Macy Stubstad)
Stop 3: Groth (Lunch) (owner Suzanne Groth)
Stop 4: Swanson Vineyard
Stop 5: Opus One (winemaker Michael Silacci)
April 24:
Meet in the Mondavi parking lot at 9:00 am, and carpool from there.
Stop 1: Nickel and Nickel Sullenger vineyard (Aaron Fishleder, vineyard consultant)
Stop 2: Paradigm (owner Ren Harris)
Stop 3: Mondavi (Lunch); To-Kalon vineyard (Mondavi education specialist)
Stop 4: Macdonald vineyard-Apex of To-Kalon fan (Graeme Macdonald, owner)
Stop 5: Harlan Estate (Cory Empting, winemaker; Mary Maher, vineyard manager)
The workshop will start promptly at 9:30 am on Saturday,
April 23 at the Groth Winery. Participants will drive from
there to locations around the eastern half of the Oakville
AVA. We will end at dusk back at Groth. The next morning
we will meet at 9:00 am in the Mondavi Winery parking
lot and continue from there to locations around the
western half of the Oakville AVA. The workshop will
conclude at 4:00 pm on April 24.
A boxed lunch will be provided on both days. Participants
must provide their own breakfast, dinner, and lodging.
Tuition discounts are not available.
This workshop may not be taken for a Letter Grade.
David G. Howell, Former Research Geologist
David Howell is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Geological Society of America. For thirty years, he was a research geologist with the US Geological Survey. Howell has been working with Napa Valley vintners for more than twenty-five years and is the co-author of The Winemaker’s Dance: Exploring Terroir in the Napa Valley. After retiring from the US Geological Survey, Howell was an adjunct professor in Stanford’s School of Earth Science from 2005 to 2009. He received a PhD from UC Santa Barbara and has authored more than 150 scientific articles.Textbooks for this course:
(Recommended) Jonathan Swinchatt and David G. Howell, The Winemaker's Dance: Exploring Terroir in the Napa Valley (ISBN 0-520-23513-4)