Both Mount Veeder Winery and the rugged appellation take their names from an ancient volcano—a nearly 2,700 foot peak that crowns the southeast section of the Mayacamas Range, running between Napa and Sonoma. The Mount Veeder appellation encompasses 25 square miles of some of the steepest vineyards in California. Winemaking in the region dates back to the 1860s and by the late 1800s, the mountain hosted at least 20 vineyards and six wineries. Pioneers who cultivated vineyards on Mount Veeder knew there was something special about wines from these steep slopes. Winemakers across the Napa Valley began to recognize that grapes from Mount Veeder and other mountain appellations had an intensity and depth unlike grapes from the valley floor. Powerful and distinct, mountain grapes challenged the winemaker to tame their rugged tannins and reveal a deeper character. Mountain grapes soon became the backbone of many of Napa Valley’s best wines because of their structure and concentrated flavors. Today, mountain wines are in a class by themselves. In flavor and texture, the profile of a mountain wine is different. It is more difficult to produce; rare and limited in supply, but undeniably captivating, charismatic and long-lived. The concentrated fruit coupled with care and attention during winemaking results in wines that are powerful, bold, brambly, reflecting the rugged beauty of the mountain.
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