KAMEN’S MOON RISES

KAMEN ESTATE AND NEIGHBORS, INCLUDING MONTE ROSSO, ANCHOR SONOMA'S MOON MOUNTAIN AVA

- JAMES MOLESWORTH

The Moon Mountain District, a recent addition to the roll of California wine country AVAS, is also one of the state's most distinct. Established by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau in late 2013, Moon Mountain District encompasses 17,663 acres of land on the western slope of the Mayacamas mountain range that runs the length of Sonoma Valley, from Lovall Valley in the south to Kenwood in the north.

Moon Mountain District has roughly 40 operating vineyards, with a combined total of 1,500 acres of vines, including the historic Monte Rosso Vineyard planted in the 1880s and now owned by E. & J. Gallo. There are 11 bonded wineries in the AVA, including Kamen, Repris and Hamel.

The AVA derives its uniqueness in large part from its soils-the Moon Mountain District is composed entirely of volcanic soil. Additionally, the AVA starts at approximately 400 feet elevation and reaches to 2,200-plus at the ridgeline separating Sonoma and Napa counties, markedly different from the rest of Sonoma Valley. Grapegrower Phil Coturri, whose Enterprise Vineyards currently farms more than 600 acres in Sonoma and Napa, all organically, was instrumental in getting the AVA designation.

"The point of the AVA is to elevate farming. You get name recognition for it and you can charge more for the fruit," says Coturri, who works with Kamen and Repris. "But that means you have to back it up qualitatively." Repris winemaker Erich Bradley notes that the new AVA designation has helped the area draw attention from prominent Napa winemakers, such as Andy Erickson and Tony Biagi.