THE PEAKS AROUND US
The secret
GEM of the Napa Valley Diamond Mountain produces inimitable wines 14 | DISTINCTIVE PROPERTIES
L AY N E R A N D O L P H
There’s so much history in the hills and valleys of the illustrious Napa Valley region. A large part of that history involves the earliest pioneers, those who came for the Gold Rush, and those who relocated themselves from other countries to pursue their craft, namely, growing wine grapes. Imagine seeing what we now know as Diamond Mountain for the first time, sparkling in the sunshine, full of promise and allure. While the sparkles were not actual diamonds, the eventual product would be almost as valuable and rare. Diamond Mountain is known for being home to some of the most exquisite wines in the world, and it is itself considered a secret gem. The “diamonds” on Diamond Mountain were pieces of reflective volcanic glass from the ancient volcanic soils of the area. These soils are well-drained, porous, and infertile
— the perfect combination to produce small, concentrated berries with thick skins. As a result, Diamond Mountain District’s inky, complex wines are known for their distinctively earthy, almost-chocolate flavors and rich, opulent tannins. The area, now known as Diamond Mountain District, has been home to vineyards and wineries for over a century. In the 1860s, German immigrant Jacob Schram planted his first vines, eventually totaling 100 acres of vineyards by 1892. Schram founded Schramsberg Vineyard before Phylloxera and Prohibition forced him, like so many others, to shut his doors in the early 1900s. The Schramsberg property was essentially a ghost winery for the next 50 years until the Davies family purchased it and brought the parcel back to life in 1965 with Davies Vineyards. JUNE 2021
