Coombsville is an agricultural area located at the southeastern end of the Napa Valley’s famed grape-growing appellation. Since the middle of the 20th century, it has gained recognition for its suitability for slow-ripening Bordeaux

Bordeaux

Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...

 varietals such as cabernet sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...

.

Terrain and Climate

A geographic area shaped like a “cup and saucer,” Coombsville is characterized by gently hilly terrain formed millions of year ago by shifting masses of earth. Part of the proposed Tulocay American Viticultural Area or AVA

American Viticultural Area

An American Viticultural Area is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau , United States Department of the Treasury....

, Coombsville is distinguished from other parts of the Napa Valley by its slightly cooler climate and soil conditions, which are a mix of well-draining river rock and mineral-rich volcanic ash.

History to Present

The area takes its name from Nathan Coombs

Nathan Coombs

Nathan Coombs was a California pioneer and founder of the city of Napa, California.-Life:Nathan Coombs lived in Massachusetts and came overland to Oregon in 1842. Coombs came to California in 1843, first working for Steven Smith in Bodega Bay; and then for William Gordon at Rancho Quesesoni in...

 who purchased the land from Nicholas Higuera's Rancho Entre Napa

Rancho Entre Napa

Rancho Entre Napa was a Mexican land grant in present day Napa County, California given in 1836 by Governor Mariano Chico to Nicholas Higuera. The grant extended along the west bank of the Napa River from present day Napa south to Carneros Creek.-History:...

, an 1836 Mexican land grant

Ranchos of California

The Spanish, and later the Méxican government encouraged settlement of territory now known as California by the establishment of large land grants called ranchos, from which the English ranch is derived. Devoted to raising cattle and sheep, the owners of the ranchos attempted to pattern themselves...

. It was out this parcel that Coombs created the city of Napa

Napa, California

-History:The name Napa was probably derived from the name given to a southern Nappan village whose people shared the area with elk, deer, grizzlies and cougars for many centuries, according to Napa historian Kami Santiago. At the time of the first recorded exploration into Napa Valley in 1823, the...

 in 1847.

Located east of Napa, Coombsville’s agricultural orientation was initially focused on livestock

Livestock

Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...

 and subsistence farming as opposed to vineyard development. It was only in the mid-20th century that the region began to attract attention from grape growers and vintners, including John Caldwell.