Manton Valley - Wine Region of the Day
/MANTON VALLEY
Photo of the Manton Valley by David Toomey for Qorkz
Manton Valley received its designation as an AVA in 2014. Situated on 9,800 acres, Manton Valley is located in Tehama and Shasta Counties in Northern California. The region is known for its distinctive red volcanic soils, which are mostly a gravelly loam. The terrain is mostly foothills with growing elevations between 2,000 and 3,000 feet. The Manton Valley is washed in daily sunlight and is dry and arid during the day. The nearby mountains provide a cooling effect on the region, lowering the nightly temperature and creating a large diurnal swing. This diurnal swing allows the grapes to stay on the vine longer and develop a balanced acidity and tannin structure. The region is known for its production of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Gewurztraminer, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
While the designation as a viticultural area is new in Manton Valley, winemaking is not. Leland Stanford, the dude that founded the university in Palo Alto owned a winery in the 1880s called Vina Ranch. At the time it was the largest winery in the world. It was left to Stanford University.