There are 6-8 different soil types across our 17 acres ranging from Sonoma volcanics to Franciscan sandstone.
The cool ocean breezes blowing in from Sonoma County in combination with the dry heat from the Napa Valley contribute to our unique fruit structure.
7000 vines are planted over 15 arces including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and, Cabernet Franc varietals.
As an estate winery, our wines are made exclusively with the fruit we have grown ourselves. This is the only way we can assure the time and care required to grow the best fruit.
In the last half of the 19th century, the property we call home was in fact farmed as a vineyard. Left to return to its natural forest state, it was this raw land that was the birth of Paloma and a journey to grow the best grapes possible and make a wine that reflects the terroir of Spring Mountain and Napa.
Located five miles northwest of St. Helena, Paloma is a small estate compared to other big names of Spring Mountain District. Perched atop a ridge between Bald Mountain to the south and Diamond Mountain to the north, the vineyard is off-the-beaten-track so to speak.
The topography of this area has its own weather patterns. It’s the coolest, wettest place in the Napa Valley. Springs appear everywhere after a good rain, hence the area’s name. The combination of the summer heat and low pressure from the cool coastal air lengthens the growing season into late fall. The prolonged hang time – several weeks longer than warmer Napa Valley floor – add resonance and concentration to the resulting small clusters.
Our vines are planted on mostly steep, largely east-facing hillsides and the soils are derived from the Sonoma volcanics and Franciscan sandstone. Weak soils, which are the norm at these elevations, stress the grapes, forcing them to stay small, with a higher skin-to-grape ratio. As a result, mountain wines tend to be more concentrated and intense. This intensity is softened by the more gradual temperature fluctuations. The wine these grapes produce is bright and bold but with a surprising softness and elegance on the palate.
In our mountain vineyard, we pick grapes by taste. In contrast to the valley floor where fruit ripens more evenly, our topography greatly effects the ripening of our grapes. With 6-8 different soil types, small blocks reach optimal ripeness at different times and fruit is hand harvested individually across several weeks. We make the blending decisions the same way just as Jim and Barbara did.
Visitors can taste Paloma’s wines by appointment on the winery’s beautiful deck that has one of the absolutely finest views in the entire Napa Valley.