Carneros Climate

The climate and soils are what distinguish Carneros from the other Napa Valley wine appellations. Its close proximity to San Pablo Bay (40 miles north of San Francisco) produces colder weather than Napa and Sonoma proper and allows for a longer growing season. This is a Maritime climate that stays temperate throughout the year without any drastic variation. The morning fog and afternoon breezes off San Pablo Bay cool the region, while the Napa and Sonoma valleys heat up. As these valleys heat up, the air drawn inland over Carneros dries the vines of the moist morning fog, inhibiting mildew and mold formation on the leaves. As night falls, the fog rolls in protecting the vines from potential morning sun. Depending upon the season, this cycle repeats daily with little variation.

Carneros Soils

We feel that the uniquness of our soils in the Fotinos Brothers Vineyards set us apart from the other vineyards in the Carneros Appellation. Our soils are predominately low to moderately fertile, dense, shallow clay, composed of sediment from the San Pablo Bay marsh. The two most prevalent soils here are the "Haire" and the "Diablo" series. The Haire is yellow-brown in color and laced with sea shells and remnants of marine organisms and salt marsh vegitation which is rich in calium.Comparatively, the Diablo is mostly black, fossil free and more acidic. Both types have a high clay content, and form a shallow layer on the hard clay pan. This clay provides high water retention for the entire growing season.These top soils discourage vine vigor, and naturally limit yields by providing just enough water and nutrients to maintain growth without over development. Wine makers with a long history in Carneros like the legendary Jim St. Clair are very choosy about their vineyard sites, and prefer ones where old stream beds have left sedimentary loam or surface rock like our Fotinos Brothers Vineyards. The grapevines planted here will not be as robust as those planted in the mid-valley. Therefore, the vines will struggle to produce fruit. This struggle builds what every wine maker desires,character. Combined with a long growing season, you gain a low yield of highly concentrated fruit, with a naturally high acidity and relatively low sugar. The result in our case, at Fotinos Brothers Winery, is a Pinot Noir that is balanced, rich in flavor and has its own unique terroir. Just a quick side note, Jim St. Clair, a sixth generation farmer and pioneer grower/wine maker in the Carneros Appellation really re-veered  the Fotinos Brothers Vineyards and was a big influence on Tom Fotinos, tutoring him in the art of viticulture and wine making until his passing.