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Oakville AVA (established 1993) covers about 5,000 acres of which some 2,000 are planted, largely to Cabernet Sauvignon. Land here defines the top of the reported Napa range; To Kalon and the eastern benchland are the reference sites.
The essentials
Economics in brief
Oakville AVA (established 1993) covers about 5,000 acres of which some 2,000 are planted, largely to Cabernet Sauvignon. Land here defines the top of the reported Napa range; To Kalon and the eastern benchland are the reference sites.
Key facts
Planted area
≈ 2,000 acresOakville Winegrowers
AVA established
1993
The numbers, for the curious
All regions →| Input | Low | Mid | High | Unit | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barrel aging, cult Cabernet2024 | 18 | 21 | 24 | months | Estate technical notes |
| New French oak barrel (225 l)2025 | 1,000 | 1,250 | 1,500 | USD/barrel | Cooperage price lists and trade report… |
| Mobile or in-house bottling2025 | 0 | 1 | 1 | USD/bottle | Mobile bottling line quotes |
| Vineyard establishment (years 1–3, excluding land)2020 | 45,000 | 52,500 | 60,000 | USD/acre | UC Davis / UC Cooperative Extension |
| Winery construction2024 | 5,000,000 | 17,500,000 | 30,000,000 | USD | Trade reporting on Napa winery project… |
| Distributor + retailer margin (three-tier)2024 | 60 | 80 | 100 | % on winery price | Distributor ≈ 25–30% |
| All varieties, District 4 (Napa) weighted average2024 | 6,939 | 6,939 | 6,939 | USD/ton | California Grape Crush Report 2024 |
| Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, Napa County average2024 | 8,700 | 9,146 | 9,146 | USD/ton | Napa County Agricultural Crop Report 2… |
| Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, Napa County, 2025 crush2025 | 8,864 | 8,933 | 9,002 | USD/ton | California Grape Crush Report 2025 |
| Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, per kilogram2024 | 10 | 10 | 10 | USD/kg | Corkonomics estimate from the inputs o… |
| Farming cost, premium/cult estate2024 | 12,000 | 18,500 | 25,000 | USD/acre/year | Estate interviews reported in the trad… |
| Hand harvest2024 | 1,500 | 2,250 | 3,000 | USD/acre | UC Davis / UC Cooperative Extension |
Where the inputs come from
- Estate technical notes (Harlan, Screaming Eagle, Dominus)
- Cooperage price lists and trade reporting (Wine Industry Network, Wines & Vines), 2024–2025
- Mobile bottling line quotes
- UC Davis / UC Cooperative Extension, Sample Costs to Establish a Vineyard and Produce Winegrapes, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa County (2020)
- Trade reporting on Napa winery projects; permitting is the constraint
- Distributor ≈ 25–30%, retailer ≈ 30–50% on their cost
- California Grape Crush Report 2024 (CDFA / USDA NASS)
- Napa County Agricultural Crop Report 2024
- California Grape Crush Report 2025, preliminary (CDFA / USDA NASS, March 2026)
- Corkonomics estimate from the inputs on this page
- Estate interviews reported in the trade press; organic, high-density, multiple passes
Producers
ProducerHarlan EstateBill Harlan's 240-acre hillside above Oakville, founded in 1984 with a first vintage in 1990, producing about…
ProducerOpus OneThe 1979 Mondavi–Rothschild joint venture: about 170 acres in Oakville including To Kalon parcels, roughly…
ProducerScreaming EagleNapa's scarcity benchmark: an Oakville estate founded in 1992, about 500–600 cases of Cabernet a year sold by…Famous wines
All famous wines →Harlan Estate, Napa Valley proprietary redNapa ValleyOpus One, Napa ValleyNapa ValleyScreaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon, OakvilleNapa Valley
The regionNapa ValleyCalifornia's home of rich, ripe Cabernet Sauvignon.About the regionSources
- Oakville AVA, Oakville Winegrowers, 2025. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
Last reviewed: September 2026Report an error on this page