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Moon Mountain District is an AVA within Sonoma Valley, just north of the city of Sonoma. This mountainous viticultural area on the very eastern edge of Sonoma County is warmer than the Sonoma Valley floor, and produces rich, intensely-flavored wines from Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

The AVA covers around 7100 hectares (17,500 acres) of land along the western slopes of the Mayacamas mountains between Sugarloaf Ridge and Carneros, with the Napa Valley's Mount Veeder AVA covering the eastern slopes. It is named for Moon Mountain Road, which runs through the area – itself a reference to Sonoma, which means 'valley of the moon' in the local Native American dialect. Vineyards are well-established throughout the mountainous area, covering around 600ha (1500 acres) of hills and ridges.

Moon Mountain's volcanic origins gave the area's winemakers cause to seek out a separate AVA title, which was given in 2013. The region's iron-rich volcanic soils are quite distinct from the sedimentary soils of the surrounding area. These red, rocky soils are thin and well-drained, which stresses the vines and leads to lower yields and less leafy canopy growth, resulting in small, highly concentrated berries. Louis M. Martini's famed Monte Rosso vineyard, a 120-year-old vineyard within the appellation, is named for these red soils.

The AVA is one of the warmer parts of Sonoma County due to its inland position. Winds from both the Pacific Ocean and San Pablo Bay in the south bring cooling maritime influences to the vineyards, but by the time the winds have travelled across the valley floor they have warmed considerably. Most of the region's vineyards face west, subjecting them to stronger afternoon sunlight, and the higher elevations here – up to 2200ft (670m) above sea level – put the vineyards above the influence of the famous Sonoma fog.

The warmer climate here means that the vineyards of Moon Mountain District have a longer growing season than other parts of Sonoma Valley, with earlier budburst in the spring and a longer hang time for the grapes in fall. Cold air tends to drain off the hillside vineyards into the valley, reducing the risk of damaging frosts and allowing for a long, slow maturation period. As a result, Moon Mountain District grapes have a good balance of sugars and acidity, leading to well-balanced wines.

There are several wineries based in the area, including Hanzell Vineyards and Moon Mountain Vineyard. However, as the AVA is so young, there are only a few wines labeled as Moon Mountain District.

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