St. Helena, Napa Valley, summer 2023 — For the ninth year, Appellation St. Helena (the marketing organization for grape growers and wineries located in the St. Helena growing region) has awarded scholarships to Jennifer Herrera and Emiliano Maldonado, St. Helena High School graduates planning to study viticulture and ag business at college.
Jennifer and Emiliano received the Appellation St. Helena scholarships at the Senior Awards Ceremony on June 1. “ASH supports our local viticulture and winemaking endeavors and we’re especially happy to give assistance to young people who are looking at these vocations for their careers,” explains Katie Simpson, Appellation St. Helena’s President. “The tech world here in California can be very enticing, so if someone is interested in agriculture we are especially thrilled to help,” she adds.
In October, students submit the St. Helena High School Local Scholarship application, and those applications are reviewed in May by the SHHS Teacher Scholarship Committee and a committee of Appellation St. Helena members, who look for students who best represent the mission of the scholarship.
In October, students submit the St. Helena High School Local Scholarship application, and those applications are reviewed in May by the SHHS Teacher Scholarship Committee and a committee of Appellation St. Helena members, who look for students who best represent the mission of the scholarship.
Jennifer Herrera will be attending Santa Rosa Junior College and plans to major in viticulture. The daughter of Gualberto Herrera Sanchez and Maria Eva Herrera, she grew up in Deer Park and during her high school years was active in FFA and worked at The Haven Thrift and for Jericho Canyon Winery. Her other awards were the California Seal of Biliteracy, CTE Pathway Completion Cord, Floral Design, CTE Pathway Completion Cord, Ornamental Horticulture, Cummings Family Scholarship, Golden State Seal Merit Diploma, National Honor Society and the Rotary Bob Fellion FFA Scholarship.
Emiliano Maldonado will be attending Fresno State University and plans to major in ag business. The son of Hugo Maldonado and Lidia Maldonado, he grew up in St. Helena. During high school he was active in FFA, specializing in raising goats, which he did for four years, as well as working in the school pumpkin patch and doing vineyard work. His other awards are the CTE Pathway Completion Cord, Ag Mechanics, CTE Pathway Completion Cord, Food Service & Hospitality, Dr. George & Elsie M. Wood Spirit Award, SHHS FFA Sash.
St. Helena has the distinction of being the birthplace of Napa Valley’s commercial wine industry with Dr. Crane’s cellar founded in 1859, David Fulton’s in 1860 and Charles Krug’s in 1861. The St. Helena American Viticultural Area, or appellation, was officially approved in 1995, its boundaries defined by Zinfandel Lane to the south, Bale Lane to the north, the intersection of Howell Mountain and Conn Valley Road to the east and the 400 foot elevation line of the Mayacamas Mountain range to the west.
In 2004, the vintners who had worked together to get the AVA approved established a group to promote the growing region, today called Appellation St. Helena. The group focuses on promoting the quality of grapes grown and wines produced in the St. Helena AVA and every year organizes a Wine Tasting & Food Pairing Competition, BASH. In 2024 BASH will take place in April at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena. More info: https://appellationsthelena.com/events
Appellation St. Helena is comprised of roughly 12,000 acres, of which approximately 6,800 are planted to grapes, more than any other AVA in the Napa Valley. More than 400 different vineyards are located within the appellation. The boundaries form an hourglass shape, and the middle section represents the narrowest width in the Napa Valley, where the Mayacamas and Vaca Mountain ranges nearly meet. The AVA is a mosaic of alluvial fans and 21 different soil types. The soils here are created from centuries of erosion of run-off from mountain hillsides and the Napa River and its ancient tributaries.
Grape growing in the St. Helena appellation dates to the Mexican land grants in the 1840s when General Vallejo gave Edward Bale a wedding gift of property. Bale and his bride planted vineyard on their property. By 1880, over 100 people were making wine in St. Helena. While many types of grapes excel in St. Helena, the most frequently cultivated are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel, and Sauvignon Blanc.
Appellation St. Helena’s Board of Directors consists of Katie Simpson, President; Eric Risch, Vice President; Seth Goldfarb, Secretary; Mike Spiegel, CFO and at-large members Lesley Russell, Myriah Mutrux, Jack Pagendarm, Dave Yewell, Torey Battuello, Paige Cole, Julia Jinks and Sylvia Taplin.
