September: California Wine Month • Second Part
Staff Writer - September 19, 2007

<< 1 • 2

With the growth of the California wine industry, distinctive wine regions have emerged and have been officially defined, allowing consumers to know the origin of the grapes used to produce specific wines.

The naming of the wine regions, which in the US are called American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), is managed by the TTB (Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau). Currently there are 107 AVAs in California, which are distinguished by their geographic, climatic and historic characteristics. In addition, counties or entire states, such as California itself, are considered appellations, as the AVAs are generically known.

California Wine Zones

As for the Italian denomination of origin (DOC, DOCG, IGT), or the French appellations, the US AVAs do not guarantee a superior qualuty of the product, but rather let the consumer know what kind of product to expect, based on the characteristics of the place where the grapes were grown. The AVA system can be seen as a guideline for wine lovers who want to taste the terroir, to say it with the French.

In California there are five main wine production areas, Northern California Coast, Central California Coast, Sacramento / San Joaquin Valleys and Sierra Foothills, Sierra Nevada, and Southern California, which include the majority of the states AVAs.

California Wine Regions, Counties and AVAs
WINE REGION COUNTY AVAs
Northern California Coast Lake County
  1. Benmore Valley
  2. Clear Lake
  3. Guenoc VAlley
  4. High VAlley
  5. North Coast
  6. Red Hills Lake County
Marin County
  1. North Coast
Mendocino County
  1. Anderson Valley
  2. Cole Ranch
  3. Covelo
  4. Dos Rios
  5. McDowell Valley
  6. Mendocino
  7. Mendocino Ridge
  8. North Coast
  9. Potter Valley
  10. Redwood Valley
  11. Yorkville Highlands
Napa County
  1. Atlas Peak
  2. Chiles Valley
  3. Diamond Mountain
  4. Howell Mountain
  5. Los Carneros
  6. Mount Veeder
  7. Napa Valley
  8. North Coast
  9. Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley
  10. Oakville
  11. Rutheford
  12. Saint Helena
  13. Spring Mountain District
  14. Stags Leap District
  15. Wild Horse Valley
  16. Yountville
Solano County
  1. North Coast
  2. Solano County Green Valley
  3. Suisun valley
  4. Wild Horse Valley
Sonoma County
  1. Alexander Valley
  2. Bennett Valley
  3. Chalk Hill
  4. Dry Creek Valley
  5. Knights Valley
  6. Los Carneros
  7. North Coast
  8. Northern Sonoma
  9. Rockpile
  10. Russian River Valley
  11. Sonoma Coast
  12. Green Valley of Russian River Valley
  13. Sonoma Mountain
  14. Sonoma Valley
Central California Coast Alameda County
  1. Central Coast
  2. Livermore Valley
  3. San Francisco BAy
Contra Costa County
  1. San Francisco Bay
Monterey Valley
  1. Arroyo Seco
  2. Carmel Valley
  3. Central Coast
  4. Chalone
  5. Hames Valley
  6. Monterey
  7. San Antonio
  8. San Bernabe
  9. San Lucas
  10. Santa Lucia Highlands
San Benito County
  1. Central Coast
  2. Chalone
  3. Cienega Valley
  4. Lime Kiln Valley
  5. Mount Arlan
  6. Pacheco Pass
  7. paicines
  8. San Benito
  9. San Francisco Bay
San Francisco County
  1. Central Coast
  2. San Francisoc Bay
San Luis Obispo County
  1. Arroyo Grande valley
  2. Central Coast
  3. Edna Valley
  4. Paso Robles
  5. Santa Maria Valley
  6. York Mountain
San Mateo County
  1. Central Coast
  2. San Francisco Bay
  3. Santa Cruz Mountains
Santa Barbara County
  1. Central Coast
  2. Santa Maria Valley
  3. Santa Rita Hills
  4. Santa Ynez Valley
Santa Clara County
  1. Central Coast
  2. San Francisco Bay
  3. San Ysidro District
  4. Santa Clara Valley
  5. Santa Cruz Mountains
Santa Cruz County
  1. Ben lamond Mountain
  2. Central Coast
  3. San Francisco Bay
  4. Santa Cruz Mountains
Sacramento / San Joaquin Valleys and Sierra Foothills Fresno County
  1. Madera
Madera County
  1. Madera
Sacramento County
  1. Alta Mesa
  2. Borden Ranch
  3. Clarksburg
  4. Cosumnes River
  5. Jahant
  6. Lodi
  7. Sloughhouse
San Joaquin County
  1. Borden Ranch
  2. Clements Hills
  3. Cosumnes
  4. Lodi
  5. Mokelumne River
  6. River Junction
  7. Tracy Hills
Solano County
  1. Clarksburg
Stanislaus County
  1. Diablo Grande
  2. Salado Creek
  3. Tracy Hills
Yolo County
  1. Capay Valley
  2. Clarksburg
  3. Dunnigan Hills
  4. Merritt Island
Sierra Nevada Amador County
  1. California Shenandoah Valley
  2. Fiddletown
  3. Sierra Foothills
Calaveras County
  1. Sierra Foothills
El Dorado County
  1. California Shenandoah Valley
  2. El Dorado
  3. Fair Play
  4. Sierra Foothills
Mariposa County
  1. Sierra Foothills
Placer County
  1. Sierra Foothills
Tuolumme County
  1. Sierra Foothills
Yuba County
  1. North Yuba
  2. Sierra Foothills
Southern California Los Angeles County
  1. Malibu-Newton County
  2. Saddle-Rock-Malibu
Riverside County
  1. Cucamonga Valley
  2. South Coast
  3. Temecula
San Bernardino County
  1. Cucamonga Valley
San Diego County
  1. Ramona Valley
  2. San Pasqual Valley
  3. South Coast
Oher California Wine Areas Humboldt County
  1. Willow Creek
Siskiyou County
  1. Seiad Valley
Trinity County
  1. Trinity Lakes
  2. Willow Creek

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