North Coast
Napa

Beginning in Vallejo just north of Oakland, the Napa valley stretches about 35 miles northward along route 29. In most parts, it is only a few miles wide with low volcanic hills defining its sides. The flat valley floor and the surrounding hillsides are covered with orchards and vineyards. Small towns and villages like Napa, Yountville, Rutherford and Calistoga are set amidst the quaint farmlands. Signs near every intersection invite you to free tours and free wine tastings at famous wineries. Some of the wineries are located at small farms, while the larger wineries are run by large corporations.  

 

Sonoma

The Sonoma County region begins at Petaluma about 30 miles north of the San Francisco Bay area and extends north to near Healdsburg. It includes an area about 35 miles long by 35 miles wide containing broad flat fields, gently rolling hills and parts of the adjacent Pacific Coast. Highway 101 bisects the district with the town of Santa Rosa near its center. Sonoma County is divided into several sub-districts such as Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Russian River Valley and Sonoma Valley. Santa Rosa and its neighboring towns, nestled among the rural farmlands and vineyards, offer some great restaurants, inns and spas.

 

Mendocino & Lake County

Mendocino County is part of California's famous North Coast wine region. Directly north of Sonoma County, Mendocino County begins about 90 miles north of San Francisco. The Mendocino wine region is bounded by California's Coastal Mountain Range, the Pacific Ocean, and the great northern redwood forests.  Mendocino's vineyards are divided among several small Mayacamas and Coastal Range mountain valleys, following the drainages of the Russian and Navarro Rivers. Vineyards rise from the river plains, onto the benchlands above. 

 

Due north of Napa County and east of Mendocino County, Lake County is dominated by Clear Lake, California’s largest natural lake and the county’s main tourist attraction. With no big cities and only a sprinkling of towns, most on the shores of the lake, this region offers the great outdoors in a wine-country setting. The feeling around here is small town and rural, comfortable and unpretentious. Ask a question and you’ll get a conversation - on wine, weather, or the state of the country. Even more refreshing, you won’t find busloads of tourists crowding you at the tasting bar or fanatical connoisseurs bent on putting yet another notch in their wine-tasting belts.

 

Central & South Central Coast

California's Central Coast spans a five county region beginning south of the San Francisco Bay Area to just north of Los Angeles. This coastal region encompasses the counties of Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara.  Diversity of climatic characteristics and soils is a key feature when considering winegrowing on California's South Central Coast. The region is dominated by a long, narrow corridor of coastal mountain ranges and includes several valleys with some of the state's most agriculturally and economically productive land. The stretches of level ground boast deep alluvial soils, mild climate (allowing year-round growing), good water supply, and low air pollution.  Paso Robles at its northern extreme to Santa Ynez Valley at its southern reaches to the cooler vineyards of Edna, Arroyo Grande and Santa Maria valleys in between.   Los Alamos, Los Olivos, and the Santa Ynez Valley complete the collection of unique winegrowing locales on the Central Coast. 

Sierra Foothills
The Sierra Foothills appellation is located on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains between Yuba County in the North, and Mariposa County in the south.   At 900- to 3000-feet elevation, it is one of the highest winegrowing regions in the state of California.  The region is dominated by cool down-slope evening breezes, shallow rocky iron-laden soil that result in low yields of two to four tons and concentrated fruity, ly wines  The Gold Rush sparked the wine business in the region, and in 1870 over 100 wineries operated in the Sierra Foothills, more than Napa and Sonoma combined at the time. 

Southern California

Southern California includes five American Viticultural Area: Cucamonga Valley, Temecula, Malibu-Newton Canyon, San Pasqual Valley, and South Coast. The oldest, Cucamonga Valley, is one of California's first wine regions, while the largest area, Temecula, is one of California's newest. Those two regions make up most of the winegrape acreage in Southern California.

Central Valley

There are four winegrowing districts within this region. Dunnigan Hills, the Sacramento Delta, Lodi/Woodbridge and the eastern hills of the Sacramento valley. The streams and rivers emerging from the Sierra Nevada mountain range provide an abundance of fresh water that is used to grow the many varieties of winegrapes in this region. The top four varieties grown in this area are Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel.

California Appellations

• Alexander Valley
• Altas Peak
• Anderson Valley
• Arroyo Grand Valley
• Arroyo Seco
• Ben Lomond Mountain
• Benmore Valley
• California Shenandoah Valley
• Central Coast
• Chalk Hill
• Chalone
• Cienega Valley
• Clarksburg
• Clear Lake
• Cole Ranch
• Carmel Valley
• Dry Creek Valley
• Dunnigan Hills
• Edna Valley
• El Dorado
• Fiddletown
• Guenoc Valley
• Hames Valley
• Howell Island
• Clarksburg Howell Mountain
• Knights Valley
• Lime Kiln Valley
• Livermore Valley
• Lodi
• Los Carneros
• Madera
• McDowell Valley
• Mendocino
• Merritt Island
• Monterey
• Mt. Harlan
• Mt. Veeder
• Napa Valley
• North Coast
• Northern Sonoma
• North Yuba
• Oakville
• Paicines
• Pacheco Pass
• Paso Robles
• Potter Valley
• Russian River Valley
• Rutherford
• San Benito
• San Lucas
• Santa Clara Valley
• Santa Cruz Mountains
• Santa Lucia Highlands
• Santa Maria Valley
• San Pasqual Valley
• Santa Ynez Valley
• San Ysidro District
• Seiad Valley
• Sierra Foothills
• Solano Country Green Valley
• Sonoma Coast
• Sonoma County Green Valley
• Sonoma Mountain
• Sonoma Valley
• South Coast
• Spring Mountain District
• Stags Leap District
• Suisun Valley
• Temecula
• Wild Horse Valley
• Willow Creek
• York Mountain