The Livermore Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area in Alameda County, California, surrounding the city of Livermore in the Tri-Valley region. Both the AVA and the city are named after Robert Livermore, a landowner whose holdings encompassed the valley. The groundwater basin underlying the valley is the Livermore Basin, the largest sub-unit of which is the Mocho Subbasin. The Livermore Basin is one of five aquifers in the San Francisco Bay Area that supply most of the metropolitan Bay Area population. The entire Livermore Basin aquifer faces a concern over elevated total dissolved solids by the year 2020 due to an expanding human population leading to higher rates of return water flows to the aquifer containing certain salts.
Walla Walla Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located within Washington state and extending partly into the northeastern corner of Oregon. The wine region is entirely included within the larger Columbia Valley AVA. In addition to grapes, the area produces sweet onions, wheat and strawberries After the Yakima Valley AVA, the Walla Walla AVA has the second highest concentration of vineyards and wineries in Washington State. Walla Walla hosts about 140 wineries. The area was recognized on March 7, 1984 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Mr. Richard L Small, President of the Walla Walla Valley Winegrowers Association, for the establishment of a viticultural area in southeast Washington and northeast Oregon, east of Lake Wallula, to be known as "Walls Walls Valley." At the time, Walla Walla Valley viticultural area was approximately 178,560 acres (279 sq mi) with two bonded wineries and about 60 acres (24 ha) from several vineyards.
Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County, California. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier wine regions in the world. Records of commercial wine production in the region date back to the nineteenth century, but premium wine production dates back only to the 1960s.
The Augusta AVA was established on June 20, 1980 as the first federally approved American Viticultural Area, eight months before the Napa Valley AVA in northern California. The petition was submitted by Clayton W. Byers and Lucian W. Dressel, representing the local wine industry, to the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms on October 16, 1978. Located entirely within the state of Missouri, the boundaries of this wine region encompass 15 square miles (39 km2) around the city of Augusta near the intersection of St. Charles County, Warren County and Franklin County.
Temecula Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in the Temecula Valley, located in southwestern Riverside County, California against the eastern slopes of the Santa Ana Mountains. It was initially established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury as "Temecula" on October 23, 1984 based on submitted petitions from by the Rancho Califomia/Temecula Winegrowers Association and Callaway Vineyard and Winery, Temecula, California in 1982. It was renamed "Temecula Valley" by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) in 2004, approving the 2001 petition by Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association. The petition stated the name change would provide a more accurate description of the Temecula geography and greater clarity as to its location for wine consumers and the public. The petition did not request any change to the established AVA boundaries. This was the first American Viticultural Area to change its name after the initial approval. Temecula Valley encompasses 33,000 acres (52 sq mi) and 5,000 acres (8 sq mi) is located in a "protected" area referred to as the Citrus/Vineyard Zone. This area is generally located in and around the Rancho California Road area with Riverside County. County guidelines strictly enforce the number of acres needed to build a winery, lodging and other limited housing and commercial ventures.
Guenoc Valley is an American Viticultural Area in Lake County, California, United States, about 15 mi (24 km) north of the town of Calistoga. Guenoc Valley AVA was the first American Viticultural Area designation granted to an area with just a single winery.
Paso Robles is the third American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in San Luis Obispo (SLO) County, California. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury on November 3, 1983 based on a petition submitted by Martin Brothers Winery. The area encompasses 609,673 acres (953 sq mi) with approximately 18,500 acres (7,487 ha) cultivated with wine grapes known for their heritage varietal Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Rhône-style wines.
Santa Cruz Mountains AVA is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) centered on the Santa Cruz Mountains. Its territory spans three California counties, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and San Mateo and was established January 4, 1982 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury. Santa Cruz Mountains AVA was among the first AVA to be defined by its mountainous topography. Based on elevation, it largely follows the fog line along the coast, extending down to 800 feet (240 m) on the eastern slope toward San Francisco Bay, 400 feet (120 m) on the western slope to the Pacific Ocean and extending along the ridge crest line at 3,000 feet (910 m) elevation plus.
Sierra Foothills is a vast American Viticultural Area (AVA) encompassing the foothill "belt" of the Sierra Nevada in north-central California, United States. It was established on December 18, 1987 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after evaluating the petition filed by the Sierra Foothills Winery Association of Somerset, California for the establishment of a "Sierra Foothills" viticultural area in portions of Yuba, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Mariposa Counties. Wine grapes were introduced to the area in the nineteenth century during the California Gold Rush. Over 280 vineyards/wineries are located within its boundaries.
The Dry Creek Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area in Sonoma County, California, located northwest of the town of Healdsburg. The valley is formed by Dry Creek, a tributary of the Russian River, and is approximately 16 miles (25.7 km) long and 2 miles (3.2 km) wide. The appellation benefits from the proximity of the Lake Sonoma reservoir for irrigation in this relatively dry area.
The North Coast AVA is an American Viticultural Area in the state of California that encompasses grape-growing regions in six counties located north of San Francisco: Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma, and Solano. This large appellation covers over 3,000,000 acres (5,000 sq mi) and includes a number of smaller sub-appellations that all share the common ecology trait of weather affected by the fog and breezes off the Pacific Ocean.
The Chiles Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County, California and a sub-region within Napa Valley AVA. It was established as California's 81st AVA by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on April 19, 1999 after the ATF received the petition from Mr. Volker Eisele, owner of the Volker Eisele Vineyard and Winery proposing a new viticultural area in Napa County to be known as "Chiles Valley District".
The Howell Mountain AVA is an American Viticultural Area located within Napa Valley AVA of California.
El Dorado is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in El Dorado County, California, east of the state’s capital, Sacramento and centered around the county seat of Placerville. It was established on November 14, 1983 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Treasury after approving the submitted petition from the El Dorado Wine Grape Growers Association of Camino, California applying to establish a viticultural area named "El Dorado.” The area includes parts of El Dorado County on the north border by the Middle Fork American River and on the south by the South Fork of the Cosumnes River. El Dorado viticultural area lies within the vast 4,062 square miles Sierra Foothills viticultural area, one of the largest appellations in California, which extends about 170 miles (274 km) through portions of Yuba, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Mariposa Counties. The El Dorado viticultural area encompasses 1,093,120 acres (1,708 sq mi) which entirely includes Fair Play and a small portion of northeastern California Shenandoah Valley AVAs.
Fiddletown is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Amador County, California, United States. The area was established on November 3, 1983 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted from the Fiddletown Wine Grape Growers in Amador County to establish a viticultural area to be known as "Fiddletown." The region was first settled in 1849, during the California Gold Rush. Settlers who stayed in the area eventually planted grape vines, which became abundant by the end of the nineteenth century. Most of the vineyards in the Fiddletown AVA are located in the south and west portion of the region on Sierra Nevada slopes between 1,500 to 2,500 feet (457–762 m) above sea level. About 20% of the wine produced in Amador County comes from Fiddletown viticultural area.
Lake County wine is an appellation that designates wine made from grapes grown mostly in Lake County, California. The region is located north of Napa County and east of Mendocino County. Although each region within Lake County has unique viticultural attributes, many are influenced by Clear Lake, the largest inland body of water in California.
Clear Lake is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Lake County, California. It was established on June 7, 1984 by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by three of the grape-growers and winery owners located in an area surrounding the watershed of Clear Lake in southwestern Lake County. The petition requested the viticultural area to be named "Clear Lake."
York Mountain is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in San Luis Obispo (SLO) County, California. It lies within the larger Central Coast AVA located on the eastern side of the Santa Lucia Mountains and west of Paso Robles viticultural area. The mountainous terrain features vineyards that are mostly cultivated at an elevation around 1,500 feet (460 m). York Mountain climate is cooler and wetter than Paso Robles being just 8 miles (13 km) from the Pacific Ocean. York Mountain viticultural area was recognized as the county’s second AVA by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) effective on September 23, 1983 after reviewing the petition submitted by Stephen and Max Goldman, owners of York Mountain Winery, to establish a area known as “York Mountain.” Historically, Andrew York, a British immigrant, planted the first vineyard on York Mountain in the 1870s and established Ascension Winery, the first bonded winery in the Central Coast. It survived through Prohibtion and later renamed York Mountain Winery, staying in the York family until 1970 when it was purchased by Max Goldman.
Kelsey Bench-Lake County is an American Viticultural Area located in Lake County, California. The area is home to some 900 acres of vines in 27 vineyards, and was officially established as an AVA by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) in October 2013. Sauvignon blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier and Riesling are the principal white grape varieties within Kelsey Bench and its neighbor the Big Valley District AVA. Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet Franc varieties make up the majority of red grape plantings in the area.
Moon Mountain District Sonoma County is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) within Sonoma Valley and North Coast viticultural areas, just north of the city of Sonoma. This mountainous region on the very eastern edge of Sonoma County has a historic reputation for producing rich, intensely-flavored wines from Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah varietals since the 1880s. The District was established on November 1, 2013, by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). Its designation covers 17,663 acres (28 sq mi) of land stretching north-south along the western slopes of the Mayacamas mountains between Sugarloaf Ridge State Park and Los Carneros viticultural area with the Napa Valley’s Mount Veeder viticultural area outlining the eastern slopes. Its name is derived from Moon Mountain Road, which traverses through the area and itself a reference to Sonoma, which means 'valley of the moon' in the local Native American dialect. A clear view to San Francisco 50 miles (80 km) south is not uncommon from Moon Mountain District vineyards.
