North Coast AVA

North Coast AVA encompasses grape-growing regions in six counties located north of San Francisco: Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Solano, and Sonoma. This large appellation covers over 3,000,000 acres 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 boundary of the North Coast AVA encompasses many smaller wine appellations, which generally have higher consumer appeal and therefore higher commercial value. Wine produced primarily from grapes grown in any one of these appellations will likely carry that appellation on its bottle label rather than the North Coast AVA designation. The North Coast AVA designation is primarily used on bottles of wine created by blending wines from several counties or American Viticultural Areas.

Because U.S. county names automatically qualify as legal appellations of origin for wine, the following appellations do not require registration with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau: Lake County; Marin County; Mendocino County; Napa County; Solano County; Sonoma County.

Napa County

Napa County is the best known county (in wine terms, at least) in the larger North Coast AVA of California, largely because it includes the world-famous Napa Valley AVA, which covers most of the region. The first grape vines in Napa County were planted in the late 1830s by an early settler, George Calvert Yount.  Napa Cabernet Sauvignon in particular is famed around the world.

Napa County lies between Yolo County to the east and Sonoma County to the west. Napa township, the county seat, is located in the southern quarter of the county, just 35 miles north of downtown San Francisco.

As one of California's smaller counties, Napa County covers a total of 485,000 acres with less than 10 percent of the land under vine. Perhaps surprisingly, despite its formidable reputation, the Napa Valley represents just four percent of California's total wine production – but it accounts for 30 percent of the state's wine economy.

Sonoma County

Located north of San Francisco and bordering the rugged coastline of the Pacific Ocean, Sonoma County is one of the most recognized wine regions in California.  Sonoma County stretches from the Pacific Coast in the west to the Mayacamas Mountains in the east.

This expansive growing region (roughly double the size of neighboring Napa Valley) produces some of the finest examples of wine in California, where varied climatic and geographical conditions allow for a diverse range of over 60 varietals of grapes to be grown.

From forested valleys where coastal fog hangs thick and low to mountainous areas with sunshine-filled days, Sonoma’s American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) are as diverse as the grapes that grow within their borders.

The County is home to almost 60,000 acres of vineyards and more than 425 wineries. Within the borders are 19 AVAs, each with its own distinctive characteristics.  The warmth of the Sonoma Valley cradles rich Zinfandels and Cabernet Sauvignons, while the cool, crisp Carneros nurtures juicy Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays, and sparkling wines.

Solano County

Solano County is a wine region halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento in California's North Coast AVA.

It is considered an up-and-coming area, but today is more notable for its geographical position in California's wine country: Napa County lies immediately to the west, and the town of Davis on Solano County's northern border is home to the famous viticulture and enology department of the University of California, Davis.

The wines produced in the county are rustic and fruit driven, mostly made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Syrah.

Mendocino County

Mendocino County covers the northern limits of California's quality wine-growing regions. It is one of the largest wine-growing areas in the state, although far from the most densely planted. There is a clear vineyard bias towards its southern half, where the majority of vines are located. 

Viticulture in Mendocino County dates back to the California Gold Rush of the mid-1800s, although there was a significant hiatus in wine production here during Prohibition in the early-1900s.  Today, Mendocino County is particularly known for its organic and biodynamic wines. As is happening all over the world, new wine-growing terroirs are being discovered in this area each year, pushing California's viticultural regions further north.

The county is home to more than ten AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) among them the famous Anderson Valley and the Mendocino AVA, which is something of a catch-all title as it incorporates more than five other location-specific AVAs. The climatic variation between the inland and coastal AVAs here is largely to thank for the broad range of wine styles produced in Mendocino County.

The region is divided into two distinct climatic zones by the Mendocino Range, one of several mountain ranges which make up the Pacific Coast Ranges. Unusual for California, the vineyards lean towards the inland areas rather than the coast. Here, it is significantly warmer and drier and vines are sheltered from the cooling effects of the Pacific Ocean.

This area is classified as Region III on the Amerine and Winkler climate classification scale, in contrast to the Region I classification of Anderson Valley. 

Mendocino County's cooler areas produce outstanding Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and sparkling wines. Alsatian white grape varieties – Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris – have also found a home here, while the warmer parts of the region are suitable for growing more robust reds, including the likes of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Syrah, Syrah and Zinfandel.

Lake County

Lake County is located just north of Sonoma and to the east of Mendocino County. Clear Lake, California's largest body of fresh water, sits within the county and the rugged, volcanic topography surrounding it begets elegant red wines, of which Cabernet Sauvignon is the star performer.  Viticulture takes place in the southern half of Lake County, mainly around Clear Lake, where the vines benefit from the maritime effects of the lake.  The Lake County title covers a total of 9400 acres of vineyards. 

Vineyards were first planted here in the 1870s. By the early 1900s, the wines were internationally recognized for their excellence. However, much like the rest of California, Prohibition in the 1920s saw a majority of the vines ripped out in favor of other crops.  The potential of the area was rediscovered during the American wine renaissance of the 1960s and 1970s. Now Lake County enjoys a reputation for bright, concentrated red wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Zinfandel, and fresh, aromatic whites made from Sauvignon Blanc.

Marin County

Marin County is directly across the Golden Gate Bridge from downtown San Francisco.  Despite the challenging cold climate, a number of light, delicate wines are produced from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Marin County is bordered on three sides by ocean, which has a profound effect on the climate of the area. The cold waters of the Pacific Ocean lie to the west of the county, while the foggy San Francisco and San Pablo bays can be found in the south and east.

Marin County's only land border is the one it shares with Sonoma County in the north-east, and it is along this border that most of the region's vineyards can be found. The cold climatic conditions pose a challenge for vine growing, but it is probably the extremes that Marin County experiences that give the wines made here such a unique character.