Sierra Foothills AVAs

The Sierra Foothills AVA was established on 17 November 1987 is in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.  The Sierra Foothills AVA contains portions of eight California counties: Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Mariposa, Placer, Tuolumne and Yuba. The total area is 2,600,000 acres, one of the largest viticultural areas in the state of California.

Along the western stretch of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, running 120 miles from north to south is the oldest wine region in California: Sierra Foothills AVA.  The Sierra Foothills AVA covers a lot of ground—within it are endless microclimates, soil types, and winemakers whose visions reflect the land they work with. There are also unique features that the entire region shares, distinguishing it from the rest of California and beyond.

The climate here is Mediterranean, making it a good fit for early Italian settlers of the 19th century. Sunny days ripen the grapes, allowing them to develop their signature flavors. Just as important is what happens at night: alpine winds come down the mountainsides, cooling the grapes so that they don’t overripen, and maintaining bright acidity. This balance is what every winemaker looks for.

Rainfall is more abundant here, allowing growers to minimize their environmental impact through dry farming. But it also keeps the vines safer from fire and drought.

Vines love well-draining soils. The main soils are decomposed granite, limestone, and at higher elevations, crushed volcanic rock. Well-draining soils allow the vines to grow deep into the earth, which makes them healthier, allowing them to make wines with character.  Nutrient-poor soils of volcanic rock and decomposed granite might sound terrible, but is a dream come true for the old vines that this region is home to. The end result is often small yields of grapes with intense, concentrated flavors. Once they’ve grown, the vines have access to a steady water supply that allows them to sustain themselves.  Some of these vines will live longer than certain people will…

Vineyards throughout the region are planted to rolling hills, steep slopes, and river valleys, all of which influence a different character in the wine. It’s the vintner’s job to understand deeply the effect that every shift in elevation and aspect has on the wine.

Wine grapes were introduced to the area in the nineteenth century during the California Gold Rush.  5,700 acres of the appellation are planted to grapevines. The most common grape variety is Zinfandel, which accounts for 2,300 acres. Carnet Sauvignon is planted on 600 acres, and Syrah is planted to 560 acres. The most common white grape variety is Chardonnay, planted to 289 acres. Other grape varieties are grown in smaller quantities. Vineyards are generally planted in locations between 1,500 and 3,000 feet above sea level.

Zinfandel is famous for its jammy, fresh, and sometimes rich and savory character. Barbera, which was once known as a basic table wine, is now impressing the wine world with its capacity to achieve complexity, pepper, and tart cherry fruit. Sangiovese, also a well-loved Italian grape, is able to develop structure and depth of flavor in the Foothills. Floral Viognier, Grenache, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Syrah, and distinctive Chardonnay are also made here.

California Shenandoah Valley AVA

The California Shenandoah Valley AVA was designated an AVA on 27 December 1982 and includes portions of Amador County and El Dorado County. It is a sub-region of the Sierra Foothills AVA, and close in proximity to the Fiddletown AVA.

As the area has a relatively low elevation (around 1400ft above sea level), the climate is less influenced by the Sierra Nevada mountains than some neighboring areas. Consequently, it has one of the hottest climates in the region.

The soil is largely made up of decomposed granite and sandy loam. Well drained and infertile, it is excellent for growing wine grapes. The vines are forced to dig down deeper roots to get to water and the result is fewer berries with more-concentrated flavors. The combination of the soil and the hot, dry climate means that California Shenandoah Valley wines are generally rich and complex. 

The region was settled during the California Gold Rush in the nineteenth century, and settlers in the region began planting grapevines and producing wine soon thereafter. In the 1970s, Sutter Home Winery began bottling varietal Zinfandel wines made from Shenandoah Valley grapes, and in 1982 the region became a designated AVA. The most important grape variety in the region is Zinfandel, with Primitivo and Barbera close behind.

It is the least elevated of the AVAs in the region, making it well suited to the production of big, brawny Zinfandel, its analogue Primitivo, and further Italian reds such as Sangiovese, Aglianico and Barbera.  There are now approximately 2000 acres of planted vineyard within a zone of around 10,000 acres.

El Dorado AVA

The El Dorado AVA is located in El Dorado County, and it was established as an AVA on 12 October 1983.  It includes those portions of El Dorado County bounded on the north by the Middle Fork of the American River, and on the south by the South Fork of the Cosumnes River. El Dorado is a sub-appellation of the 2,600,000-acre Sierra Foothills AVA — one of the largest appellations in California.

The El Dorado appellation is unique due to its high elevation and complex topography. El Dorado's mountain vineyards are perched at elevations high above the large, center state valleys, near sea level. The topography is impacted by cooling breezes off the High Sierra Nevada and the complex mountainous topography creates a diversity of micro-climates and growing conditions not found in other regions in the big central valley or coastal mountain settings. Coastal mountains may have vineyard elevations of 200-1,500 feet above sea level, where El Dorado wineries tend to start at 1,200 and elevate to 3,500 feet above sea level or even higher in some vineyards.

El Dorado is cooled by elevation rather than by the fog that is common to the coastal regions. This means the grapes receive more direct sunlight, thus ripening fully without retaining excess herbaceous characters or acidity that is out of balance with the fruit flavors. El Dorado's relatively cool fall temperatures also allow the grapes a long "hang time" for uniform ripening.

In conjunction with the climate, there are three basic soil types determining the characteristics of the region: fine-grained volcanic rock, decomposed granite and fine-grained shale. Varying in elevation and topography, each soil offers good drainage and the nutrients needed to encourage vines producing rich, deeply flavored grapes.

The unique combination of climate, soil and topography found in the El Dorado appellation produce wines of distinction, depth and density with a maturity unmatched in other regions. This is El Dorado's "terroir."

These micro climates provide ideal locations for growing a wide variety of grapes identified with the world's finest wine regions, including Bordeaux, the Rhône, Germany, Italy and Spain. El Dorado grows approximately 70 or more different varieties of grapes, ranging from Gewürztraminer, which does best in the higher and cooler portions of the county, to Zinfandel and Barbera, which ripen perfectly in warmer climates.

A significant culture of Rhone varietals are cultivated in the El Dorado AVA for many decades already including significant plantings of Viognier, Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache grapes.

Many of the grapevines in El Dorado County are grown from their own roots, rather than grafting them onto another rootstock. This provides them with more time to mature and develop naturally. Grapes start off as a cutting with buds that are planted in the soil. The planted buds grow roots while the buds above ground turn into leaves and grapes. Grafted buds are a great solution for those who need to see results fast, however, own-rooted vines are a better option in the long run. It takes longer to mature but once they do, they require less water and can stand up to difficult conditions much better.

Fair Play AVA

The Fair Play AVA is in El Dorado County and was formally established as an AVA on 25 February 2001.  It is entirely contained within the boundaries of the El Dorado AVA and the Sierra Foothills AVA.  The AVA centers on the town of Fair Play, a small settlement that began life as a gold-mining settlement in the 1850s (taking its name from the outcome of a disagreement between two miners).

The boundaries of the Fair Play AVA include rolling hills at elevations between 2,000 feet and 3,000 feet above sea level, making it the California appellation with the second highest average elevation after the Squaw Valley-Miramonte appellation. 

The climate in Fair Play features warm days followed by considerably cooler nights: one of the benefits of the region's altitude. This affords the vines high sunshine levels and warm temperatures during the day, and allows them to cool down at night. Without this diurnal temperature variation, the berries would ripen too quickly without having the chance to develop complex tannins, sugars and phenolic compounds.

Soils on the hillsides are largely loam based and drain fairly freely. This, combined with the area's low rainfall, means vines in Fair Play vineyards are forced to develop deep, strong root structures in order to find water.

Wine regions with lots of sunshine and a long growing season typically produce wines with ripe, bright fruit flavors and balanced acidity in the grapes. Fair Play wines are indeed often very aromatic. 

Thanks to the acid-retaining coolness of night-time temperatures, the red wines wines tend to display a balance between alcohol, sugars and acids. In particular, Fair Play Zinfandel displays fresh, red-berry fruit flavors with hints of spice and impressive depth.

The most popular wine grape variety is Zinfandel, although varieties native to southern France and Italy are gaining in popularity.  Although less common, another one of California's robust red favorites, Petite Syrah, has also proved successful here.

Rhône Valley's Syrah and Piedmont's Barbera are also prominent here, and increasing in popularity. This seems logical, as the topography here is similar to Piedmont's, while the climate is quite similar to that found in the Rhone Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon also features.

Fiddletown AVA

The Fiddletown AVA is in Amador County and was established on 3 October 1983. 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.

The Fiddletown AVA area can be considered the upper Amador wine growing region, as it sits at higher elevation to both the Shenandoah Valley AVA, anchored by Plymouth, and Sutter Creek, and the wineries that run along eastern CA 16 to CA 49, more centered around Ione, CA.

Fiddletown AVA is a small AVA located in the larger Amador County AVA in California's Sierra Foothills AVA wine region. Gnarled, elderly Zinfandel vines surround the tiny town that gives the AVA its name, producing rich, complex and concentrated red wines.

Most of the vineyards in the Fiddletown AVA are located in the south and west portion of the region, at elevations between 1,500 feet and 2,500 feet above sea level. About 20% of the wine produced in Amador County comes from Fiddletown AVA.

Days in Fiddletown are hot and dry, lacking the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean that benefits wine regions closer to the coast. However, the area's relatively high altitude provides significantly cooler evenings, allowing the grapes to cool down overnight. This extends the ripening period, giving the berries time to develop flavor complexity and acidity. This diurnal temperature variation is amplified by cold night-time breezes from the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the east. 

The majority of Fiddletown's vineyards sit on west- and south-facing slopes. The terrain is relatively hilly, and is slightly more elevated than the rest of Amador County, leading to wines that are brighter and more elegant in style. Elevations range between 1,500 and 2,500ft.

The soils, made up of decomposed granite and volcanic material, are shallow and of low quality, reducing vine vigor and grape yields. Vines that are cultivated in these poor soils tend to be stronger and produce more-concentrated wines.

Zinfandel is Fiddletown's flagship grape variety, and often comes from older vines that can be up to 100 years old. The terroir of the region results in wines that are slightly higher in acidity but a little more elegant and fruit-driven than those from neighboring Sierra regions.

This area historically like all wine regions of the California Sierra Foothills started with mostly European settlers and the California Gold Rush of the 1850s. The region went mostly dormant for decades, but has been picking up since the 1970s and 1980s when the area became a growing retirement region, and the expanse of the population centers of the Central Valley and even Nevada added significant wine touring to the area.

With this resurgence of local wine buyers, the regions of interior California, especially the Sierra Foothills, started a new resurgence with more plantings and wine making. The Fiddletown AVA is more high mountain grapes, with Syrah and related Rhone varietals doing well, and traditional Italian grapes such as Barbera, Tempranillo and Zinfandel being the historical favorites of the greater region.

Grapes traditionally making up Bordeaux wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc are grown all across the region, just less common. Dominant white varietals grown in the region are Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Albarino, Rousanne, and others. Some vineyards in this area can stretch to over 3,000 feet above sea level creating a distinct difference to the lower elevations.

North Yuba AVA

The North Yuba AVA was established as an AVA on 29 July 1985 and is in Yuba County.  North Yuba is a small AVA in the larger Yuba County in the northern reaches of California's Sierra Foothills region. Covering only 30 square miles, a very small amount of land in the North Yuba zone is dedicated to viticulture. 

Vineyards in North Yuba rise between 1,500 and 2,000 feet above sea level, and the typical mountain terroir of the region reflects this.  The climate here is continental with hot, dry summers and cold, rainy winters.  Thankfully, hot days are followed by colder nights, caused by winds coming off the higher parts of the Sierra Nevada mountains.  This diurnal temperature variation extends the ripening period, ensuring that the grapes have a balance of ripeness and acidity. 

Vineyards sit on a variety of slopes, ranging from steep to gentle, and are positioned to take advantage of the sunlight.

As the appellation is located at the northwest end of the Sierra Nevada, the soil is primarily volcanic, with dense plutonic rock.  Vines are planted in red, shallow soils that are largely low in organic matter and volcanic in origin. These iron-rich soils are free-draining, meaning the vines have to grow deep root systems to access the water in the ground. This is important for vine health, and plants grown on these soils produce grapes with an excellent concentration of flavor.

This area is known for producing deeply concentrated, flavorsome wines from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape.  The terroir of North Yuba leads to concentrated wines with good minerality and structure.  Cabernet Sauvignon is the main grape variety grown here, but Rhone varieties of Syrah, Grenache and Viognier are also planted.