North Coast AVA.

It all started in Northern California with Napa rising to prominence with the “Judgement of Paris”. Since then the six counties of the North Coast AVA have undergone a lot of vine planting and parts of the region have become global destinations.  

Nearest Large Cities

San Francisco
Oakland
Sacramento

Nearest Airports

SFO
San Francisco International Airport

OAK
Oakland International Airport

SMF
Sacramento International Airport

STS
Charles M Schulz - Sonoma County Airport [Santa Rosa]

APC
Napa County AIrport

Central Coast AVAs.

The geographically largest designated wine region region within California is the Central Coast region. In a north-south band along the coast and the coastal mountain ranges, it extends from northern Contra Costa County (to the north and east of San Francisco) all of the way down the coast of central California to Santa Barbara.

All of the following AVAs are included in the geographic boundaries of the Central Coast AVA with the exceptions of Ben Lomond Mountain AVA and Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, which are surrounded by, but are specifically excluded from, the larger regional AVA. In addition, the San Francisco Bay AVA also extends to the north beyond the boundary of the Central Coast AVA and into southern Solano County.

In all, the Central Coast region encompasses 47 different AVAs

Central Valley AVAs.

Unlike other regions of California, there is no large regional AVA designation that includes the entire Central Valley wine growing region.

There are clusters of AVAs around the California Central Valley, especially in the Lodi region.

Nearest Large Cities

Sacramento
Stockton
Modesto
Fresno

Nearest Airports

SMF
Sacramento International Airport

SCK
Stockton Metropolitan Airport

FAT
Fresno Yosemite International Airport

Sierra Foothills AVAs.

This vast region has a huge array of terroirs. The warm, high-altitude terroir there is well suited to the production of big, ripe, red wines made from Zinfandel, Syrah and Italian varieties such as Barbera.

The rocky soils vary, with low fertility commonplace – making grape growing difficult but producing high-quality wines. The vines are forced to dig their roots deep into the ground to find water and nutrients.

The diurnal temperature variation, experienced across the whole region, allows grapes to ripen more slowly, leading to the development of rich, complex flavors and aromas that do not come at the expense of acidity. 

South Coast AVAs.

This region is criss-crossed by mountain ranges and provides a hot, dry environment for viticulture.

The South Coast's latitude (from 32°N to 34°N) places it further south than any of Europe's wine regions, and closer to those of northern Africa.

Nearest Large Cities

San Diego
Los Angeles
Irvine
Riverside
San Bernadino

Nearest Airports

LAX
Los Angeles International Airport

SAN
San Diego International Airport

SNA
Santa Ana John Wayne Airport

ONT
Ontario International Airport

RAL
Riverside Municipal Airport

Cascade Foothills AVAs.

Located at the intersection of the two main West Coast mountain ranges - the Sierra Nevadas and the Cascades - and between the Lassen and Shasta National Forests. This is a small region that was established over a 3 year period in the early 2010s and has a limited number of grape growers and wine brands.

Nearest Large Cities

Redding
Eureka
Sacramento

Nearest Airports

RDD
Redding Municipal Airport

LMT
Crater Lake–Klamath Regional Airport

ACV
Arcata–Eureka Airport

SMF
Sacramento International Airport

Klamath Mountains AVAs.

These AVAs are located in the southern Klamath Mountains of far northwestern California, and spread across three different counties: Trinity, Humboldt and Siskiyou. Redding, Eureka and Crescent City are the nearest cities of any size. 

Nearest Large Cities

Eureka
Redding
Santa Rosa
Sacramento

Nearest Airports

RDD
Redding Municipal Airport

LMT
Crater Lake–Klamath Regional Airport

ACV
Arcata–Eureka Airport

STS
Charles M Schulz - Sonoma County Airport [Santa Rosa]

SMF
Sacramento International Airport