California Wine Regions

California American Viticultural Areas for Wine Tasting

Currently California has more than 100 (we counted 107) official American Viticultural Area. These wine regions are a great place to start when you're looking to visit California wineries for wine tasting and winery tours.

Capay Valley AVA
Designated AVA in 2002 and located Northeast of Napa Valley in Yolo County.

Central Coast AVA
Designated AVA in 1985 and located along the Pacific Coast from San Francisco in the North to Ventura in the South. This major AVA includes all of the following sub-AVAs:

•Arroyo Grande Valley
•Arroyo Seco
•Carmel Valley
•Central Coast
•Chalone
•Cienega Valley
•Edna Valley
•Hames Valley
•Lime Kiln Valley
•Livermore Valley
•Monterey
•Mt. Harlan
•Pacheco Pass
•Paicines
•Paso Robles
•San Antonio Valley
•San Benito
•San Bernabe
•San Francisco Bay
•San Lucas
•San Ysidro District
•Santa Clara Valley
•Santa Lucia Highlands
•Santa Maria Valley
•Sta. Rita Hills
•Santa Ynez Valley
•York Mountain

Clarksburg AVA
Designated AVA in 1984 and located near the town of Clarksburg in parts of Sacramento County, Solano County, and Yolo County. It has one Sub-AVA.

•Merritt Island AVA

Diablo Grande AVA
Designated AVA in 1998 and located near US Interstate 5 near the town of Patterson between San Jose and Modesto.

Dunnigan Hills AVA
Designated AVA in 1993 and located Northeast of Napa Valley in northwestern Yolo County.

Lodi AVA
Designated AVA in 1986 and located in California's Central Valley along San Francisco Bay. The sub-AVA are:

•Alta Mesa AVA
•Borden Ranch AVA
•Clements Hills AVA
•Cosumnes River AVA
•Jahant AVA
•Mokelumne River AVA
•Sloughhouse AVA

Madera AVA
Designated AVA in 1984 and located in portions of Fresno County and Madera County in Central California.

North Coast AVA
Designated AVA in 1985 and located along the Pacific Coast from San Francisco in the North to Ventura in the South. This major AVA includes all of the following sub-AVAs:

•Alexander Valley
•Anderson Valley
•Atlas Peak
•Bennett Valley
•Benmore Valley
•Chalk Hill
•Chiles Valley
•Clear Lake
•Cole Ranch
•Covelo
•Diamond Mountain District
•Dos Rios
•Dry Creek Valley
•Green Valley of Russian River Valley
•Guenoc Valley
•High Valley
•Howell Mountain
•Knights Valley
•Los Carneros
•McDowell Valley
•Mendocino
•Mendocino Ridge
•Mt. Veeder
•Napa Valley
•North Coast
•Northern Sonoma
•Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley
•Oakville
•Potter Valley
•Red Hills Lake County
•Redwood Valley
•Rockpile
•Russian River Valley
•Rutherford
•Solano County Green Valley
•Sonoma Coast
•Sonoma Mountain
•Sonoma Valley
•Spring Mountain District
•St. Helena
•Stags Leap District
•Suisun Valley
•Wild Horse Valley
•Yorkville Highlands
•Yountville

River Junction AVA
Designated AVA in 2001 and located west of Modesto where the San Joaquin and the Stanislaus Rivers merge in Central California.

Salado Creek AVA
Designated AVA in 2004 and located west of Modesto near the town of Patterson in Central California.

Santa Cruz Mountains AVA
Designated AVA in 1981 and located just South of San Francisco near Half Moon Bay, south to Santa Cruz. It has one Sub-AVA.

•Ben Lomond Mountain

Seiad Valley AVA
Designated AVA in 1994 and located in the far Northern edge of California near the Oregon border alongside the Klamath River.

Sierra Foothills AVA
Designated AVA in 1987 and located in Northeastern California in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This major AVA includes all of the following sub-AVAs:

•California Shenandoah Valley
•El Dorado
•Fair Play
•Fiddletown
•North Yuba

South Coast AVA
Designated AVA in 1985 and located along the Pacific Coast from San Francisco in the North to Ventura in the South. This major AVA includes all of the following sub-AVAs:

•Cucamonga Valley
•Leona Valley
•Malibu-Newton Canyon
•Ramona Valley
•Saddle Rock-Malibu
•San Pasqual Valley
•South Coast
•Temecula Valley

Tracy Hills AVA
Designated AVA in 2006 and located in the Tracy Hills just west of Modesto near the town of Patterson in Central California.

Willow Creek AVA
Designated AVA in 1983 and located near the town of Willow Creek in the Klamath Mountains in far Northwestern California.

For more information about California Wine Regions contact the California Division of Tourism at P.O. Box 1499, Sacramento, CA 95812-1499 Telephone: 916-444-4429.