Guide of 4 California Wine Regions

California wine regions are nearly three-quarters the size of France, California accounts for nearly 90 percent of entire American wine production. The production in California alone is one third larger than that of Australia. If California were a separate country, it would be the world’s fourth-largest wine producer.

California’s wine growing regions have abundant sunshine to cool coastal air, plus a variety of soils and terrain, each region lends its own personal touch to the varietals grown there. A Chardonnay grown in the Central Valley can seem like an entirely differently grape when compared to a Chardonnay produced from Monterey grapes. This diversity means that within the state, there is a wine for every palate.

Every bottle of California wine on the market lists the geographical origin where the grapes were grown. In some cases, it will be the state of California itself, a county within the state, or a more specific growing region known as an American Vinicultural Area, or AVA. 

For a wine to carry an AVA name on its label, at least 85% of the grapes must be grown in that AVA. If a county is listed on the label, that number is 75%. And any wine simply stating that it is from “California” indicates that 100% California grapes.

Within California there are more than one hundred AVA’s. The most familiar wine growing regions are Napa and Sonoma Valleys, but within each of these regions, there are several AVA’s, both large and small.

The wine regions of California are often divided into 4 main regions.  Click on one of the four regions below for a list of wineries in that area.

• North Coast – Includes most of North Coast, California, north of San Francisco Bay.  Notable wine regions include:
• Napa Valley
• Sonoma County
• the smaller sub AVAs within them.
• Mendocino
• Lake County are also part of this region.

• Central Coast – Includes most of the Central Coast of California and the area south and west of San Francisco Bay down to Santa Barbara County. Notable wine regions in this area include:
• Santa Clara Valley AVA
• Santa Cruz Mountains AVA
• San Lucas AVA,
• Paso Robles AVA
• Santa Maria Valley AVA
• Santa Ynez Valley 
• Livermore Valley AVA

• South Coast – Includes portion of Southern California, namely the coastal regions of Los Angeles down to the border with Mexico. Notable wine regions in this area include:
• Los Angeles County
• Temecula Valley AVA
• Antelope Valley/Leona Valley AVA
• San Pasqual Valley AVA 
• Ramona Valley AVA

• Central (Inland) Valley – Includes California’s Central Valley, Lodi, Sacramento, Sierra Foothills AVA and San Joaquin Valley. Notable wine regions in this area include:
• Lodi AVA
• Madera County
• Sacramento Valley
• San Joaquin Valley