Lake County wine is an

appellation An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical boun ...

that designates wine made from grapes grown mostly in

Lake County, California Lake County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 68,163. The county seat is Lakeport. The county takes its name from Clear Lake, the dominant geographic fe ...

and located north of

Napa County Napa County () is a county north of San Pablo Bay located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 138,019. The county seat is the City of Napa. Napa County was one of the original c ...

. Although each region within Lake County has unique viticultural attributes, all are influenced by Clear Lake, the largest inland body of water in California. 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. Cabernet Sauvignon has the most acreage, with Merlot a distant second.

Benmore Valley AVA

The Benmore Valley AVA was named after Benjamin Moore, a local 19th century

cattle rustler Cattle raiding is the act of stealing cattle. In Australia, such stealing is often referred to as duffing, and the perpetrator as a duffer.Baker, Sidney John (1945) ''The Australian language : an examination of the English language and English ...

. The valley is a high depression in the mountains of southwestern Lake County, and is much cooler than surrounding areas. Most of the grapes produced there were sourced by Geyser Peak Winery. There are no wineries or planted vineyards located within the boundaries of the AVA as of February 2018.

Big Valley District AVA

The Big Valley District AVA viticultural area is located south of the southern shore of Clear Lake and established on October 2, 2013. It covers approximately with six bonded wineries, 43 vineyards, and roughly cultivated at its official recognition. Big Valley was the first settlement in Lake County and has a long history of agricultural activity. Sauvignon Blanc is the most widely planted varietal in this area. The boundaries of this region include Clear Lake to the north,

Mount Konocti Mount Konocti is a volcano in Lake County, California on the south shore of Clear Lake. At , it is the second highest peak in the Clear Lake Volcanic Field, which consists of numerous volcanic domes and cones ranging from 10,000 to 2.1 million ...

and the

Red Hills Lake County AVA The Red Hills Lake County AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Lake County, California. The wine region lies along the southwestern shores of Clear Lake, separating Excelsior Valley to the east from Big Valley to the west. The h ...

to the east, Merritt Road and Bell Hill Road to the south, and Highland Springs Road to the west.

Clear Lake AVA

Half of the area contained within the boundaries of Clear Lake AVA is Clear Lake. The moderating influence of the lake on the surrounding area results in a climate with less

diurnal variation A chronotype is the behavioral manifestation of underlying circadian rhythm's myriad of physical processes. A person's chronotype is the propensity for the individual to sleep at a particular time during a 24-hour period. ''Eveningness'' (delayed ...

in temperature than surrounding areas. Elevations range from . Clear Lake AVA is one of the coolest climates in California, which has led to success with grape varietals like Sauvignon blanc.

Guenoc Valley AVA

Established in 1981, Guenoc Valley AVA was the first American Viticultural Area designation granted to an area with just a single

winery A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, ...

. Guenoc Valley is a small inland valley comprising an

alluvial Alluvium (from Latin ''alluvius'', from ''alluere'' 'to wash against') is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. All ...

fan of Arroyo Seco and Conejo Loam series

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt Dirt is an unclean matter, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin, or possessions. In such cases, they are said to become dirty. Common types of dirt include: * Debri ...

s isolated from surrounding areas by rocky ridges.

High Valley AVA

The High Valley AVA is located in the eastern part of the county. The valley is situated on high elevations ranging from in elevation. Red

volcanic soil The soil composition of vineyards is one of the most important viticultural considerations when planting grape vines. The soil supports the root structure of the vine and influences the drainage levels and amount of minerals and nutrients that the ...

s can be found on the hillsides while

alluvial fan An alluvial fan is an accumulation of sediments that fans outwards from a concentrated source of sediments, such as a narrow canyon emerging from an escarpment. They are characteristic of mountainous terrain in arid to semiarid climates, but a ...

s and benches on the valley floor provide well-drained beds for the vines.

Kelsey Bench AVA

The Kelsey Bench AVA was established on October 2, 2013. The Kelsey Bench area encompasses about with of cultivation, one bonded winery and 27 vineyards when it was officially recognized. The term "bench" was selected to reflect the topography of the area with higher elevations and hills. Rich soils cover a large portion of the Kelsey Bench with good drainage favorable to growing grapes. The boundaries of the Kelsey Bench AVA are the Big Valley District AVA to the north, the elevation line that runs east of Kelsey Creek to the east, Kelsey Creek Drive to the south, and Adobe Creek Drive to Highland Springs Road to the west.

Red Hills Lake County AVA

The

lies along the southwestern shores of Clear Lake, separating Excelsior Valley to the east from Big Valley to the west. The hills lie at the foot of

, a

volcano A volcano is a rupture in the Crust (geology), crust of a Planet#Planetary-mass objects, planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and volcanic gas, gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Ear ...

which last erupted 11,000 years ago, but which is still regarded as active. The terrain is rolling hills with elevations between and above sea level.

Upper Lake Valley AVA

On June 3 (2022) the TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) of the United States announced the approval of the Upper Lake Valley AVA. The Upper Lake Valley AVA represents the 8th AVA located in Lake County, California. The area of the Upper Lake Valley AVA covers a series of valleys running north-northwesterly from the shores of Clear Lake. These valleys and the surrounding hillsides sit at elevations of 1,330 feet to 1,480 feet and are slightly cooler than the surrounding areas.

Long Valley AVA (proposed)

This proposed AVA is situated along the northeastern side of the High Valley AVA.

References

External links

Lake County Winery Association

TTB AVA Map
{{coord, 39.02894, -122.81148, format=dms, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-CA_dim:27000 California wine Lake County, California Geography of Lake County, California Tourist attractions in Lake County, California