Country United States Climate region Mediterranean/maritime | Part of California Year established 1983 | |
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Type American Viticultural Area Total area 3,000,000 acres (12,000 km) Grapes produced Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignane, Chardonnay, Dolcetto, Gamay noir, Gewurztraminer, Lagrein, Malbec, Merlot, Muscat Canelli, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, Pinot Meunier, Pinot noir, Sangiovese, Sauvignon blanc, Semillon, Syrah, Valdiguie, Verdelho, Viognier, Zinfandel | ||
The North Coast AVA is an American Viticultural Area in the state of California that encompasses grape-growing regions in six counties located north of San Francisco: Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma, and Solano. This large appellation covers over 3,000,000 acres (12,000 km2) and includes a number of smaller sub-appellations that all share the common ecology trait of having its weather affected by the cool fog and breezes of the Pacific Ocean.
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Appellations
The boundary of the North Coast AVA encompasses many smaller wine appellations, which generally have higher consumer appeal and therefore higher commercial value. Wine produced primarily from grapes grown in any one of these appellations will likely carry that appellation on its bottle label rather than the North Coast AVA designation. The North Coast AVA designation is primarily used on bottles of wine created by blending wines from several counties or American Viticultural Areas.
Counties
Because U.S. county names automatically qualify as legal appellations of origin for wine, the following appellations do not require registration with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau:
Registered American Viticultural Areas (AVAs)
The following American Viticultural Areas are all entirely contained within the boundary of the North Coast AVA: