North Coast AVA

North Coast AVA
Wine region
Vineyards in Sonoma County
TypeAmerican Viticultural Area
Year established1983[1]
CountryUnited States
Part ofCalifornia
Other regions in CaliforniaCentral Coast AVA, Central Valley AVA, South Coast AVA
Sub-regionsList of North Coast AVAs
Climate regionMediterranean/maritime
Total area3,000,000 acres (5,000 sq mi)
Grapes producedBarbera, 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[2]

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 (5,000 sq mi) and includes a number of smaller sub-appellations that all share the common ecology trait of weather affected by the fog and breezes off the Pacific Ocean.[2]

Appellations

A Cabernet Sauvignon from the North Coast AVA.

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:[3]

Registered American Viticultural Areas (AVAs)

The following American Viticultural Areas are all entirely contained within the boundary of the North Coast AVA:

See also

References

  1. ^ "§ 9.30 North Coast" (Title 27: Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Part 9 — American Viticultural Areas; Subpart C — Approved American Viticultural Areas [T.D. ATF-145, 48 FR 42977]). Code of Federal Regulations. September 21, 1983. Retrieved January 4, 2008.
  2. ^ a b "North Coast (AVA): Appellation Profile". Appellation America. 2007. Archived from the original on December 19, 2008. Retrieved January 4, 2008.
  3. ^ "North Coast Viticultural Area" (27 CFR Part 9 [T.D. ATF-145; Reference Notice Numbers 360,404] Action: Final rule). Federal Register. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Treasury Department. September 21, 1983. pp. 42973–42979.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

38°46′21″N 122°53′55″W / 38.77248°N 122.89862°W / 38.77248; -122.89862