California

Question 1

What are the AVA’s of Napa from North to South?

Answer 1

Calistoga
Diamond Mountain District
Chiles Valley District
Spring Mountain District
Howell Mountain
St. Helena
Rutherford 
Oakville
Yountville
Mount Veeder
Stags Leap District
Atlas Peak
Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley
Los Carneros
Coombsville
Wild Horse Valley

Question 2

What are the AVA’s of Sonoma?

Answer 2

Alexander Valley
Dry Creek Valley
Rockpile
Bennett Valley
Knights Valley
Chalk Hill
Russian River Valley
Sonoma Valley
Moon Mountain District Sonoma County
Green Valley of Russian River Valley
Sonoma Mountain
Sonoma Coast
Northern Sonoma
Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak
Fort Ross-Seaview
Fountaingrove District
Carneros (majority of Carneros AVA is in Sonoma)

Question 3

What are the AVA’s located inside of Mendocino AVA?

Answer 3

Anderson Valley
Potter Valley
Redwood Valley
McDowell Valley
Yorkville Highlands
Mendocino Ridge
Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak
Dos Rios
Cole Ranch

Question 4

The Mendocino AVA was decreased in size in 2014—a rare move—so that its boundaries would not overlap those of a new AVA approved in the same year called what?

Answer 4

Eagle Peak Mendocino County AVA

Question 5

What is the smallest AVA in America?

Answer 5

Cole Ranch AVA

Question 6

Cole Ranch and McDowell Valley are essentially monopole AVAs of what two wineries?

Answer 6

Esterlina and McDowell Valley wineries, respectively

Question 7

Which AVA is immediately south of San Franscisco?

Answer 7

Santa Cruz Mountains AVA

Question 8

Which AVA is east of San Francisco?

Answer 8

Livermore Valley AVA

Question 9

What other AVA’s are south of San Francisco?

Answer 9

Ben Lomond Mountain,
Santa Clara Valley,
San Ysidro District

Question 10

What AVA surrounds the San Francisco area?

Answer 10

San Francisco Bay AVA

Question 11

Which AVA (also the name of the county) is South of Santa Cruz?

Answer 11

Monterey AVA

Question 12

What other AVA’s are to the south and east of Monterey?

Answer 12

Santa Lucia Highlands AVA,
Chalone AVA
Mount Harlan AVA (within San Benito County)

Question 13

What AVA’s are located in San Luis Obispo county?

Answer 13

Paso Robles (Estrella, Highlands, Willow Creek, Geneseo Districts)
York Mountain
Arroyo Grande
Edna Valley
El Pomar District
Adelaida District (added in 2014)
Creston District
San Juan Creek 
San Miguel District
Santa Margarita Ranch
Santa Maria Valley
Templeton Gap District

Question 14

What is unique about Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria Valley?

Answer 14

They run east-west instead of north-south. Providing a unique maritime climate similar to burgundy.

Question 15

What AVA’s are located in Santa Barbara County?

Answer 15

Santa Maria Valley
Santa Ynez Valley
Sta. Rita Hills
Happy Canyon
Ballard Canyon

Question 16

Which AVA’s are located in Santa Ynez Valley?

Answer 16

Sta. Rita Hills
Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara
Ballard Canyon

Question 17

Which region produces most of California’s wine?

Answer 17

The Central Valley

Question 18

What is the largest and most important Central Valley AVA?

Answer 18

Lodi, home to over 20% of California’s total wine grape production

Question 19

What are the AVA sub-appellations within Lodi?

Answer 19

Alta Mesa
Borden Ranch
Mokelumne River
Cosumnes River
Jahant
Sloughhouse,
Clements Hills.

Question 20

What are the other AVA’s of note in the Central Valley?

Answer 20

Dunnigan Hills,
Clarksburg,
Capay Valley,
Merritt Island

Question 21

What is the other important AVA in the Central Valley?

Located east of Sacramento and Lodi.

Answer 21

Sierra Foothills AVA

Question 22

What are the sub-AVA’s of the Sierra Foothills?

Answer 22

Fair Play, 
El Dorado, 
Fiddletown,
 North Yuba, and 
California Shenandoah Valley.

Question 23

What are the labeling laws/requirements for the US?

Answer 23

Percentage of Grapes Required for Labeling by Appellation

If labeled by country, state, or county: 75%
If labeled by AVA: 85%
If labeled with a single vineyard: 95%