Other North Coast

Question 1

Mendocino wine country is centered around what geographic feature?

Answer 1

The confluence of the Russian and Navarro Rivers

Question 2

What AVA of Mendocino County is not encompassed by Mendocino AVA?

Answer 2

Covelo

Question 3

What is the smallest AVA in America? What is its climate?

Answer 3

Cole Ranch, at 150 acres.
High elevation (1400ft); cool, wet, low nightime temperatures. Harvest may be up to one month later than other areas of Mendocino county.

Question 4

Cole Ranch is essentially a monopole of which winery?

Answer 4

Esterlina

Question 5

McDowell Valley is essentially a monopole of which winery?

Answer 5

McDowell Valley Winery

Question 6

Which major champagne house has an outpost in Anderson Valley?

Answer 6

Louis Roederer

Question 7

What are the restrictions on the Mendocino Ridge AVA?

Answer 7

It only encompasses vineyards over 1200ft in elevation.

Question 8

What is the most planted grape in Potter Valley?

Answer 8

Riesling (51%)

Question 9

Where does the Russian River originate?

Answer 9

The hills between Redwood Valley and Potter Valley.

Question 10

What are the rivers of Dos Rios?

Answer 10

Eel River and Middle Fork Eel River (comes in from the east) - both considered part of the larger Eel River system.

Question 11

What are the AVA’s of Mendocino County?

Answer 11

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

Question 12

What is the major soil type of Lake County? What is the most common topography?

Answer 12

Volcanic in origin - gravel, sand, tephra (volcanic pebbles), obsidian, especially around Clear Lake.

Question 13

What are the major grapes of Lake County, and why?

Answer 13

Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc.
East of the Mayacamas, on the inland side and protected by the rain shadow; more in common with Napa than Sonoma.
Vineyards are generally planted at high elevation - 1500ft-2400ft, depending on appellation.

Question 14

Lake County’s Guenoc Valley is directly north of what AVA?

Answer 14

Calistoga

Question 15

What is the sole winery in Guenoc Valley?

Answer 15

Langtry Estate, founded in the 1880’s by Lillie Langtry.

Question 16

What are the warmest and coolest of Lake County’s AVAs?

Answer 16

Guenoc Valley is the warmest.

High Valley is the coolest (most affected by wind off the lake).

Question 17

What are the AVA’s of Lake County?

Answer 17

Benmore Valley
Clear Lake
Big Valley
Kelsey Bench
High Valley
Red Hills
Guenoc Valley

Question 18

What two valleys make up California’s Central Valley?

Answer 18

Sacramento Valley

San Joaquin Valley

Question 19

What are the AVAs of the Central Valley?

Answer 19

(Northwest, YOLO County)
Capay Valley (Vaca Range)
Dunnigan Hills (foothills --> valley floor)
Clarksburg (Just west of Lodi)
Merritt Island (within Clarksburg)
Lodi

(Southwest of Lodi, Diablo Range, Stanislaus County)
Tracy Hills
River Junction (east of Tracy, San Joaquin County)
Diablo Grande
Salado Creek

(Far Southeast)
Madera
Squaw Valley- Miramonte (east of Fresno, in the hills)

Question 20

What are the sub-AVAs of Lodi?

Answer 20

Cosumnes River, Alta Mesa, Sloughhouse, Borden Ranch

Mokelumne River, Jahant, Clements Hills

Question 21

What moderates Lodi’s climate?

Answer 21

It sits directly across the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta, cooled by wind coming through the Golden Gate, the largest gap in the Coastal Range.

Question 22

In which sub AVA of Lodi are white grapes more important than red?

Answer 22

Cosumnes River

Question 23

What is the major soil type of Jahant?

Answer 23

Rocklin-Jahant, a pink sandy loam with a high clay content.

Question 24

Central Valley: Rivers

Answer 24

Sacramento, San Joaquin

Lodi: Mokelumne River, Cosumnes River, Dry Creek River (Jahant), Deer River (Sloughhouse)

Question 25

Where is UC Davis?

Answer 25

Yolo County

Question 26

What is unique about Diablo Grande?

Answer 26

The entire AVA is owned by a private Golf Club and Residential Community: the Diablo Grande Resort.

Question 27

What are the sub-AVAs of the Sierra Foothills?

Answer 27

North Yuba (far north)
El Dorado
Fair Play (within southern El Dorado)
Shenandoah Valley
Fiddletown