WEST COAST

Question 1

What percentage of US wine does CA produce?

Answer 1

~80%

Question 2

How many AVAs in CA?

Answer 2

141 (as of 12/20)

Question 3

What are the five “mega” AVAs?

Answer 3

North Coast, Sierra Foothills, San Francisco Bay, Central Coast, South Coast

Question 4

When was the first winery established in Napa and how many are there today?

Answer 4

1860s / >400 in Napa county

Question 5

Where does Napa rank in terms of acres under vine in CA?

Answer 5

Third at 45K acres (behind San Joaquin and Sonoma)

Question 6

What percent of CA wine production is from Napa?

Answer 6

4% (due to low yields)

Question 7

How much of Napa county’s acreage is red grape varieties?

Answer 7

~75% (22K acres)

Question 8

How many AVAs in Napa?

Answer 8

17

Question 9

How much of CAs acreage under vine is in Sonoma county?

Answer 9

~12% (1/8th)

Question 10

How much of Sonoma county’s acreage is red grape varieties?

Answer 10

~2/3

Question 11

What are the two smaller AVAs located within the Sonoma Coast AVA?

Answer 11

Fort Ross/Seaview and Petaluma Gap

Question 12

What are the four sub-appellations of the Sonoma Valley AVA?

Answer 12

Bennett Valley, Moon Mountain, Sonoma Mountain, Los Carneros

Question 13

What are the two sub-appellations of Russian River Valley?

Answer 13

Green Valley of RRV and Chalk Hill

Question 14

What is the name of the Sonoma County AVA that is one of the highest altitude AVAs in CA?

Answer 14

Pine Mountain/Cloverdale

Question 15

Which Sonoma AVA encompasses most of the other AVAs?

Answer 15

The Northern Sonoma AVA (excluding Sonoma Valley and Carneros AVAs)

Question 16

How many AVAs in Mendocino county?

Answer 16

Ten, including Anderson Valley, Mendocino Ridge, Cole Ranch (the smallest AVA in the US) and the catch-all Mendocino AVA (which encompasses five other sub-appellations)

Question 17

What is unique about the Mendocino Ridge and Cole Ranch AVAs?

Answer 17

MR is a noncontiguous AVA (only mountain tops 1,200 ft or higher are included) and Cole Ranch, at 60 acres, is the smallest AVA in the US and wholly-owned by Esterlina Winery

Question 18

What are some features of Lake County?

Answer 18

High elevation, clean air, large diurnal swings, volcanic soils, one of the oldest geological lakes in the US (Clear Lake)

Question 19

How many AVAs in Lake County?

Answer 19

Seven: Benmore Valley, High Valley, Guenoc Valley, Big Valley District Lake County, Clear Lake, Red Hills Lake County, Kelsey Bench Lake County

Question 20

How many AVAs in Monterey County?

Answer 20

Nine

Question 21

What are some cool-climate AVAs in Monterey County?

Answer 21

Chalone, Arroyo Seco, Santa Lucia Highlands

Question 22

What are some of the warmer AVAs of Monterey County?

Answer 22

San Lucas, Hames Valley

Question 23

How many AVAs are there in SLO Paso Robles?

Answer 23

11

Question 24

How many AVAs in San Luis Obispo County?

Answer 24

Four: Arroyo Grande Valley, Edna Valley, Paso Robles, York Mountain

Question 25

What is geographically unique about the SB County AVA?

Answer 25

One of few spots on CA coast where both the coastline and mountain ranges run E/W and not N/S.

Question 26

How many AVAs in Santa Barbara County?

Answer 26

Seven: Santa Maria Valley, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Rita Hills, Los Olivos, Happy Canyon, Ballard Canyon, Alisos Canyon

Question 27

Which Central Coast sub-region is known as “Goldilocks Rhone Zone”?

Answer 27

The Alisos Canyon AVA in SB County

Question 28

Which Central Valley AVA has cooling “delta breezes” and large diurnal shifts that allow for quality grape production?

Answer 28

Lodi

Question 29

What is the climate of the Lodi AVA and how many subregions does it have?

Answer 29

The Lodi AVA has a Mediterranean climate; there are seven sub-appellations: Alta Mesa, Borden Ranch, Clements Hills, Cosumnes River, Jahant, Mokelumne River, and Sloughhouse.

Question 30

Which Lodi vineyard has some of the world’s oldest plantings of Cinsault vines?

Answer 30

Beckthold vineyard, planted in 1886

Question 31

Where and when was first wine made in CA?

Answer 31

In SoCal at the missions with the Mission grape circa 1769……

Question 32

Where were the first commercial wineries in CA and when were they established?

Answer 32

In Los Angeles area circa 1820s

Question 33

What is geographically unique about Washington State?

Answer 33

The Cascade Mountains divide it into a rainy western portion and a larger, dryer eastern portion - the mountains create a rain shadow that gives the eastern portion dry, desert-like conditions.

Question 34

How many AVAs does Washington have?

Answer 34

16 (15 of them East of the Cascades)

Question 35

What are the leading red/white grape varities of Washington state?

Answer 35

Red: Cab/Merlot. White: Chardonnay/Riesling

Question 36

What is the largest/smallest AVA in WA?

Answer 36

Largest: Columbia Valley (also one of the largest in the country) Smallest: Candy Mountain (inside the Yakima Valley AVA)

Question 37

What was Washington’s first AVA?

Answer 37

Yakima Valley

Question 38

How many AVAs in OR?

Answer 38

21 (~75% located in the Willamette Valley AVA)

Question 39

How many sub-regions in the Willamette Valley AVA?

Answer 39

Nine: Dundee Hills, Ribbon Ridge, Eola-Amity Hills, Van Duzer Corridor, McMinnville, Yamhill-Carlton District, Chehalem Mountains, Laurelwood District, Tualatin Hills