An AVA, or American Viticultural Area, is an officially designated wine-growing region defined by geography and climate. California has more than 140, nested inside counties.

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California Wine Regions

Q: How is this site organized?

By place (California to county to AVA to winery), by grape (Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and more), and by tools (pairing generator, party calculator, and quizzes).

Every California wine region we cover, drilling down from the state to the county, the AVA, and the individual winery. Start anywhere and follow it down.

California overview →Jump to counties

California is not one wine country, it is many. The state divides into counties like Napa, Sonoma, and Santa Barbara, each county into smaller official growing areas called AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) such as the Sta. Rita Hills or Oakville, and each AVA is home to individual wineries. This page is the map: pick a county, then drill down.

Counties

Napa Valley

The benchmark for American Cabernet Sauvignon

Sub-regions coming soon

Sonoma County

Pinot, Chardonnay and Zinfandel across 18 AVAs

Russian River Valley Dry Creek Valley Sonoma Valley

Santa Barbara

Cool-coast Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

Sta. Rita Hills Santa Maria Valley

Paso Robles

Bold reds across 11 districts

Adelaida Willow Creek Templeton Gap El Pomar Estrella Geneseo San Miguel Creston Highlands

SLO Coast

The coolest coastal AVA in California

Edna Valley Arroyo Grande Valley

Monterey

Wind-cooled Pinot, Chardonnay and Riesling

Sub-regions coming soon

Lodi

The old-vine Zinfandel capital

Sub-regions coming soon

Browse by grape

Prefer to shop by wine type rather than place? Start here.

Cabernet Sauvignon Pinot Noir Chardonnay Zinfandel Pinot Grigio Sauvignon Blanc Moscato

Frequently asked questions

What is an AVA?

An AVA, or American Viticultural Area, is an officially designated wine-growing region defined by its geography and climate. California has more than 140 of them, nested inside counties. The more specific the AVA on a label, the more it tells you about the wine.

How is this site organized?

Three ways. By place, from California down to the county, the AVA, and the winery. By grape, with dedicated guides to Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and more. And by tools, including our pairing generator, party calculator, and wine quizzes.

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