Los Carneros - Wine Region of the Day

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The Los Carneros AVA is located in both Sonoma and Napa counties and received its AVA status in 1983. The Carneros region covers 90 square miles and is centered along the low-lying hills of the Mayacamas range north of San Pablo Bay. The region features a sloping elevation ranging from 400 feet in the foothills to near sea level at San Pablo Bay. Los Carneros is settled by morning fog and moderately cool afternoons with strong winds off the bay. The soils are made of clay and are very shallow allowing for poor drainage. The winds coming off the San Pablo Bay and shallow soil force the vines to struggle and can delay the grapes from ripening, occasionally causing losses in yield and production. The slower ripening allows the grapes to develop complex flavors and balanced acidity. The cooler climate has made Los Carneros a premier region for the cultivation of cooler climate varietals like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

North Coast - Wine Region of the Day

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The North Coast received its designation as an AVA in 1981. North Coast is a super AVA encompassing grape-growing regions in six counties: Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma, and Solano. This large appellation covers over 3,000,000 acres and includes some smaller sub-appellations that all share the common ecology trait of having its weather affected by the cool fog and breezes from the Pacific Ocean. The sub-appellations include: Alexander Valley, Anderson Valley, Atlas Peak, Bennett Valley, Benmore Valley, Big Valley Lake County, Calistoga, Chalk Hill, Chiles Valley, Clear Lake, Cole Ranch, Coombsville, Diamond Mountain District, Dos Rios, Dry Creek Valley, Eagle Peak - Mendocino County, Fort Ross-Seaview, Fountaingrove District, Green Valley of Russian River Valley, Guenoc Valley, High Valley, Howell Mountain, Kelsey Bench-Lake County, Knights Valley, Los Carneros, McDowell Valley, Mendocino, Mendocino Ridge, Moon Mountain District Sonoma County, Mt. Veeder, Napa Valley, Northern Sonoma, Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley, Oakville, Petaluma Wind Gap, Pine Mountain-Cloverdale, Potter Valley, Red Hills Lake County, Redwood Valley, Rockpile, Russian River Valley, Rutherford, Solano County Green Valley, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma Mountain, Sonoma Valley, Spring Mountain District, St. Helena, Stags Leap District, Suisun Valley, Wild Horse Valley, Yorkville Highlands, and Yountville.