SEARCH USING CALIFORNIA MAP - Click on a region of the map provided to connect with women winemakers and wineries in that region.
California wine regions have increased in number and complexity since Napa Valley was officially recognized as an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 1981. There are now 108 AVAs in the state, as more winemakers define themselves by regional differences in addition to varieties of wine produced.
For our project, we used eight wine regions, each of which includes several AVAs: Mendocino/Lake Counties, Napa Valley, Sonoma/Marin, South Central Coast, North Central Coast, Sierra Foothills, Central Valley, and Southern California.
The Mendocino and Lake County Wine Region is located north of Sonoma County in the area leading up to the Pacific Ocean. The wineries in Mendocino County are located in three clusters - Redwood Valley, Hopland, and Anderson Valley. Lake County surrounds Clear Lake, the largest natural lake in California.
The Sonoma/Marin Wine Region extends from the Rockpile to the Los Carneros AVA, and includes wineries located in the Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma Valley, the Russian River and Healdsburg area, and Santa Rosa.
The Napa Valley Wine Region encompasses almost the entire county of Napa and includes wineries located in Napa, Yountville, Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena, and Calistoga.
The Sierra Foothills Wine Region is generally east of the Central Valley and includes the El Dorado and Amador County winegrowing regions.
The Central Valley Wine Region lies east of San Francisco and runs south through the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys to Bakersfield. Lodi is the largest AVA within this region.
The North Central Coast Wine Region extends from the San Francisco Bay Area and the Livermore Valley south to Santa Cruz, Monterey, Carmel Valley, and the Santa Lucia Highlands.
The South Central Coast Wine Region ranges from San Miguel, Paso Robles, and Arroyo Grande Valley in San Luis Obispo County south to Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County.
The Southern California Wine Region runs 100 miles to the north and south of Los Angeles and includes San Diego/San Pasqual Valley, Temecula, and Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties.