California's North Coast has no single wine style. Napa Valley is a narrow, dry Mediterranean valley with a network of internal appellations. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel all grow here, while mountain fruit can make wines more concentrated, tannic and acidic than fruit from the valley floor.
Sonoma County has 19 AVAs, spanning Cabernet Sauvignon in warmer places and Riesling in cooler ones, with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay between. Russian River Valley fog can lengthen ripening, while wines from the West Sonoma Coast are associated with bright acidity and moderate alcohol.
Further north, coastal Mendocino favors delicate Pinot Noir and sparkling wine. Lake County combines elevation, sun, volcanic soils and cold winters, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc from elevated volcanic sites. The broad North Coast AVA includes Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties.
Inside the region
5 named areas
Each guide keeps its place within California · North Coast clear, with a direct route back to the map.
- 01Lake & Inland North1 producerLake and the inland north rely on elevation and Clear Lake's moderating effect, giving Cabernet and Sauvignon Blanc more freshness than the latitude implies.
- 02Marin & Solano3 producersMarin & Solano sits within California · North Coast, United States.
- 03Mendocino3 producersMendocino sits further north and cooler, with redwood shade, organic farming and Anderson Valley fog making Pinot Noir and sparkling wine feel tauter.
- 04Napa80 producersNapa is California Cabernet's narrow valley benchmark, where warm days, cool nights and hillside benches give ripe black fruit with tannin and polish.
- 05Sonoma15 producersSonoma is larger and more coastal than Napa, so foggy valleys suit Pinot Noir and Chardonnay while warmer inland hills carry Zinfandel and Cabernet.
Producer profiles
Begin with this selection, or open the full directory when you want every producer currently placed in California · North Coast.
- 1000 Stories VineyardsHopland label that created the bourbon barrel-aged wine category with its 2014 Zinfandel release.
- 3 Finger Jack CellarsLodi brand from Delicato Family Wines, built around old vine Zinfandel from sandy, breeze-cooled Central Valley soils with a Gold Country outlaw on the label.
- A Tribute to Grace Wine CompanyAngela Osborne founded A Tribute to Grace in 2007 in Los Alamos, California, to make single-vineyard Grenache from multiple AVAs across the state. Every wine is biodynamically farmed, whole-cluster fermented with native yeasts, and aged in neutral French oak.
- Andremily WinesSmall-production Syrah-dominant Rhône blends from a 39-acre Edna Valley estate, released once a year by a winemaker who spent twelve years at Sine Qua Non.
- Angeline WineryCalifornia Pinot Noir made for more than 30 years, with native yeast, partial whole-cluster fermentation, and minimal cellar handling.
- Apothic WinesCalifornia red blends built for immediate pleasure: dark cherry, chocolate, vanilla and mocha, with a soft finish and no tannic demand.
- Au Bon ClimatSanta Barbara County winery making vineyard-designated Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in a Burgundian style since 1982, founded by Jim Clendenen at Bien Nacido vineyard.
- Barefoot CellarsCalifornia multi-varietal brand that started in a garage, relaunched in 1986 with a hand-drawn foot logo, and now sells in more than 100 countries under E&J Gallo ownership.
- Bear Creek WineryCalifornia custom crush winery, founded as a 1934 grower cooperative and acquired by the Kautz family in 1997.
- Beaulieu VineyardOne of Napa Valley's oldest continuously operating wineries, founded in 1900 by a French chemist who survived Prohibition on a church contract and shaped California Cabernet by hiring André Tchelistcheff in 1938.
- Beaulieu VineyardsA Rutherford Cabernet estate founded in 1900, where a French winemaker's 1938 arrival created one of California's first named reserve bottlings. The 200-acre BV Ranch No. 1 still supplies the Georges de Latour Private Reserve.
- Beringer VineyardsNapa Valley's oldest continuously operating winery, founded 1876, known for the Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a Bordeaux blend from Knights Valley.
Browse 90 more
- BirichinoFounded in Santa Cruz in 2008, Birichino is a two-person company that owns no land and shares a winery.
- Black Stallion Estate WineryNapa Valley estate winery on Silverado Trail, owned by the fourth-generation Indelicato family since 2010, built around Cabernet Sauvignon sourced across seven Napa sub-appellations.
- Bogle Family VineyardsA Sacramento Delta family estate with six generations of farming, barrel-fermented Chardonnay, and a cellar holding more than 95,000 oak barrels.
- Bogle VineyardsSix-generation Delta farming family with estate vineyards in Clarksburg, Lodi, and the Sierra Foothills. Known for block-vinified Cabernet Sauvignon and hand-stirred barrel-fermented Chardonnay aged in 95,000 oak barrels.
- Bonterra VineyardsOrganic winery in Mendocino County, California, certified since 2000 and farming regeneratively with USDA organic and climate neutral credentials.
- Bread & Butter WinesCalifornia négociant sourcing Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay from Carneros through northern Napa Valley, led by 2018 Napa Valley Winemaker of the Year Linda Trotta.
- Calera Wine CompanyMountain-grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from rare California limestone on the remote slopes of Mt. Harlan in San Benito County, founded in 1975 by Josh Jensen after a years-long search for the geology that defines the wines.
- Castle Rock WineryU.S. Pinot Noir producer sourcing from California, Oregon, and Washington, with Central Coast, Mendocino County, Monterey County, and Willamette Valley bottlings.
- Chateau Montelena WineryHistoric Napa estate at the base of Mount Saint Helena, founded 1882 by Gold Rush entrepreneur Alfred Tubbs; Barrett family-owned for fifty years; two wines, a Napa Valley Chardonnay and a Calistoga Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, made to capture each season on site rather than repeat a fixed house style.
- Cline CellarsCalifornia producer with seven vineyards, historic dry farmed vines, and red wines from Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Mourvèdre.
- Clos Du ValFamily owned Napa Valley producer focused on Bordeaux varieties, with Yettalil as its rarest estate blend.
- Continuum EstatePritchard Hill estate where Cabernet Sauvignon leads the planting and Novicium provides the younger vine second wine.
- DAOU Family EstatesDAOU Family Estates grows Cabernet Sauvignon on the highest hilltop in Paso Robles's Adelaida District. Brothers Georges and Daniel Daou, who survived the Lebanese Civil War and trained as engineers at UC San Diego, founded the estate in 2007 after selling a healthcare technology company. Daniel serves as winemaker and tested over 100 estate yeast strains before settling his fermentation approach. The range runs from a widely distributed Cabernet blend through Reserve and Soul of a Lion at the top.
- Daou VineyardsBordeaux-variety estate on a 2,200-foot hilltop in the Adelaida District of Paso Robles, founded in 2007 by Lebanese-born brothers Georges and Daniel Daou; Cabernet Sauvignon is the winery's core grape and Patrimony Cabernet Sauvignon is a listed wine.
- Dark Horse WinesCalifornia value label by E&J Gallo, built on 400-grower sourcing and 100-plus tastings per wine before release.
- Delicato Family VineyardsCalifornia's fifth-largest wine company by volume, founded on dam-labor wages and now producing 16 million cases a year across Bota Box and a portfolio of varietal labels including Clay Creek Pinot Noir from the Clarksburg AVA.
- DeLoach VineyardsRussian River Valley Pinot Noir producer working with eight distinct clones that ripen weeks apart, blended to layer palate dimension across a single Sonoma appellation wine.
- Domaine de la CôtePinot Noir and Chardonnay estate on the western edge of Sta. Rita Hills, farmed organically at Burgundy-level vine densities on 25-million-year-old seabed, seven miles from the Pacific.
- Domaine HelenaLake County estate near Mount Saint Helena making small lot Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varieties from a certified organic vineyard.
- Duckhorn VineyardsNapa Valley Bordeaux varieties with Merlot at the centre, from Napa Valley blends to Three Palms Vineyard Merlot.
- DuMOLSonoma County producer of vineyard focused Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Russian River Valley parcels.
- Dunn VineyardsAngwin Cabernet producer with shallow Howell Mountain soils, own farmed mountain fruit and caves cut into the hill.
- E.&J. Gallo Winery Mark West Wine CompanyPinot Noir brand named for a Sonoma County region, with California sourced Cellar Select and Pinot Noir Black.
- Eisele VineyardNapa Cabernet estate with a 38 acre vineyard and a wine of cassis, blackberry and mineral finish.
- FaillaFailla makes cool climate California wines from Cazadero estate vineyards and named Sonoma Coast sites.
- Favia WinesFavia Wines joins a historic Coombsville home with selected Vaca Mountains sites and gentle handling across Cabernet Sauvignon led reds.
- Foppiano VineyardsHealdsburg producer founded in 1896, with Petite Sirah as its flagship and estate vineyards in the temperate Russian River Valley.
- Francis Ford Coppola WineryA Sonoma County producer in seven tiers, built around Francis Ford Coppola's filmmaking background and his family's California wine history since 1975.
- Frog's LeapOrganic estate in Rutherford, Napa Valley. Produces an even split of reds and whites from dry-farmed certified organic vineyards, with cellar work built on neutral oak and concrete rather than extraction or new wood.
- Heitz CellarSt. Helena estate that made the first Napa Valley single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon in 1966 and still ages its reds for up to six years before release.
- Hirsch VineyardsHirsch Vineyards farms 60 parcels of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on a Pacific-facing ridge in the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA, one of the earliest planted sites on the West Sonoma Coast. The estate has been biodynamically farmed since 2014 and is run by Jasmine Hirsch, the second generation of the founding family.
- Jacuzzi Family VineyardsA Sonoma producer built around California-grown Italian varietals, founded by Fred Cline in 2007 to honor his grandfather Valeriano Jacuzzi, who planted Zinfandel, Carignane, and Mourvèdre on a Contra Costa County farm during the Great Depression.
- Jolie-LaideJolie-Laide is a California producer whose Valdiguié Rosé combines whole-cluster pressing, spontaneous fermentation in mixed vessels, and six months of aging.
- Joseph Phelps VineyardsThe Napa Valley estate that produced California's first Bordeaux-style proprietary blend. Insignia, introduced in 1974, set the template for the category. The estate also runs a separate coastal operation near Freestone on the Sonoma Coast, producing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from marine-sediment soils.
- Kapcsándy Family WinerySmall Cabernet Sauvignon estate on State Lane in Yountville, Napa Valley, farming 15.5 acres of Bordeaux-clone vines on stressed valley-floor soils once used for Beringer's Private Reserve program.
- Kendall-JacksonCalifornia's top-selling super-premium Chardonnay, born from a 1982 fermentation accident.
- Kutch WinesFamily-owned California producer founded in 2005, making limited Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from cool maritime sites in the Sonoma Coast and Santa Cruz Mountains.
- Laetitia WineryArroyo Grande Valley estate focused on traditional method sparkling wine, cool climate Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay.
- LangeTwins Family Winery and VineyardsLangeTwins Family Winery and Vineyards traces its Lodi farming roots to German great-grandparents who emigrated there in 1870.
- Language of Yes (E&J Gallo Winery)Collaborative Central Coast Rhône project from winemaker Randall Grahm and E&J Gallo Winery's Luxury Wine Group, sourced from the Rancho Real vineyard in Santa Maria Valley. Launched 2021.
- Ledge VineyardsFamily-owned Willow Creek District estate in Paso Robles, founded by Mark Adams in 2005 and focused on Rhône wines from Adams Ranch Vineyard.
- Littorai WinesSebastopol producer of vineyard designated Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley.
- Long Meadow RanchFamily owned California producer with organic vineyards, Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and Anderson Valley Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
- Louis M Martini WinerySt. Helena winery with Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel, early varietal labels, and Monte Rosso Vineyard in its red wine history.
- Marimar EstateFamily owned Sonoma winery with Spanish heritage, high density vineyards, estate grown Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Spanish varieties.
- Martin Ray WinerySonoma County winery on Laguna Ridge, with Russian River Valley roots, hillside sourcing, and Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir.
- Matthiasson Family VineyardsNapa producer with western Oak Knoll vineyards, native yeast, minimal sulfur dioxide, Cabernet Sauvignon and Linda Vista Chardonnay.
- Mayacamas VineyardsNapa Valley vineyard and winery with dry farmed mature vineyards, old Cabernet vines, classical vinification and old casks.
- McManis Family VineyardsA family-run California winery with LODI RULES certification, varietal reds and stainless-steel-fermented River Junction Viognier.
- Melville WineryA family estate in California’s Sta. Rita Hills, growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah and Grenache entirely from its own vineyards.
- Michael-David WineryLodi winery from the Phillips family, making Chardonnay, Old Vine Zinfandel and Rhone varieties including Ancient Vine Cinsault and Syrah.
- Mount Eden VineyardsDry-farmed mountain wines from a 2,000-foot Santa Cruz site, rooted in historic California Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet selections.
- Occidental WinesCoastal California Pinot Noir from fog-cooled, estate-grown vineyards on a south-facing ridge in the Freestone-Occidental area.
- Ojai VineyardCentral Coast wines from Adam Tolmach's Ojai Vineyard, including Clima Frío Chardonnay and Santa Barbara Pinot Noir.
- Opus OneOpus One is a California producer founded through the collaboration of Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Napa Valley vintner Robert Mondavi.
- Peltier WineryAcampo winery with Lodi roots, sustainable vineyard farming under LODI RULES, and American Dream Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon.
- PiedrasassiCentral Coast Syrah shaped by earlier picking, native-yeast fermentation and large-format barrel ageing.
- Pine Ridge WineryNapa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon rooted in a 1978 Stags Leap District planting and estate vineyards across five AVAs.
- QuintessaA Rutherford estate red built from 26 separately handled vineyard blocks and five Bordeaux-associated grape varieties.
- RacinesRacines is a Santa Rita Hills project led by Étienne de Montille, Brian Sieve and Rodolphe Péters, making Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and sparkling wine from cool, maritime-influenced vineyards.
- Raen WineryCoastal Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir and Chardonnay shaped by Pacific-side vineyards, whole clusters, native yeast and neutral oak.
- Ridge VineyardsThe 2023 Geyserville opens with black-cherry and chaparral aromas, followed by raspberry fruit and black olive.
- Robert Hall WineryPaso Robles producer with a 173-acre estate, underground wine cave and fruit sourced across all 11 local AVAs.
- Robert Mondavi WineryFounded in Oakville in 1966, Robert Mondavi Winery was built around To Kalon Vineyard and its Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc.
- Robert Sinskey VineyardsCarneros-grown wines shaped by organic farming and a tactile, copper-coloured Pinot Gris.
- Roederer Estate/Bon VivantRoederer Estate makes traditional-method sparkling wine from eight Anderson Valley sites; Bon Vivant Brut is a separately documented California Chardonnay–Pinot Noir bottling.
- Rombauer WineryFounded in 1980, Rombauer has purchased Carneros Chardonnay grapes through a lasting Sangiacomo family partnership since 1990.
- Rutherford Wine CompanyA Zaninovich family-run California producer that brings wines from Napa Valley, Arroyo Seco, Lodi and the Central Coast to its Napa Valley winery for final finishing and bottling.
- Sandhi WinesSmall-production Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay and Pinot Noir shaped by Pacific breezes, marine soils and native-yeast cellar work.
- Scheid Family WinesA family-stewarded California wine producer whose 70-mile Monterey County vineyard corridor supplies more than 35 grape varieties from four climate zones.
- Schug Carneros Estate WineryCarneros Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from a windy, rocky Sonoma site, shaped by Walter Schug’s German wine background.
- Screaming EagleOakville estate centred on a Cabernet Sauvignon-based flagship, with a Merlot-led red and Sauvignon Blanc widening the range.
- Sea Smoke EstateSta. Rita Hills estate Pinot Noir from a 172-acre former horse farm north of Santa Barbara.
- Seghesio Family VineyardsA Sonoma County Zinfandel house since 1895, Seghesio carries old-vine history into dark-fruited wines with acidity, tannin and oak through the finish.
- Shafer VineyardsStags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon shaped by dry, rugged hillside vineyards and anchored by Hillside Select.
- Snowden VineyardsEstate Cabernet Sauvignon from 23 acres of vines on Napa Valley’s eastern slopes, within a 160-acre ranch largely left to woods and forest.
- SpottswoodeFamily-run St. Helena Cabernet from hand-farmed organic blocks beneath the Mayacamas Mountains.
- Staglin Family Vineyard EstateA Rutherford Bench estate with organic vines, volcanic alluvial soils and a Cabernet-led Salus matured below ground.
- Starmont Winery & VineyardsStarmont Winery & Vineyards crafts classic single-varietal California wines from select coastal-influenced sites, balancing generous fruit intensity with brightness and precision.
- Stolpman VineyardsBallard Canyon estate wines shaped by dry farming, own-rooted vines and a cellar range that runs from carbonic Sangiovese to oak-framed Roussanne.
- Tablas Creek VineyardTablas Creek Vineyard grows Rhône varieties in Paso Robles’ Adelaida District, pairing limestone soils with organic, Biodynamic and regenerative farming.
- Talley VineyardsCool-coast Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from seven estate vineyards in California’s Arroyo Grande and Edna valleys.
- The Hilt EstateA cool, ocean-influenced Sta. Rita Hills estate making Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Bentrock, Radian and Puerta del Mar.
- The Wine GroupCalifornia wine and beverage company in Livermore, with a portfolio of more than 125 brands and a clear Lodi expression in 7 Deadly Zinfandel.
- Tolchards EstateTolchards Estate is a California producer listed for Buffalo Ridge Chardonnay and Buffalo Ridge Zinfandel, two wines from the 2021 vintage.
- Turley Wine CellarsCalifornia Zinfandel specialist founded in 1993 to preserve historic vineyards, from regional blends to more than 30 vineyard-designated wines.
- Tyler WineryPinot Noir and Chardonnay from Sta. Rita Hills, made without fining or filtration by a winemaker who spent a decade farming other people's parcels before planting his own.
- Vérité EstateThree Bordeaux-variety reds from 54 Sonoma County blocks, composed by a Lot-et-Garonne vigneron who ferments every parcel separately before blending.
- Wente Family EstatesFive-generation Livermore Valley family winery whose 1912 Chardonnay cuttings helped shape California Chardonnay.
- West WinesA family-run Dry Creek Valley winery pairing estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon with French-influenced winemaking.