Coastal hills, sheltered valleys and inland uplands give California's North Coast quite different growing conditions. North Coast is also the name of an American Viticultural Area, or AVA: a defined grape-growing area. Its boundary runs through parts of Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties. A county name and an AVA name may therefore describe different boundaries.
Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake County
Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Anderson Valley and Lake County introduce different vineyard settings and wines.
Four North Coast growing areas
Four starting points
These examples sit within a larger, varied wine-growing area. County and AVA names do different jobs.
Napa Valley
An AVA north of San Pablo Bay
Cabernet Sauvignon grows on the valley floor and mountain sites; smaller origins help explain the differences.
Look forCabernet Sauvignon · vineyard setting
Sonoma County
A county containing several wine-growing areas
Russian River Valley and Alexander Valley point to different settings within the county.
Look forRead the full AVA name
Anderson Valley
An AVA in Mendocino County
Cool Pacific air reaches vineyards that grow Pinot Noir and supply sparkling wines.
Look forPinot Noir · still or sparkling
Lake County
Inland vineyards at elevation
Inland vineyards at elevation grow Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Look forSauvignon Blanc · vineyard origin
Reading a North Coast label
Reading a North Coast wine
Use this order when a label carries several unfamiliar names.
Identify the grape or blend
Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir are grape names. A producer may also give a wine its own name.
Read the growing origin
North Coast is broad. A smaller AVA such as Napa Valley gives a more specific origin.
Check the kind of place name
A county boundary and an AVA boundary can differ. Carneros crosses Napa and Sonoma counties.
Look up the particular wine
The producer’s vineyard and cellar notes can explain what the region name leaves open.
Several kinds of name can appear on one bottle
California label names
These excerpts identify origin, grapes and harvest. They are separate examples, not one complete label.
North CoastPlaceHide explanationRead explanation
A broad American Viticultural Area in northern California.
It covers defined territory within six counties, not every part of all six.
Napa ValleyPlaceHide explanationRead explanation
An American Viticultural Area within North Coast.
Read any smaller growing-area or vineyard name too.
Sonoma CountyCounty originHide explanationRead explanation
A county origin containing several different AVAs.
It is broader than a name such as Russian River Valley.
Los CarnerosPlaceHide explanationRead explanation
An AVA spanning parts of Napa and Sonoma counties.
A wine-growing area can cross a county boundary.
Cabernet SauvignonChardonnayGrapeSeparate label excerptsHide explanationRead explanation
Grape names that can appear alongside the wine’s origin.
The place and the variety supply different information.
HarvestVintage · Year position shown emptyHide explanationRead explanation
The harvest year shown for the wine.
Compare it separately from the place and wine name.
Napa Valley and Sonoma County
Grapes and styles
Napa Valley lies between the Mayacamas Mountains and the Vaca Range. Its vineyards range from the valley floor to mountain slopes, with different exposure to marine air, fog and sun. Cabernet Sauvignon is closely associated with the valley, but Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc also belong here.
Sonoma County extends from the Pacific coast into warmer inland valleys. Its wine names include Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, Alexander Valley and Sonoma Valley. These are different defined areas, and some boundaries overlap. The county name itself is a wider administrative origin. A bottle labelled Sonoma County therefore gives you a different level of location from one labelled Russian River Valley.
Cooler Sonoma settings are associated with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, while Cabernet Sauvignon is prominent in warmer Alexander Valley. Other grapes also grow in these areas. Wind, fog, slope and the producer’s choices can all change the result within the same defined wine-growing area.
Carneros, Anderson Valley and Lake County
Everyday bottles
Los Carneros, commonly called Carneros, spans parts of Napa and Sonoma counties near San Pablo Bay. Cooling wind and fog help explain its association with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and sparkling wine. If you find Carneros on two bottles with different county names, the labels need not contradict one another.
Farther north, Anderson Valley in Mendocino County offers another setting for Pinot Noir and sparkling wine. Its access to cool Pacific air distinguishes it from warmer inland locations. The broader Mendocino name covers considerable variation; choosing a named growing area makes a comparison more specific.
Lake County’s vineyards lie farther inland at elevation. Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc are important here. Abundant sunlight and cool evenings suit Sauvignon Blanc; differences in soils and vineyard sites contribute to a range of styles.
AVA, county and wine names
Read the label
An AVA identifies an area with distinguishing geographical or climatic features. It does not prescribe a single grape or give a wine a quality score. North Coast can be the stated origin of a wine drawing grapes from more than one smaller area within it. For the vineyards used in a particular bottle, check the producer’s sourcing information.
Napa Valley is an AVA, Sonoma County is a county designation, and Los Carneros is an AVA crossing two counties. The vintage is the harvest year. A cuvée or proprietary name is the producer’s name for the particular wine, separate from its grape-growing origin.
Choosing a North Coast wine
First bottle
Napa Valley or Alexander Valley is a place to look for Cabernet Sauvignon. If you prefer Pinot Noir, try Carneros or Anderson Valley. For white wine, look for Chardonnay from a cooler growing area or Sauvignon Blanc from Lake County.
A Carneros Pinot Noir and an Anderson Valley Pinot Noir make a useful comparison of places. Check the harvest year, vineyard and barrel information as well as the origin. For Cabernet Sauvignon, you can try Napa Valley alongside Alexander Valley, choosing bottles of similar age and broadly similar cellar treatment.
5 named areas
Inside the region
Explore the wine-growing areas of California · North Coast.
- 01Lake & Inland North1 producerWithin California's North Coast, Lake & Inland North is anchored by Lake County's high elevations, sun, volcanic soils and cold winters. Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc are associated with its elevated volcanic sites.
- 02Marin & Solano3 producersMarin & Solano sit within the broad North Coast AVA, alongside Lake, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma. Geography and climate vary across the appellation, so there is no single regional wine style.
- 03Mendocino3 producersMendocino moves from coastal Pinot Noir and sparkling wine to inland vineyards with old-vine diversity. Anderson Valley is especially associated with Pinot Noir, as well as Alsace varieties.
- 04Napa66 producersNapa Valley grows Cabernet Sauvignon on its valley floor and surrounding slopes, while Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and other grapes give you different wines to explore. Bay-influenced Carneros, Rutherford and Howell Mountain introduce some of the geography. Read the place and grape together, then compare the producer’s approach.
- 05Sonoma15 producersSonoma's 19 AVAs stretch from warmer Cabernet country to cool-climate Riesling, with plenty of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay between. Russian River Valley fog and the bright, moderate style linked to the West Sonoma Coast show the range within the county.
Producer profiles
Producer profiles
Every producer profiled in California · North Coast so far.
- 1000 Stories VineyardsHopland label that created the bourbon barrel-aged wine category with its 2014 Zinfandel release.
- 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.
- 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.
Browse 82 more
- 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.
- Beringer VineyardsNapa Valley's oldest continuously operating winery, founded 1876, known for the Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a Bordeaux blend from Knights Valley.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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…
- 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.
- 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 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.
- 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.
- Heitz CellarSt.
- 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.
- Jacuzzi Family VineyardsA Sonoma producer built around California-grown Italian varietals, founded by Fred Cline in 2007 to honour 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 ageing.
- Joseph Phelps VineyardsThe Napa Valley estate that produced California's first Bordeaux-style proprietary blend.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- The Hilt EstateA cool, ocean-influenced Sta.
- 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.
- 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.