Mendocino County; Mendocino AVA

[mihn-doh-SEE-noh] Mendocino County is north of San Francisco and is the northernmost county in the north coast ava. In addition to proposed (but not approved) non-ava areas like Sanel Valley and Ukiah Valley, the county contains eight approved AVAs-anderson valley, cole ranch, mcdowell valley Mendocino mendocino ridge potter valley, redwood valley and yorkville highlands. The Mendocino AVA is situated in the county's southern portion and encompasses all the other AVAs, as well as the Sanal and Ukiah Valleys. The climate varies throughout this area, ranging from a cool Region I (see climate regions of california) rating for the Anderson Valley to a Region III for most other parts of Mendocino. chardonnay is the most widely planted variety, followed by zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, carignane, and sauvignon blanc. Other grapes grown here are colombard, riesling, gewürztraminer, pinot noir and petite sirah.