The Capay Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area

American Viticultural Area

An American Viticultural Area is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau , United States Department of the Treasury....

 located in the Capay Valley

Capay Valley

Capay Valley is a mostly rural valley west of the Capay Hills, and northwest of Sacramento in Yolo County, California, United States.Cache Creek flows through the valley and the Capay Valley AVA...

, in northwest Yolo County

Yolo County, California

Yolo County is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of California, bordered by the other counties of Sacramento, Solano, Napa, Lake, Colusa, and Sutter. The city of Woodland is its county seat, though Davis is its largest city....

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

.

The 102400 acres (41,440 ha) region included in the AVA borders Napa County

Napa County, California

Napa County is a county located north of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is coterminous with the Napa, California, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population is 136,484. The county seat is Napa....

, Lake County

Lake County, California

Lake County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of California, north of the San Francisco Bay Area. It takes its name from Clear Lake, the dominant geographic feature in the county and the largest natural lake wholly within California...

, and Colusa County

Colusa County, California

Colusa County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, northwest of state capital Sacramento. As of the 2010 census, its population was 21,419. The county seat is Colusa.-History:...

, and is bounded by the Blue Ridge to the west and the Capay Hills

Capay Hills

The Capay Hills are a mountain range in Yolo County, California.The Capay Valley and Capay Valley AVA is west of the hills....

 to the east.

The AVA was created as a result of a petition by Capay Valley Vineyards, the largest winery

Winery

A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...

 in the valley.

John Gillig purchased part of the Rancho Canada de Capay

Rancho Cañada de Capay

Rancho Cañada de Capay was a Mexican land grant in present day Yolo County, California given in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico to the three brothers Santiago, Nemicio, and Francisco Berreyesa. "Cañada de Capay" means "valley of the Capay" in Spanish. "Capay" comes from the Southern Wintun Indian word...

Mexican land grant and established Yolo County's first winery in 1860.