Lake County wine
Encyclopedia
Lake County wine is an appellation
that designates wine
made from grape
s grown mostly in Lake County
, California
, located north of Napa County
. Although each region within the county has unique viticultural attributes, all are influenced by Clear Lake, the largest inland body of water in the state of California. Cabernet Sauvignon
is the most planted grape
varietal
, with Merlot
a distant second.
s:
was named for Benjamin Moore
, a local 19th century cattle rustler
. The valley is a high depression in the mountains of southwestern Lake County, and is much cooler than surrounding areas. There are no wineries located within the boundaries of the AVA, and most of the grapes produced there are sourced by Geyser Peak Winery.
is Clear Lake, the largest body of freshwater
in the state of California, and the namesake for the county. The moderating influence of the lake on the surrounding area results in a climate with less diurnal variation in temperature
than surrounding areas. Clear Lake AVA is one of the coolest climates in California, which has led to success with grape varietals like Sauvignon Blanc
.
was the first American Viticultural Area designation granted to an area with just a single winery
. Guenoc Valley is a small inland valley comprising an alluvial fan of Arroyo Seco
and Conejo Loam series soil
s isolated from surrounding areas by rocky ridges.
is located in the eastern part of thecounty. True to its name, the valley is situated on high elevations ranging from 1600 feet (487.7 m) to 3000 feet (914.4 m) in elevation
. Red volcanic soils can be found on the hillsides while alluvial fan
s and bench
es on the valley floor provide well-drained beds for the vines.
lies along the southwestern shores of Clear Lake, separating Excelsior Valley to the east from Big Valley
to the west. The hills lie at the foot of Mount Konocti
, an extinct volcano. The terrain is rolling hills with elevations between 1400 feet (426.7 m) and 3000 feet (914.4 m) above sea level.
Appellation
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown; other types of food often have appellations as well...
that designates wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
made from grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
s grown mostly in 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...
, 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...
, located north of 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....
. Although each region within the county has unique viticultural attributes, all are influenced by Clear Lake, the largest inland body of water in the state of California. Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
is the most planted grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
varietal
Variety (biology)
In botanical nomenclature, variety is a taxonomic rank below that of species: as such, it gets a three-part infraspecific name....
, with Merlot
Merlot
Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...
a distant second.
American Viticultural Areas
Lake County includes five designated American Viticultural AreaAmerican 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....
s:
Benmore Valley AVA
The Benmore Valley AVABenmore Valley AVA
The Benmore Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in southwestern Lake County, California. The valley is named for Benjamin Moore, a local 19th century cattle rustler. The valley is a high depression in the mountains of southwestern Lake County, and is much cooler than surrounding...
was named for Benjamin Moore
Benjamin Moore
Benjamin Moore was the second Episcopal bishop of New York.-Early life and family:Moore was born in Newtown, New York, in 1748, the son of Samuel Moore and Sarah Fish Moore and the great-grandson of John Moore, the first Independent minister allowed in New England...
, a local 19th century cattle rustler
Cattle raiding
Cattle raiding is the act of stealing cattle.In Australia, such stealing is often referred to as duffing, and the person as a duffer...
. The valley is a high depression in the mountains of southwestern Lake County, and is much cooler than surrounding areas. There are no wineries located within the boundaries of the AVA, and most of the grapes produced there are sourced by Geyser Peak Winery.
Clear Lake AVA
Half of the area contained within the boundaries of Clear Lake AVAClear Lake AVA
The Clear Lake AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Lake County, California.Half of the area contained within the boundaries of the AVA is Clear Lake, the largest body of freshwater in the state of California, and the namesake for the county...
is Clear Lake, the largest body of freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
in the state of California, and the namesake for the county. The moderating influence of the lake on the surrounding area results in a climate with less diurnal variation in temperature
Temperature
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
than surrounding areas. Clear Lake AVA is one of the coolest climates in California, which has led to success with grape varietals like Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France., a possible descendant of savagnin...
.
Guenoc Valley AVA
Established in 1981, Guenoc Valley AVAGuenoc Valley AVA
The Guenoc Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area in Lake County, California, USA, about north of the town of Calistoga. Guenoc Valley AVA was the first American Viticultural Area designaion granted to an area with just a single winery....
was the first American Viticultural Area designation granted to an area with just a single 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...
. Guenoc Valley is a small inland valley comprising an alluvial fan of Arroyo Seco
Arroyo Seco
The Arroyo Seco, meaning "dry stream" in Spanish, is a seasonal river, canyon, watershed, and cultural area in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The Arroyo Seco has been called the most celebrated canyon in Southern California.-River course:...
and Conejo Loam series soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
s isolated from surrounding areas by rocky ridges.
High Valley AVA
The High Valley AVAHigh Valley AVA
High Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in the eastern part of Lake County, California. True to its name, the valley is situated on high elevations ranging from to , but it actually encompasses two distinct growing regions, the valley floor and the hillsides...
is located in the eastern part of thecounty. True to its name, the valley is situated on high elevations ranging from 1600 feet (487.7 m) to 3000 feet (914.4 m) in elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
. Red volcanic soils can be found on the hillsides while alluvial fan
Alluvial fan
An alluvial fan is a fan-shaped deposit formed where a fast flowing stream flattens, slows, and spreads typically at the exit of a canyon onto a flatter plain. A convergence of neighboring alluvial fans into a single apron of deposits against a slope is called a bajada, or compound alluvial...
s and bench
Bench (geology)
In geomorphology, geography and geology, a bench or benchland is a long, relatively narrow strip of relatively level or gently inclined land that is bounded by distinctly steeper slopes above and below it...
es on the valley floor provide well-drained beds for the vines.
Red Hills Lake County AVA
The Red Hills Lake County AVARed Hills Lake County AVA
The Red Hills Lake County AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Lake County, California. The wine region lies along the southwestern shores of Clear Lake, separating Excelsior Valley to the east from Big Valley to the west. The hills lie at the foot of Mount Konocti, an extinct volcano....
lies along the southwestern shores of Clear Lake, separating Excelsior Valley to the east from Big Valley
Big Valley
Big Valley can refer to:*The Big Valley, a Western TV series*Big Valley, Alberta*Big Valley, California **Big Valley, Calaveras County, California**Big Valley, Lassen County, California...
to the west. The hills lie at the foot of Mount Konocti
Mount Konocti
Mount Konocti is a volcano in Lake County, California on the south shore of Clear Lake. At , it is the second highest peak in the Clear Lake Volcanic Field, which consists of numerous volcanic domes and cones ranging from 10,000 to 2.1 million years old....
, an extinct volcano. The terrain is rolling hills with elevations between 1400 feet (426.7 m) and 3000 feet (914.4 m) above sea level.