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Explore Sauvignon Blanc in Mendocino County |
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The Mendocino County AVA starts some 100 miles north of San Francisco. This is perfect CaliforniaWineOnline.com territory since it is largely unexplored by many wine lovers. Mendocino is an absolutely spectacular region with the Pacific Ocean crashing against high bluffs in the west, redwood forests, vineyards adorning mountain ridges and fog shrouded valleys. Mendocino County AVA has the privilege to have some of the most unique sub-AVAs in all of North America from the "Islands in the Sky" of the Mendocino Ridge AVA to the smallest of all AVAs, the six acre Dos Rios AVA. Mendocino County is highly diverse with coastal influences, mountaintops, river valleys, and inland regions that have either Mediterranean like climates or like Northern Europe. Mendocino has the distinction of being the leader of certified organically grown grapes world wide.
There are various routes north from San Francisco, most notably Highways 1 and 101. Highway 1 is the famous coastal highway which winds along spectacular ocean bluffs. This is not the quick route but it is the WOW! route. Pack your motion sickness pills. Highway 101, beautiful in its own right, becomes zippy once passed Santa Rosa. This is the road to take if you have time constraints.
A few keystrokes is another way to explore Mendocino County - from the comfort of your chair. Look through this site for all it has to offer.
How Great Cabernet Sauvignon is Created - Terroir
Much of the Mendocino County AVA is mountainous with several distinctive valleys. This is a fascinating region for terroir because of its great diversity. Check out the County's sub AVAs:
The Mendocino Ridge AVA does not produce Sauvignon Blanc though a wide variety of grape types are grown there. The long, sunny growing season of Mendocino Ridge creates wines of intriguing intensity.
The Russian River flows through the Mendocino AVA and contributes to the rich alluvial soils found there. The Sauvignon Blanc has hay and herbal accents with fruit flavors of grapefruit, melon and kiwi.
The Navarro River flows through the Anderson Valley AVA to the ocean. Cold ocean air and fog filter into the valley to create a microclimate region perfect for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Sauvignon Blanc grown in Anderson Valley has distinct fig and pear flavors with hints of cinnamon and peaches.
The Redwood Valley AVA has iron red alluvial soils and the climate tends to be perfectly moderate. A wide range of grape types are grown successfully in the Redwood Valley including Sauvignon Blanc. The flavors are distinctly citrus in character balanced with a hint of vanilla.
The Potter Valley AVA has a climate typical to northern Europe with moderate summer days and cool nights. Potter Valley Sauvignon Blanc has classic characteristics.
Sauvignon Blanc is not grown in the Cole Ranch AVA.
The McDowell Valley AVA, in the very southern portion of Mendocino County, with a mix of alluvial soils, is dry and warm in the summer. Rhone Varietals are grown in the region. No Sauvignon Blanc is grown in McDowell Valley.
The Yorkville Highlands AVA Sauvignon Blanc is aromatic with honeysuckle, pear and mango and it has grapefruit and mineral flavors.
No Sauvignon Blanc is grown in the tiny little six acre Dos Rios AVA.
Create Your Own Tour
Explore one region or sample the highlights of several. Find links in the navigation bar to the left to move back and forth between the different Mendocino County AVA regions where Sauvignon Blanc is grown or visit different varietals. Stay tuned as, over time, we will provide more information for you to fine tune your exploration.
Click on the Mendocino County sub-AVA links in the navigation bar on the left to go down the page to explore the AVAs listed in the table below. In the Navigation bar you will also find links to vineyard and winery associations and Chambers of Commerce which will direct you to information about area restaurants, lodging and local highlights.
California American Viticultural Areas (AVAs)
American Viticultural Areas are unique legally designated grape growing areas that are defined by the ATF. These regions are most often defined by their topography, soil types, climate and sometimes historical relevance. Below are the AVAs for The Sierra Foothills.
| Mendocino | Mendocino Ridge |
| Anderson Valley | Redwood Valley |
| Potter Valley | Cole Ranch |
| McDowell Valley | Yorkville Highlands |
| Dos Rios |
Source vs Out Source
Traditionally, most of Mendocino County's grapes were sent to other regions throughout the state, called out sourcing. In recent years, more and more vineyards in the County are using their grapes to produce wines for their own labels. In some of the tables below we have listed the wineries from other California AVA's that produce wines from 100% of the grapes originating from Mendocino single vineyard sources.
Interpreting the Codes
In the AVA winery tables below you will find codes at the end of many of the winery listings. These will provide information about the source of the grapes used in their wines. The interpretation of these codes are as follows:
Wineries that offer wines from which the majority of their grapes come from a specific AVA outside of that region will list the AVA name on the wine bottle label. We indicate this by: OS=Out Sourced. We will often include a code for the specific AVA: MR=Mendocino Ridge, etc. Single Vineyard wines are sometimes but not always the same thing as estate wines. Often wineries will make wines from 100% of the grapes from another vineyard and this is indicated by SV=Single Vineyard. Technically, the ES designation means the wine is produced at that winery from 100% of their own grapes. RE=Reserve Wine and this indicates a special edition produced by the winery. The letters above can be combined in different ways, for example SV+OS=Single Vineyard+Out Sourced from another region. OV=Old Vine.
| ES=Estate | SV=Single Vineyard | OS=Out Sourced | SV+OS=Single Vineyard+Out Sourced | OV=Old Vine | RE=Reserve |
| MR = Mendocino Ridge | M = Mendocino | AV = Anderson Valley | RV = Redwood Valley | PV = Potter Valley |
| CR = Cole Ranch | McDV = McDowell Valley | YH = Yorkville Highlands | DR = Dos Rios | MC = Mendocino County |
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The lists below show only those wineries that produce or offer Sauvignon Blanc. Click on the Cabernet Sauvignon logo above to go to the Mendocino County Cabernet Sauvignon page to see the complete list of wineries in the region.
***A functioning website is the criteria for winery/vineyard inclusion in the lists below.***
Mendocino Ridge AVA is unique among viticultural areas. This AVA is contained within the Mendocino County and it overlaps some with Anderson Valley but only those vineyards at an elevation of 1,200 feet in this mountainous region qualify for the AVA designation. This region has relative closeness to the cool Pacific Ocean and the fog that rolls through the valleys at night. The 1,200 foot elevation puts Mendocino Ridge vineyards well above the valley fog line. Two hundred fifty thousand acres surround these privileged vineyards but only seventy five of those are at or above 1,200 feet. This creates a unique, noncontiguous region that is popularly known as "Islands in the Sky."
There is no Sauvignon Blanc grown in the region.
| Greenwood Ridge Vineyards | 5501 Highway 128, Philo CA 95466; Phone: 707.895.2002; Fax: 707.l895.2001; email: everybody@greenwoodridge.com; website: www.greenwoodridge.com. OS |
The Mendocino AVA is located far inland, roughly two hours north of San Francisco (via Highway 101) at elevations between 500 to 3000 feet. This is a mountainous region bisected by the Russian River which creates distinctive microclimates. The higher elevations are composed of sandstone lifted from the ocean floor and igneous rock. The valleys are composed of alluvial soils laid down by the Russian River and its tributaries as well as soil washed down from higher elevations.
The Sauvignon Blanc from Mendocino is marked by herbal and citrus flavors with shades of ripe melon and kiwi.
| Jepson Vineyards | 10400 S Hwy 101, Ukiah CA 95482-9613; Phone: 707.468.8936; Fax: 707.468.0362; email: mboeckx@jepsonwine.com; website: www.jepsonwine.com. ES |
| McNab Ridge Winery | 2350 McNab Ranch Road, Ukiah CA 95482; Phone: 707.462.2423; website: www.mcnabridge.com. OS |
| Parducci Wine Cellars | (Ukiah Winery) 501 Parducci Road, Ukiah CA 95482; Phone: 707.463.5350, 888.362.9463 (WINE); Fax: 707.462.7260; email: tastingroom@parducci.com; website: www.mendocinowineco.com. Mendocino Tasting Room: 45070 Main Street, Mendocino CA 95460; Phone: 800.860.3347; Fax: 707.937.6193; email: tastingroom@mendocinowineco.com. OS |
| Saracina Vineyards | 11684 South Highway 101 (PO Box 618), Hopland CA 95449; Phone: 707.744.1671; Fax: 707.744.1472; email: info@saracina.com; website: www.saracina.com. OS |
Anderson Valley is formed by the Navarro River as it cuts its way through the coastal ranges to the ocean - a major influence on the climate of the region. The days are warm and sunny offset by nighttime and morning fog that rolls up the river. Pinot Noir is king in Anderson Valley followed by Chardonnay and several German varietals. This is one of California's premium sparkling wine regions.
Sauvignon Blanc is not widely grown here. It has flavors of fig, pear with hints of cinnamon spiced peaches..
| Breggo Cellars | 11001 Highway 128 (PO Box 601), Philo CA 95466; Phone: 707.895.9589; email: doug@breggo.com; website: www.breggo.com. Open daily 10-6. SV+OS |
| Brutocao Cellars | 7000 Highway 128, Philo CA 95466; Phone: 707.895.2152; 800.433.3689; email: info@brutocaocellars.com; website: www.brutocaocellars.com. Anderson Valley Tasting Room, 7000 Highway 128 Philo CA 95466; 800.661.2103. |
| Greenwood Ridge Vineyards | 5501 Highway 128, Philo CA 95466; Phone: 707.895.2002; Fax: 707.895.2001; email: everybody@greenwoodridge.com; website: www.greenwoodridge.com. Open daily 10-5. OS |
| Handley Cellars | 3151 Highway 128, Philo CA 95466; Phone: 707.895.3876, 800.733.3151; email: info@handleycellars.com; website: www.handleycellars.com. Open daily, May-Oct 10-6, Nov-April 10-5, tours by appointment. ES, ES+OS |
| Husch Vineyards | 4400 Highway 128, Philo CA 95466; Phone: 800.55.HUSCH; website: http://huschvineyards.com. Open daily 10-5 winter, 10-6 summer. ES+OS |
| Navarro Vineyards | 5601 Highway 128, Philo CA 95466; Phone: 800.537.9463; 707.895.3686; Fax: 707.895.3647; website: www.navarrowine.com. OS |
Redwood Valley is located north of Lake Mendocino and follows the Russian River for 12 miles at an elevation of 750 to 1,500 feet above sea level. This contributes to a slightly cooler climate overall. It shares a border with Potter Valley AVA. Despite the relative coolness of the region, microclimates allow for a wide selection of varietals to thrive. Among those are: Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Merlot, Pinot Noir, a number of Italian varietals and more. The predominantly red, iron rich soils of the Redwood Valley yield rich, full bodied wines.
Sauvignon Blanc is grown in the Redwood Valley and it has distinct lemon and grapefruit citrus character with hints of vanilla.
| Elizabeth Vineyards | 8591 Colony Drive; Redwood Valley CA 95470; Phone: 707.485.9009; Fax: 707.485.6006; email: tasting@elizabethvineyards.com, info@elizabethvineyards.com; website: www.elizabethvineyards.com. Tasting by appointment only. OS |
| Frey Vineyards | 14000 Tomki Road, Redwood Valley, CA 95470; Phone: 707.485.5177; 800.760.3739; Fax: 707.485.7875; email: info@freywine.com; website: www.freywine.com. Tastings by appointment only. OS, ES |
| Graziano | 13251 S Highway 101, Suite 3; Hopland CA 95449; Phone: 707.744.VINO (8466); Fax: 707.744.8470; email: info@grazianofamilyofwines.com; website: www.grazianofamilyofwines.com. Open daily 10-5. OS |
Lolonis Winery |
1905 Road D, Redwood Valley CA 95470; Phone: 707.485.7544, 925.938.8066; Fax: 925.938.8069; website: www.lolonis.com. ES, ORG |
The Potter Valley AVA is the next door neighbor, east of Redwood Valley AVA. There are around 1,000 acres of vines in the region but those grapes are out sourced to wineries throughout California. We have decided that we will track down and list wineries that offer 100% Potter Valley Wine so this will be an ever expanding table. Stay tuned. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir. No Sauvignon Blanc is currently grown in Potter Valley.
Though the winery listed below is not in the AVA, it produces 100% Sauvignon Blanc from Potter Valley that has gooseberry, lemon grass and quince character.
| Kalin Cellars | 61 Galli Drive, Suites F & G, Novato CA 94949; Phone: 415.883.3543; Fax: 925.283.2909; website: www.kalincellars.com. |
Cole Ranch is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Riesling. The AVA's soils are predominantly clay, loam and silt. No Sauvignon Blanc is grown in Cole Ranch.
McDowell Valley is about three and a half miles long and about one mile wide. It sits at 1000 feet in the Mayacamas Mountains and McDowell Creek drains into the Russian River in the west. This is a 330 acre single vineyard AVA. The soils are a mix of alluvium, gravel and clay. Summers, here in the southeastern portion of Mendocino County, are dry and warm with plenty of sun making this a prime region for Zinfandel and Rhone Varietals. Sauvignon Blanc is not grown in McDowell Valley.
Yorkville Highlands, in the south central portion of Mendocino County is favored with moderate temperatures and a long growing season. The elevation is above 800 feet to about 1,950feet. Highway 128 divides the area that is marked by terrace like structures. Thin gravelly well drained soils.
Some Sauvignon Blanc is grown in the Yorkville Highlands with aromas of honeysuckle, pear and mango and grapefruit and mineral flavors.
| Bink Wines | 545 West I Street, Benicia CA 94510; Phone: 707.246.4468; Fax: 707.746.6483; website: www.binkwines.com. SV |
Dos Rios, another tiny (all of six acres!), single vineyard AVA in northern Mendocino County and overlooks the middle fork of the Eel River. This is a brand new viticultural region that was approved in November of 2005. No Sauvignon Blanc is grown in Dos Rios.
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