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Explore Syrah 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 Syrah 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:
Syrah is not grown in the Mendocino Ridge AVA.
The Russian River flows through the Mendocino AVA and contributes to the rich alluvial soils found there. Mendocino's Syrah is intense and concentrated with plenty of fruit and spice.
Syrah is not grown in the Anderson Valley AVA.
Syrah is not grown in the Redwood Valley AVA.
The Potter Valley AVA is right next door to and east of Redwood Valley. No Syrah is grown there.
No Syrah is 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.
The Yorkville Highlands AVA has unique, gravelly, well drained soils and a long growing season. Yorkville Highlands Syrah is intense with black fruit and spice
The Dos Rios AVA is the newest Mendocino AVA. No Syrah is grown there.
Syrah and Food Pairings
Pair Syrah with hearty stews, rich sauces or veal, steak, lamb or pasta dishes, Eggplant Parmesan, Cornish game hens.
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 California AVA regions where Syrah is grown or visit different varietals.
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. The Navigation bar provides links to vineyard and winery associations and Chambers of Commerce. These will direct you to information about area restaurants, lodging and local highlights.
Mendocino County (AVAs)
American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) are unique, legally designated grape growing areas that are defined by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF). These regions are most often defined by their topography, soil types, climate and sometimes historical relevance. Below are the sub-AVAs for the Mendocino County AVA.
| Mendocino Ridge | Mendocino |
| 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 Syrah. 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."
Zinfandel is the primary grape grown. This list shows only those wineries that produce or offer Syrah.
| Drew Wines | PO Box 313, Elk CA 95432; Phone: 707.877.1771; Fax: 707.877.1772; email: info@DrewWines.com; website: www.drewines.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 warmth and alluvial soils of the Mendocino AVA create Syrah with concentrated depth, displaying black cherry, plum and boysenberry fruit rounded out with mocha, black pepper, spices and sometimes with hints of earth and tobacco.
| Bonterra Vineyards | 2231 McNab Ranch Road, Ukiah CA 95482; Phone: 800.846.8637 x 457; email: fetzertasting room @b-f.com; website: www.bonterra.com, OS, ORG, |
| Dunnewood Vineyards | Box 268, Ukiah CA 95482; Phone: 707.462.2985; Fax: 707.462.0323; website: www.dunnewood.com. |
| Eaglepoint Ranch Winery | P.O. Box 401, Philo CA 95466; Phone: 8880.686.9463; Fax: 888.686.9463; email: info@eaglepointranch.com; website: www.eaglepointranch.com. SV/ES |
| Fetzer Vineyards | P.O. Box 611, Hopland CA 95449; Phone: 707.744.7600; Fax: 707.744.7605; website: www.fetzer.com. |
| Fife Vineyards | 3620 Rd. B, Redwood Valley CA 95470; Phone: 707.485.0323; Fax: 707.485.0832; email: info@fifevineyards.com; website: www.fifevineyards.com. OS+SV |
| 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 |
| Milano Family Winery | 14584 S 101 Highway, Hopland CA 95449; Phone: 707.744.1396; Fax: 707.744.1138 website: www.milanowinery.com. SV |
| Oracle Oaks Winery | 13275 S Highway 101, Suite 5, Hopland CA 95449; Phone: 707.744.1230; Fax: 707.744.1203; email: info@oracleoakswinery.com; www.oracleoakswinery.com. |
| Pacific Star Winery | 33000 N Highway 1, Fort Bragg CA 95437; Phone: 707.964.1155; Fax: 707.964.1105; email: diane@pacificstarwinery.com; website: www.pacificstarwinery.com. Open daily 11-5. 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.
| 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. ES+OS |
| Eaglepoint Ranch Winery | PO Box 550 Philo CA 95466; Fax: 888.686.9463; email: info@eaglepointranch.com; website: www.eaglepointranch.com. Tasting room in downtown Boonville. OS |
| Esterlina Vineyards | 1200 Holmes Ranch Road (PO Box 2) Philo CA 95466; Phone: 707.895.2920; email: info@EsterlinaVineyards.com; website: www.esterlinavineyards.com. 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. OS |
| Londer Vineyards & Winery | 4830 Monte Bloyd Road (PO Box 14), Philo CA 95466; Phone: 707.895.9016; email: info@londervineyards.com; website: www.londervineyards.com. SV+OS |
| Philo Ridge Vineyards | 27700 Nash Mill Road (PO Box 585), Philo CA 95466; Phone: 707.489.2303; Fax: 866.800.5122; email: hamckelvey@philoridge.com; website: www.philoridge.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.
The cooler Redwood Valley is not well suited to Syrah. The wineries listed below source their Syrah grapes from other regions.
| Fife Vineyards | 3620 Road B, Redwood Valley CA 95470; Phone: 707.485.0323; Fax: 707.485.0832; email: info@fifevineyards.com; website: www.fifevineyards.com. SV+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, ORG |
| 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 east of and next door to the 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. The climate of Potter Valley is similar to that of Northern Europe and largely favors several white varietals including Reisling and Sauvignon Blanc. No Syrah is produced in the region.
Cole Ranch is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Riesling. The AVA's soils are predominantly clay, loam and silt. No Syrah is produced 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.
| McDowell Valley Vineyards | PO Box 449, Hopland CA 95449; Phone: 707.744.1053; Fax: 707.744.1826; website: www.mcdowellsyrah.com. Tasting room 13380 South Highway 101, Hopland CA; Phone: 707.744.8911; Fax: 707.744.8919. Open daily 11-5. OS |
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 2,000 feet. Highway 128 divides the area that is marked by terrace like structures. The soils are well drained, thin gravel.
The Syrah produced in Yorkville Highlands is intense with blackberry and plum fruit and hints of allspice.
| 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. Syrah is not produced in Dos Rios AVA
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