Wine Country

Wine Country

Wine region
Top to bottom to right: Domaine Carneros in Los Carneros AVA; Castello di Amorosa in Napa Valley AVA; the historic Walters Ranch Hop Kiln; V. Sattui Winery; Chateau Montelena in Calistoga AVA; Inglenook in Rutherford AVA; Napa Valley in autumn.
Year established	1812
Years of wine industry	1812–present
Country	United States
Part of	California wine
Sub-regions	Wine Country AVAs
Climate region	Mediterranean

Wine Country is the region of California, in the northern San Francisco Bay Area, known worldwide as a premier wine-growing region.^[1] The region is famed for its wineries, its cuisine,^[2] Michelin star restaurants, boutique hotels, luxury resorts, historic architecture,^[3] and culture.^[4] Viticulture and wine-making have been practiced in the region since the Spanish missionaries from Mission San Francisco Solano established the first vineyards in 1812.

There are over 1700 wineries in the North Bay, (according to Alcoholic Beverage Control of California), mostly located in the area's valleys, including Napa Valley in Napa County, and the Sonoma Valley, Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Bennett Valley, and Russian River Valley in Sonoma County. Wine grapes are also grown at higher elevations, such as Atlas Peak and Mount Veeder AVAs.^[5] Cities and towns associated with the Wine Country include Santa Rosa, Healdsburg, Sonoma, Kenwood, Petaluma, Sebastopol, Guerneville, Windsor, Geyserville, and Cloverdale in Sonoma County; Napa, Yountville, Rutherford, St. Helena and Calistoga in Napa County; and Hopland and Ukiah in Mendocino County. Wine is also becoming an important part of the economy in nearby Lake and Solano Counties.