American Viticultural Area · CA

Anderson Valley

Anderson Valley is a federally-designated American Viticultural Area in CA, established in 1983. The map below shows its official TTB boundary alongside nearby AVAs.

The Anderson Valley boundary is highlighted. Nearby AVAs are rendered in gray — click any of them to view that AVA's page.

At a glance

Established

1983

State

CA

Climate

Cool maritime

Signature varietals

Pinot Noir Chardonnay Gewürztraminer

Boundary recorded in 27 CFR Part 9 · Source: TTB

About the Anderson Valley AVA

Anderson Valley, in southern Mendocino County and designated 1983, is one of California's coolest growing regions. The valley opens westward toward the Pacific Ocean only about ten miles away, and morning fog hangs heavy through much of the summer. The roughly 20-mile-long AVA divides loosely into a cooler "deep end" near Navarro and a slightly warmer eastern end near Boonville and Philo.

The cooler end produces aromatic whites — Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris — and is also Roederer Estate's source for traditional-method sparkling, planted in 1982. The slightly warmer eastern end produces some of California's most highly regarded Pinot Noir; producers like Littorai, Williams Selyem, and Goldeneye source heavily from Anderson Valley fruit.