Sierra Foothills AVA

Sierra Foothills is a vast American Viticultural Area (AVA) encompassing the foothill "belt" of the Sierra Nevada in north-central California, United States. It was established on December 18, 1987 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after evaluating the petition filed by the Sierra Foothills Winery Association of Somerset, California for the establishment of a "Sierra Foothills" viticultural area in portions of Yuba, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Mariposa Counties. Wine grapes were introduced to the area in the nineteenth century during the California Gold Rush. Over 280 vineyards/wineries are located within its boundaries.^[1][2]

Sierra Foothills

Wine region
Vineyards near Vallecito, California
Type	American Viticultural Area
Year established	1987[1]
Years of wine industry	184[1]
Country	United States
Part of	California
Sub-regions	California Shenandoah Valley AVA, El Dorado AVA, Fair Play AVA, Fiddletown AVA, North Yuba AVA
Climate region	Mediterranean
Soil conditions	decomposed granite[2]
Total area	2,688,000 acres (4,200 sq mi)[1]
Size of planted vineyards	5,700 acres (2,307 ha)[1][3]
No. of vineyards	150[1]
Grapes produced	Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Grenache, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Viognier, Zinfandel[3][2]
Varietals produced	48[2]
No. of wineries	211[2]

History

Wine grapes were planted in the foothills of Yuba County in the 1850's and 1,000 acres (405 ha) were dedicated to cultivation, but by 1930, as a result of Prohibition, the vineyards were replaced by orchards of peaches and prunes. After Repeal in 1933, wine grape growing re-surged in the valley lowlands. The viticulture in Yuba County has been associated with the Sacramento Valley because from the mid-1930's to the early 1980's wine grapes were not being cultivated in the foothills of Yuba County.^[1][4]

Terroir

"Sierra Foothills" viticultural area encompasses Sierra Nevada's north-central foothill "belt", an interior range that extends about 360 miles (579 km) in a northwest to southeast orientation from Mt. Lassen to Walker Pass near Bakersfield. The area is approximately 170 miles (274 km) long from Yuba County to Mariposa County and lies 40 miles (64 km) to the east of Sacramento with elevations ranging from 500 feet (152 m) above sea level, e.g., Jackson Valley and Auburn Ravine, to 3,500 feet (1,067 m) in Mariposa County. In comparison with the North Yuba viticultural area which ranges in elevation from 1,000 to 2,000 feet (305–610 m), the Sierra Foothills viticultural area fully encompasses the range in elevation for the North Yuba viticultural area. The area encompasses 4,200 square miles (2,688,000 acres) and is one of the state's largest viticultural areas.^[1]

The characteristics which distinguish the Sierra Foothills viticultural area from surrounding areas are summarized as follows:

1. Name (viticulture found geographically in the foothills "belt" of the Sierra Nevadas);
2. History (origins dating to the Gold Rush of 1849);
3. Geology, topography, elevation and soils (the region is part of the Sierra Nevada geomorphic province, with different geology and soils than the Great Valley province and the High Sierras); and,
4. Climate, rainfall and temperature (the region has warm summer days and cool nights, with lower temperatures and higher rainfall than the Central Valley and higher temperatures and lower rainfall than the mountainous uplands of the Sierra Nevadas).^[1]

Vineyards

Sierra Foothills has 5,700 acres (2,307 ha) being cultivated for wine grapes in about 180 vineyard/wineries. The most common grape variety is Zinfandel, which accounts for 2,300 acres (931 ha). Cabernet Sauvignon is planted on 600 acres (243 ha), and Syrah is planted to 560 acres (227 ha). The most common white grape variety is Chardonnay, planted to 289 acres (117 ha). Other grape varieties are grown in smaller quantities. Vineyards are generally planted in locations 1,500 to 3,000 feet (460–910 m) above sea level.^[3]

There are over 200 wineries located within the Sierra Foothills. Many are small, boutique wineries, often family-owned. The first known planting in the Sierra Foothills was in the Coarsegold Gulch area during the Gold Rush period.^[5]

• Bear River Winery
• Lone Buffalo Winery
• Ironstone Vineyards
• Le Casque Winery

See also

• California wine

References

1. "Sierra Foothills Viticultural Area" (27 CFR Part 9 [T.D. ATF-261; Notice No. 632] Final Rule). Federal Register. 52 (222). Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury: 44103–44106. November 18, 1987. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
2. "Sierra Foothills (AVA): Appellation Profile". Appellation America. Appellation America Inc. 2024. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
3. "The Appellations Of California Wine: Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys, Delta, and Sierra Foothills". Wine Institute. 2007. Archived from the original on October 10, 2007. Retrieved October 3, 2007.
4. Balzer & Geis 1978, p. 213
5. Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, Calif.: Word Dancer Press. p. 760. ISBN 1-884995-14-4.

Further reading

• Johnson, Hugh; Robinson, Jancis (October 1, 2019). The World Atlas of Wine (8th ed.). London, England: Mitchell Beazley. ISBN 978-1784726652.
• Balzer, Robert Lawrence; Geis, Darlene (January 1, 1978). Wines of California. New York: Abrams. ISBN 978-0810907508.

External links

• Sierra Vintners
• Wine Institute
• TTB AVA Maps

38°09′44″N 120°28′44″W