Red Hills Lake County AVA is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Lake County, California and was established by Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury on September 10, 2004. The wine region lies along the southwestern shores of Clear Lake, separating Excelsior Valley to the east from Big Valley to the west. The hills lie at the foot of Mount Konocti, a volcano which last erupted 11,000 years ago, but which is still regarded as active.[5] The terrain is rolling hills with elevations between 1,400 feet (430 m) and 3,000 feet (910 m) above sea level. Red Hills receives an average of 25 to 40 inches (635–1,016 mm) of rainfall annually.[1][3]
Wine region | |
Type | American Viticultural Area |
---|---|
Year established | 2004[1] |
Country | United States |
Part of | California, North Coast AVA, Lake County, Clear Lake AVA |
Other regions in California, North Coast AVA, Lake County, Clear Lake AVA | High Valley AVA, Big Valley District-Lake County AVA, Kelsey Bench-Lake County AVA[2] |
Climate region | Region III |
Precipitation (annual average) | 25 to 40 inches (635–1,016 mm)[3] |
Soil conditions | Red volcanic[1] |
Total area | 31,250 acres (126 km2)[3] |
Size of planted vineyards | 3,000 acres (12 km2)[3] |
Grapes produced | Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Petite Verdot, Sangiovese, Sauvignon blanc, Syrah, Zinfandel[3] |
Varietals produced | Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Mourvedre, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Cinsault, Counoise, Syrah[4] |
No. of wineries | Sol Rouge, Cougar's Leap, Gregory Graham, and Fore Family |
38°55′02″N 122°45′21″W / 38.9173°N 122.7559°W