Around forty-five kilometres east of San Francisco, Livermore Valley AVA has a rich tradition of winemaking that dates back to the middle of the eighteenth century. Notable as the winner of the United States’ first gold medal at the Paris Exposition in 1889, the appellation delivers a range of respected wines from grapes such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon.
San Francisco’s golden gate strait - straddled by perhaps the world’s most famous utilisation of the colour, International Orange - marks the northernmost point of the San Francisco Bay wine appellation. This AVA - part of the wider Central Coast sub-zone - covers the entire wine growing areas of five counties and is renowned for its wide variety of wines ranging from opulent, seductive blends in the Bordeaux style, to complex, buttery Chardonnay varietals and rustic Zinfandels.
Officially recognised as an AVA in 1981, Santa Cruz Mountains is a Californian wine appellation centred around the geological feature from which it takes its name. The area covers around one-hundred-and-fifty thousand hectares across the three counties of San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz, and is home to some of the state’s oldest wineries.
