Sierra Vintners is part of the Sierra Foothills AVA (American Viticultural Area), which was established in 1987 on the western edge of the Sierra Nevada. The Sierra Foothills AVA is roughly 160 miles long, stretching from Yuba County in the north to Mariposa County in the south.
Wine grapes were first planted here during the California Gold Rush, but like in so many California regions rich in wine history, serious winemaking reemerged and flourished only within the past thirty years or so.
Like much of Northern California, the area has a classic Mediterranean climate, with warm summers and rainy winters that often include snow in higher elevations. Nevada County's four distinct seasons, and its range of elevations and landscapes, makes it a fertile home for more than forty varieties of wine grapes, ranging from Chardonnay, Merlot, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Sauvignon to Cabernet Franc, Barbera, Sangiovese and Tempranillo. Grape growers and winemakers here have learned to use that variety that nature gives them, and to combine it with premiere winemaking techniques and styles to create some of California's most surprising award-winning wines.
|
 |
