California Wineries

Ranked by volume, California is the fourth largest wine producer in the world, behind Italy, France and Spain. In 2005, California wineries shipped more than 225 million cases domestically and internationally.

The California Wine Institute divides the state into five major wine producing regions:

• North Coast – which includes Napa Valley and Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties.
• Sierra Foothills – which includes El Dorado, Amador and Calaveras counties.
• Central Valley – with wine grape growers found predominantly in Lodi and the San Joaquin valley.
• Central Coast – with major appellations in the Livermore Valley, the Santa Cruz mountains and Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
• Southern California – centered around Temacula, a city north of San Diego in the Inland Empire area of the state.

Visitors are often surprised to learn that only about 400 of the nearly 1,700 California wineries are located in the Napa Valley and that roughly half of them produce less than 5000 cases per year. While the bigger wineries often offer the most interesting tours, you should definitely include some of the smaller ones on your list for tastings. Some wineries are open by appointment only, and in the summer months it can be necessary to make those appointments six to eight weeks in advance. Some wineries offer free tastings, and while $5-10 seems to be typical if there is a charge, some that include a tour and/or food accompaniments can cost as much as $50. It’s best to do some advance research.

Since California law criminalizes driving with a blood alcohol concentration at or above .08 percent, one of the best ways to learn about and enjoy this component of your California vacation is to contract with a limousine or tour company and leave the driving to someone else. You should also be advised that state law makes it illegal to have any open container of alcohol in the passenger compartment of a vehicle. Legal drinking age in the state is 21.

To view the entire selection of wineries and companies providing wine-related tours and services listed in the Guide, see California Wineries and other tours.