Inland Valleys Wine Region of California
This region covers the same area as the “Central Valley,” with which we are all familiar for agriculture.
This is the breadbasket of the United States. It runs from Redding in the north to just past Bakersfield in the south and includes the Sacramento Valley, the Delta, the San Joaquin Basin, and the Tulare Basin, covering 450 miles.
This is where one-quarter of the nation’s food is produced with over 250 different crops, including wine grapes.
Yes, this is where you will find much of the bulk wine produced in California. Many of the vineyards here are massive, and the wineries attached to them are more like factories and are not open to the public. But, within all of this, you find some truly exciting gems.
Sometimes, the regions are more important than the counties, so we will mix and match how we describe these areas. The Largest and most well-known wine region in the Inland Valleys is Lodi, which straddles both Sacramento and San Joaquin Counties.
Yolo County
Yolo County is the furthest north in the region and is within the Sacramento Valley. The county sits west of the city of Sacramento.
We have already discussed some AVAs that overlap with the Solano County AVAs to the west.
The entire region has 14 wineries.
Get more information at https://www.yolocountywines.com/
Capay Valley AVA
Home to 4 wineries, this AVA was founded in 2003. It is on the northwestern border of Yolo County. You will find Rhône varieties made by the 4 wineries in the AVA. The wineries run along Route 16 North of Capay near the area of Cadenasso to Brooks.
The vineyards run along Cache Creek, which flows through the region.
Beyond wine grapes, this agricultural valley has groves of olives, almonds, walnuts, citrus, stone fruit, berries, figs, vegetables, honey, and livestock.
Learn more about the region at https://capayvalleygrown.net/
Dunnigan Hills AVA
Sitting just east of Capay Valley and butting up to the I5, is the Dunnigan Hills AVA. It is home to 2 wineries. The AVA was founded by John & Karl Giguiere, 5th-generation farmers. Their family came to the region from Quebec City in the 1850’s.
Clarksburg AVA
The Clarksburg AVA is shared with Sacramento, Solano, and Yuba Counties and is home to 5 wineries. It wraps around the Merrit Island AVA, just south of Sacramento, and shares a border with the Lodi appellation.
Merritt Island AVA
The Merritt Island AVA is a landmass cut off from the surrounding area by water. The Sacramento River runs down its east side, and the Elk Slough snakes down its west side. It is a sub appellation of the Clarksburg AVA, 6 miles long by 1 ½ miles wide.
Winters Highlands AVA
This new AVA is shared with Solano County and sits along the 505 and the 128 (which takes you across the Vaca Mountains into Napa. The AVA is centered around the town of Winters, where you can find tasting rooms for the 2 wineries in the AVA.
This, again, is agricultural land, and you will find many walnut orchards in the area.
Valleys versus Counties – Sacramento and San Joaquin
Sacramento County is part of the Sacramento Valley. This county includes Lodi and its nested AVAs. The San Joaquin Valley covers parts of 8 counties, including Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare.
Let’s start with Lodi and its 7 sub AVAs
Lodi AVA
The Lodi AVA is the largest in America as far as vines planted. The region has a Mediterranean climate and well-drained soils.
Established in 1986, this region sits 90 miles east of the San Francisco Bay, in the Inland Valleys.
The Lodi AVA has 7 sub AVAs that were established in 2006.
Mokelumne River AVA
The largest sub-AVA is named for the Mokelumne River. It sits in the southwest corner of the Lodi AVA. It is in this AVA that you find the city of Lodi.
Almost half of this region is under vine! The area is 85,700 acres in total, with 42,000 planted!
Soils here are alluvia with Tokay sandy loam. These are rich soils, and the area is flat and low at just 10-85 feet above sea level.
This region is affected by the Delta breeze.
When I said, that ½ of the area is planted to vines, that might have given you a vision of extensive commercial vineyards. Well, those are there, but there are also these glorious tiny patches of Old Vines planted here.
Marian’s Vineyard is one of those spots. Just 8.3 acres of Zin planted in 1901. Yep, go back and read that again. 1901.
https://www.stamantwine.com/Vineyards/Marians-Vineyard
There is also Bicshofberger Vineyard with Carignan vines planted in 1936
The Lodi Winegrape Commission has a great article on these old vines.
Jahant AVA
This is the smallest sub-AVA and sits just north of Mokelumne.
The region has pinkish soils called Rocklin-Jahant loam, which are sandier on the top.
Dry Creek runs through the top of the region. Its growing season is the coolest in the area due to the Delta fog it sees.
Again, this is a low-lying floodplain region at 10-80 feet above sea level.
This AVA of 28,000 acres is about 1/3 planted to vineyards.
Cosumnes River AVA
Holding the northwest corner of the Lodi AVA, the Consumnes River AVA is named for the river that runs through it.
You find low slopes and terraces at 5-48 feet above sea level.
Soils are silt, sand, gravel, and clay that are moderately fertile.
Alta Mesa AVA
Sitting east of Consumnes River AVA, this AVA takes in a mesa with the San Joaquin soil series.
The soil is clay and gravel, making it challenging to plant. The elevations are a bit higher here, from 31 to 135 feet above sea level.
Temperatures here are a bit higher.
Sloughhouse AVA
This AVA is the northeast corner of the Lodi AVA, sitting 21 miles southeast of Sacramento.
You find more woodlands here, with vineyards planted to about 10% of the overall acreage.
The slopes here run from 100 to 590 feet and are rocky; winters here are the coolest in the region.
During the growing season, they get more rain than the rest of the region, with little fog, and they have the highest diurnal shift (daytime to nighttime temps) in the area.
Borden Ranch AVA
This AVA sits on the Lodi AVA’s eastern edge, just below Sloughhouse.
Dry Creek runs through it, and it straddles Sacramento and San Joaquin Counties.
The region is more prairie (as the Ranch name would indicate), and elevations range from 73 to 520 feet with hills, so multiple aspects are available for planting.
As it is further inland, it is warmer and experiences more rain and wind than the rest of the area.
Soils here are volcanic mud and stony clay loam.
Clements Hills AVA
Sitting below Borden Ranch on the eastern edge of the Lodi AVA is Clement Hills AVA. As its name indicates, the region is hilly and has forested areas. Elevations run from 100-450 feet.
The soils here are old and less fertile.
Like Borden Ranch, it is wetter and warmer, with good diurnal shifts.
For more information on Lodi Wine visit
Outside of Lodi
Other AVAs in Sacramento and San Joaquin Counties
While the most well known of the Inland Valley AVA in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Counties reside in the Lodi AVA, there are several others that are outside the region.
Clarksburg AVA
We previously discussed this AVA, which is shared by Yolo, Solano, Sacramento, and Yuba Counties.
River Junction AVA
Located in the San Joaquin Valley, the River Junction AVA is west of Modesto and south of Lodi.
The name comes from the location between the San Joaquin and Stanislaus rivers.
It is one of the smallest AVAs in California, covering just 1,300 acres.
The area is known for its sandy loam soils, which are free-draining and perfect for vineyards. The rivers also moderate the climate here.
Tracy Hills AVA
Sitting a little further west than the River Junction AVA, the Tracy Hills AVA is shared by San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties.
Created in 2006, the AVA has a few boutique wineries.
The elevations here range from 100 to 500 feet above sea level and overlook the River Junction AVA to the east.
The name comes from the town of Tracy, around which you find the vineyards in Altamont Hills. The coastal Ranges block marine influence.
Soils are alluvial and colluvial and are free-draining.
The growing season is typically dry, and the area gets good breezes to keep disease pressure low.
Fresno County & Madera County
Madera AVA
This AVA surrounds the town of Madera, just north of Fresno. It is near the southern end of the Inland Valley in the San Joaquin Valley and is shared by Fresno and Madera Counties.
Grapes here are grown for wine, table grapes, and raisins.
The climate here is dry and sunny, great for raisins and fortified wines.
Madera AVA is known for dessert and port-style wines, but they grow many grapes for table wines.
This region is in Merced County, so perhaps pick up a bottle to enjoy by the fire at a lodge near Yellowstone.
For more information, https://www.themaderawinetrail.com/
Squaw Valley-Miramonte AVA
The Squaw Valley-Miramonte AVA is in Fresno County and just outside to the east of the primary Inland Valleys region. Here, you are close to the national parks, Yosemite, and Sequoia, and if you drive into the mountains, you will find Kings Canyon National Park, which is spectacular.
To get to the region, you take a scenic highway into Kings Canyon.
The elevations here are 1,600-3,500 feet above sea level, and vineyards are on south—and southwest-facing slopes. This gives the grapes the sunshine they need to ripen, tempered by the cool night winds in the mountains.
You’ll find a wide variety of grapes planted here, including the classic International Varieties of Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc, but also Italian varieties like Sangiovese, Aglianico, Barbera, Teroldego, and Dolcetto. Other varieties include Viognier, Syrah, Mourvedre, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, and Zinfandel.
Learn more at https://veasm.org/
Stanislaus County
Stanislaus County covers an area around the city of Modesto, extending to the foothills of the Stanislaus Mountains to the east and the Pacific Coast Ranges to the west.
In addition to the Tracy Hills AVA shared by San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties, you will find 3 AVAs within the county.
Salado Creek AVA
Approved in 2004, the Salado Creek AVA is in the Northern part of Stanislaus County near Patterson. This small AVA is named for the small river flowing from the Diablo Mountains.
Most of the vineyards are found at the base of the Diablo Mountains near Salado Creek.
The soils are alluvial, well-drained, and called the “Ensalado Series.”
The region is in a hot part of the Central Valley but is influenced by the Sacramento Delta, which brings cooler breezes to extend the ripening season.
You will find small growers here who sell grapes to wineries. Primarily, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, and Viognier are grown here.
Paulsell Valley AVA
Approved in 2022, the Paulsell Valley AVA sits west of the Sierra Foothills and south of Lodi.
There are hills in the region that are low and cut with arroyos. They have an interesting landscape feature called “intermounds.” These are isolated hills that allow multiple aspects for planting.
Elevations run from 140-162 feet above sea level.
Soils are volcanic, with lots of volcanic tuff and some alluvial soils.
Red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, and Teroldego are grown here.
Diablo Grande AVA
West of the Salado Creek AVA, you will find the Diablo Grande AVA. It sits about 30 miles east of San Jose.
The name suggests a connection with Mount Diablo, a peak in the Pacific Coast Range in Contra Costa County. But it actually comes from the Diablo Grande Resort, which owns all the land within the AVA.
The resort is a residential community with a private golf club and courses designed by Jack Niklaus.
Established in 1998, the site has primarily well-drained sand and clay soils, and elevations range from 1,000 to 1,800 feet above sea level.
Hot with high winds, the growing season here is short, and yields are typically high.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Sangiovese, and Syrah are primary varieties.
Up Next – The Sierra Foothills
Tomorrow we move further inland to explore the AVAs of the Sierra Foothills!
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine and WSET 3 Certified. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
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