Clear Lake

East of Mendocino County and Northeast of Sonoma, Lake County contains the Clear Lake, Benmore Valley, and Guenoc Valley AVA appellations. In the late nineteenth century Lake County was a major player in the Northern California wine market, but Prohibition nearly wiped it out completely. However, with the wine boom of the 1960s, vines were planted again in the second half of the twentieth century, and vineyards are now making good white and red varieties. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Zinfandel are all prevalent, though Sauvignon Blanc is probably the best-known wine from the region.

The region’s wine growing is centered around Clear Lake, a large body of water that provides a cooling effect on the otherwise hot area. The climate is further influenced by the region’s high altitude—the lowest vineyards are still at 1,300 feet above sea level. Soils are a mixture of old volcanic debris and alluvial clay, and rainfall is minimal requiring irrigation for nearly all the grapes grown in Lake County. [Content provided by Bottlenotes]

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