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California Wine Atlas

El Dorado

AVA · El Dorado County · District 10

27 CFR 9.61 · established 1983-10-13 · last amended 1987-06-24

Heat class IV · 1991-2020 normals

Sub-appellationsFair Play
Also part ofSierra Foothills

Climate normals in three numbers

3,630°F-days

, Apr 1 – Oct 31

131 GridMET cells cover this region

IV

239mm

season rain, Apr 1 – Oct 31

69 mm of it in the , Sep 1 – Oct 31

Warm and cool vintages since 1980

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Rain across the season, and at harvest

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The boundary

This boundaryClick to open

Hovering a shaded region names it; a click opens its page.

Measured vineyard area

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Drought categories, year by year

El Dorado County — not El Dorado

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What's in the ground

5.9

pH, 1:1 water

14.2cm

, whole profile

101cm

to

Well drained

, dominant condition

Distribution across 170 · mean ◆, median │, p10–p90 bar

5.9
3.9%
18.2%
available water
14.2cm
depth to restriction
101cm

Dominant

  • 26.3%
  • 13.2%
  • 11.4%
  • 6.0%
  • 5.6%

170 map units · soil described over 89.5% of the region’s area · 18.2% is water, rock outcrop or other non-soil · 95% of the described area has a restrictive layer within the profile.

Sand, silt and clay, against every other appellation

CLAYSANDSILT

Loam

41% sand · 41% silt · 18% clay

Sandier than 46% of California appellations and clayier than 23%. Each grey point is one appellation’s topsoil; appellations nest, so this is a distribution of places rather than of land.

Plus 17% rock fragments by volume, which the triangle does not describe — the three fractions are of the fine-earth material only.

Elevation, slope and aspect

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Producers

A curated roster, not a census — only source-verified entries appear, 2772 published across the atlas.

Bearing acreage by variety

El Dorado County · District 10

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Price per ton

El Dorado County · District 10

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The appellation in federal law

The boundary, in the government’s own words (505 words)

(c) Boundaries. The boundaries of the El Dorado viticultural area which is located in El Dorado County, California, are as follows: (1) The beginning point of the boundaries is the intersection of the North Fork of the American River (also the boundary line between El Dorado and Placer Counties) and the township line “T. 11 N./T. 12 N.” (“Pilot Hill” Quadrangle); (2) Thence northeast along the North Fork of the American River to its divergence with the Middle Fork of the American River, continuing then, following the Middle Fork of the American River to its intersection with the Rubicon River which continues as the boundary line between El Dorado and Placer Counties (“Auburn,” “Greenwood,” “Georgetown,” “Foresthill,” and “Michigan Bluff” Quadrangles); (3) Thence southeast along the Rubicon River to its intersection with the range line “R. 11 E./R. 12 E.” (“Tunnel Hill” Quadrangle); (4) Thence south along the range line through T. 13 N. and T. 12 N., to its intersection with the township line “T. 12 N./T. 11 N.” (“Tunnel Hill” and “Slate Mountain” Quadrangles); (5) Thence east along the range line to its intersection with the range line “R. 12 E./R. 13 E.” (“Slate Mountains” and “Pollock Pines” Quadrangles); (6) Thence south along the range line to its intersection with the township line “T. 11 N./T. 10 N.” (“Pollock Pines” Quadrangle); (7) Thence east along the township line to its intersection with the range line “R. 13 E./R. 14 E.” (“Pollock Pines” and “Stump Spring” Quadrangles); (8) Thence south along the range line through T. 10 N., T. 9 N., and T. 8 N. to its intersection with the South Fork of the Cosumnes River (also the boundary line between El Dorado and Amador Counties) (“Stump Spring” and “Caldor” Quadrangles); (9) Thence west and northwest along the South Fork of the Cosumnes River to its intersection with range line “R. 11 E./R. 10 E.” (“Caldor,” “Omo Ranch,” “Aukum,” and “Fiddletown” Quadrangles); (10) Thence north along the range line to its intersection with the township line “T. 8 N./T. 9 N.” (“Fiddletown” Quadrangle); (11) Thence west along the township line to its intersection with range line “R. 10 E./R. 9 E.” (“Fiddletown” and “Latrobe” Quadrangles); (12) Thence north along the range line to its intersection with U.S. Route 50; (13) Thence west along U.S. Route 50 to its intersection with Cameron Park Drive; (14) Thence north along Cameron Park Drive to its intersection with Green Valley Road; (15) Thence east along Green Valley Road to its intersection with range line R.10 E/ R.9 E; (16) Thence north along the range line to its intersection with the township line T.10 N./ T.11 N; (17) Thence east along the township line approximately 4,000 feet to its intersection with the range line “R. 9 E./R. 10 E.” (“Coloma” Quadrangle); (18) Thence north on the range line to its intersection with the township line “T. 11 N./T. 12 N.” (“Coloma” Quadrangle); and (19) Thence west along the township line to the point of beginning (“Coloma” and “Pilot Hill” Quadrangles).