Los Carneros
Sub-AVA · Sonoma County · District 3 — 59.16% of this appellation; also in Napa (40.84%)
27 CFR 9.32 · established 1983-08-18 · last amended 2006-11-15
Heat class II · 1991-2020 normals
Climate normals in three numbers
, Apr 1 – Oct 31
23 GridMET cells cover this region
raw 4 km GridMET would say III
season rain, Apr 1 – Oct 31
37 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
Hovering a shaded region names it; a click opens its page.
Measured vineyard area
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Drought categories, year by year
Sonoma County — not Los Carneros
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What's in the ground
6.1
pH, 1:1 water
18.0cm
, whole profile
140cm
to
Well drained
, dominant condition
Distribution across 97 · mean ◆, median │, p10–p90 bar
Dominant
- 32.6%
- 9.4%
- 8.9%
- 8.0%
- 5.4%
97 map units · soil described over 97.7% of the region’s area · 2.3% is water, rock outcrop or other non-soil · 46% of the described area has a restrictive layer within the profile.
Sand, silt and clay, against every other appellation
Clay loam
30% sand · 39% silt · 31% clay
Sandier than 5% of California appellations and clayier than 92%. Each grey point is one appellation’s topsoil; appellations nest, so this is a distribution of places rather than of land.
Plus 9% 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
Sonoma County · District 3 — 59.16% of this appellation; also in Napa (40.84%)
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Price per ton
Sonoma County · District 3 — 59.16% of this appellation; also in Napa (40.84%)
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The appellation in federal law
The boundary, in the government’s own words (499 words)
(c) Boundaries. The boundaries of the Carneros viticultural area are located in Napa and Sonoma Counties, California, and are as follows: (1) The point of beginning is the intersection of highway 12/121 and the Napa County-Sonoma County line, near the extreme southeast corner of the Sonoma Quadrangle map. (2) From there, following the Napa County-Sonoma County line generally northwestward for about 1.6 miles to the summit of an unnamed hill with a marked elevation of 685 ft. (3) From there in a straight line northeastward to the summit of Milliken Peak (743 ft.), located on the Napa Quadrangle map. (4) From there due eastward to the 400 ft. contour line. (5) Then following that contour line generally northwestward to Carneros Creek (on the Sonoma Quadrangle map). (6) Then following the same contour line generally southeastward to the range line R. 5 W/R. 4 W (on the Napa Quadrangle map). (7) Then continuing to follow the same contour line generally northward for about one mile, till reaching a point due west of the summit of an unnamed hill having a marked elevation of 446 ft. (That hill is about .8 mile southwest of Browns Valley School.) (8) From that point due eastward to the summit of that hill. (9) From there in a straight line northeastward across Buhman Avenue to the summit of an unnamed hill having a marked elevation of 343 ft. (10) From there due eastward to the Napa-Entre Napa land grant boundary. (11) Then northeastward along that land grant boundary to Browns Valley Road. (12) Then eastward along Browns Valley Road to Highway 29. (13) Then southward along Highway 29 to Imola Avenue. (14) Then eastward along Imola Avenue to the Napa River. (15) Then generally southward along the west bank of the Napa River to the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks. (16) Then generally westward and northwestward along the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks to their intersection with the township line T. 5 N./T. 4 N. (on the Sears Point Quadrangle map). (17) From there due westward to the Northwestern Pacific Railroad tracks. (18) Then generally southward along the Northwestern Pacific Railroad tracks to Highway 37. (19) The westward along Highway 37 to its intersection with Highway 121. (20) From there northwestward in a straight line to the summit of Wildcat Mountain (682 ft.). (21) From there northwestward, following a straight line toward the summit of Sonoma Mountain (2295 ft.—on the Glenn Ellen Quadrangle map) till reaching a point due west of the intersection of Lewis Creek with the 400-ft. contour line. (That point is about 4 1/3 miles southeast of Sonoma Mountain.) (22) From that point due eastward to Lewis Creek. (23) Then generally southeastward along Lewis Creek to Felder Creek. (24) Then generally eastward along Felder Creek to Leveroni Road (on the Sonoma Quadrangle map). (25) Then generally eastward along Leveroni Road to Napa Road. (26) Then eastward and southeastward along Napa Road to Highway 12/121. (27) Then eastward along Highway 12/121 to the starting point.