McDowell Valley
Sub-AVA · Mendocino County · District 1
27 CFR 9.36 · established 1981-12-04 · last amended 2024-11-06
Heat class III · 1991-2020 normals
Climate normals in three numbers
, Apr 1 – Oct 31
4 GridMET cells cover this region
season rain, Apr 1 – Oct 31
53 mm of it in the , Sep 1 – Oct 31
Warm and cool vintages since 1980
loading vintages…
Rain across the season, and at harvest
loading vintages…
The boundary
Hovering a shaded region names it; a click opens its page.
Measured vineyard area
loading crop mapping…
Drought categories, year by year
Mendocino County — not McDowell Valley
loading drought monitor…
What's in the ground
6.5
pH, 1:1 water
16.4cm
, whole profile
135cm
to
Well drained
, dominant condition
Distribution across 29 · mean ◆, median │, p10–p90 bar
Dominant
- 28.7%
- 12.1%
- 11.8%
- 7.0%
- 5.8%
29 map units · soil described over 99.7% of the region’s area · 1.6% is water, rock outcrop or other non-soil · 49% of the described area has a restrictive layer within the profile.
Sand, silt and clay, against every other appellation
Loam
45% sand · 34% silt · 22% clay
Sandier than 62% of California appellations and clayier than 46%. Each grey point is one appellation’s topsoil; appellations nest, so this is a distribution of places rather than of land.
Plus 14% rock fragments by volume, which the triangle does not describe — the three fractions are of the fine-earth material only.
Elevation, slope and aspect
loading terrain…
Bearing acreage by variety
Mendocino County · District 1
loading acreage…
Price per ton
Mendocino County · District 1
loading crush report…
The appellation in federal law
The boundary, in the government’s own words (395 words)
(c) Boundaries. (1) Beginning at the northwest corner of Section 22 T13N R11W. (2) Then southerly along the section line between Sections 22 and 21 approximately 1700 feet to the intersection of the section line and the ridge line (highest elevation line) between the McDowell Creek Valley and the Dooley Creek Valley. (3) Then southeasterly along the ridge line (highest elevation line) to the intersection of the ridge line and the 1000-foot contour line in Section 27. (4) Then southeasterly and on the McDowell Creek Valley side of the ridge along the 1000-foot contour line to the intersection of the 1000-foot contour line and the south section line of Section 27. (5) Then easterly along the section line between Sections 27 and 34 and between Sections 26 and 35 to the intersection of the section line and the centerline of Younce Road. (6) Then southeasterly and then northeasterly along Younce Road to the intersection of Younce Road and the section line between Sections 26 and 35. (7) Then due north from the section line, across Coleman Creek approximately 1250 feet, to the 1000-foot contour line. (8) Then westerly and then meandering generally to the north and east along the 1000-foot contour line to the intersection of the 1000-foot contour line and section line between Sections 26 and 25. (9) Then continuing along the 1000-foot contour line easterly and then northwesterly in Section 25 to the intersection of the 1000-foot contour line and the section line between Sections 26 and 25. (10) Then northerly along the 1000-foot contour line to the intersection of the 1000-foot contour line and the section line between Sections 23 and 24. (11) Then northerly along the section line across State Highway 175 approximately 1000 feet to the intersection of the section line and the 1000-foot contour line. (12) Then generally to the northwest along the 1000-foot contour line through Sections 23 and 14 and into Section 15 to the intersection of the 1000-foot contour line and the flowline of an unnamed creek near the northeast corner of Section 15. (13) Then southwesterly and down stream along the flowline of said unnamed creek and across Section 15, to the stream's intersection with the section line between Sections 15 and 16. (14) Then southerly along the section approximately 100 feet to the northwest corner of Section 22 and to the point of beginning.