El Dorado AVA
El Dorado is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in El Dorado County, California , east of the state’s capital, Sacramento and centered around the county seat of Placerville. It was established on November 14, 1983 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Treasury after approving the submitted petition from the El Dorado Wine Grape Growers Association of Camino, California applying to establish a viticultural area named "El Dorado.” The area includes parts of El Dorado County on the north border by the Middle Fork American River and on the south by the South Fork of the Cosumnes River. El Dorado viticultural area lies within the vast 4,062 square miles (2,600,000 acres) Sierra Foothills viticultural area, one of the largest appellations in California, which extends about 170 miles (274 km) through portions of Yuba, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Mariposa Counties. The El Dorado viticultural area encompasses 1,093,120 acres (1,708 sq mi) which entirely includes Fair Play and a small portion of northeastern California Shenandoah Valley AVAs.
| Wine region | |
El Dorado County vineyard | |
| Type | American Viticultural Area |
|---|---|
| Year established | 1983 1987 Amended |
| Years of wine industry | 176 |
| Country | United States |
| Part of | California, Sierra Foothills AVA |
| Other regions in California, Sierra Foothills AVA | Fiddletown AVA, North Yuba AVA |
| Sub-regions | California Shenandoah Valley AVA, Fair Play AVA |
| Precipitation (annual average) | 33 to 45 in (838–1,143 mm) 3–4 in (76–102 mm) per 300 ft (91 m) elevation rise |
| Soil conditions | Volcanic and sedimentary deposits; alkaline |
| Total area | 1,093,120 acres (1,708 sq mi) |
| Size of planted vineyards | 2,000 acres (809 ha) |
| Grapes produced | Aglianico, Albarino, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Charbono, Chardonnay, Cinsault,Counoise, Fiano,Gewurztraminer, Graciano, Grenache noir, Grenache blanc, Malbec, Marsanne, Merlot, Mondeuse, Mourvedre, Muscat Canelli, Muscat of Alexandria, Petite Sirah, Pinot gris, Pinot noir, Pinotage, Riesling, Rolle, Roussanne, Sangiovese, Sauvignon blanc, Semillon, Syrah, Tannat, Tempranillo, Tinta Cao, Touriga Nacional, Vermentino, Viognier, Zinfandel |
| Varietals produced | 32 |
| No. of wineries | 57 |