page_title: Los Carneros AVA
section_title: Geography and climate
hierarchical_section_title: Los Carneros AVA / Geography and climate
caption_attribution_description: English: The Carneros AVA in relation to San Pablo Bay.
context_page_description: Los Carneros AVA is an American Viticultural Area which includes parts of both Sonoma and Napa counties in California, U.S.A.. It is located north of San Pablo Bay. The proximity to the cool fog and breezes from the bay makes the climate in Los Carneros cooler and more moderate than the wine regions farther north in Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley. The cooler climate has made Los Carneros attractive for the cultivation of cooler climate varietals like Pinot noir and Chardonnay. Many of the grapes grown in Los Carneros are used for sparkling wine production. Receiving its AVA status in 1983, the Carneros area was the first wine region in California to be defined by its climate characteristics rather than political boundaries.
  The default Windows XP "Bliss" background image was photographed here, a few years after the vineyards had been removed following a phylloxera infestation; they were replanted later, making the place unrecognizable as the Windows XP background.
context_section_description: The Carneros region covers 90 square miles (230 km²) located along the low-lying hills of the Mayacamas range as it descends underneath San Francisco Bay. Elevations of most vineyards range from 400 feet (120 m) in the foothills to near sea level closer to the bay. The official boundaries of the AVA fall into both Napa and Sonoma counties with the largest portion being in Sonoma and entitled to use the Sonoma Valley AVA designation as well. The Napa portion of Los Carneros is similarly entitled to use the Napa Valley AVA designation. The region is moderately cool and windy with marked influences from nearby San Pablo Bay, making it the coolest and windiest AVA in both Napa & Sonoma. Early morning fog is a persistent feature.
caption: Approximate location of the Carneros AVA (red box) in relation to San Pablo Bay.
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