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The Mendocino Ridge AVA is a coastal, cool climate and high altitude American Viticultural Area located entirely within the coastal zone of Mendocino County, California. The boundaries of the AVA encompass the costal ridges adjacent to the Pacific Ocean that reach inland toward the Anderson Valley. Roughly 36 miles of the southernmost portion of the Mendocino Coast make up the western boundary of the AVA, with the Sonoma County line as the southern boundary, the Navarro River as the northern boundary and Anderson Valley as the inland boundary running northwest-southeast.〔''Mendocino Ridge AVA'' Map. Scale 1:68,000; generated by Everyvine, 2012.〕 The Mendocino Ridge AVA “is essentially a northern extension of the true Sonoma Coast viticultural area.”〔Gaffney, Rusty. "Mendocino Ridge: New Frontier for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay." ''PinotFile''Volume 8, Issue 9. January 22, 2010. http://www.princeofpinot.com/article/835/ Accessed Dec. 18, 2014〕 However, the Mendocino Ridge AVA designation is unique in that it is limited by elevation, reserved only for vineyards at or above 1200 feet. This is why the Mendocino Ridge AVA has been nicknamed “Islands in the Sky®,” because the vineyards sitting at 1200 feet or higher are often perched above thick fog moving inland from the Pacific Ocean blanketing the coast and the valleys between the ridge tops, making the tips of the mountains look like islands protruding from a sea of fog. In this overlapping, “()he Mendocino Ridge AVA floats above the Anderson Valley and Mendocino appellations.”〔 Mendocino Ridge is the only non-contiguous AVA in the United States;〔AmericanWineryGuide.com The 17 vineyards in the Mendocino Ridge AVA are: Fashauer Vineyards, Arietta-Dupratt Vineyard, Ciapusci Vineyard, Copper Queen, Drew Winery – Field Station Ranch, Ferrari-Carano Vineyards – Sky High Ranch, Gianoli Ranch Vineyards, Greenwood Ridge Vineyards, Mariah Vineyards and Winery, Perli Vineyards, Philo Crest Vineyards, Machester Ridge Vineyard, Baker Ranch Vineyard, Signal Ridge Vineyard, Valenti Vineyard, Wentworth Ranch and Vineyard, and Zeni Vineyard. The wineries located inside the Mendocino Ridge AVA are: Baxter Winery, Drew Family Cellars, Greenwood Ridge Winery, Mariah Vineyards and Winery, and Phillips Hill Winery. The average high temperature is 75.9 °F and the average low temperature is 49.4 °F.〔 In the Mendocino Ridge AVA “()he diurnal variation during the growing season is significantly less than the Anderson Valley (20 degrees versus 40-50 degrees in Anderson Valley), and daytime high temperatures are often 10 degrees cooler than in the Anderson Valley.”〔Gaffney, Rusty. “Mendocino Ridge: California’s Best Kept Secret Source of Spectacular Wines.” Pinot File Volume 9, Issue 8. June 24, 2012 < http://www.princeofpinot.com/article/1225/> Accessed Dec. 19, 2014〕 The soil composition is of the “timber” type, shallow and with good drainage due to the ridge top locations.〔 Average annual rainfall average is 58 inches,〔''Mendocino Ridge AVA'' Map. Scale 1:68,000; generated by Everyvine, 2012.〕 leaving sufficient groundwater to dry farm vineyards.〔 While Mendocino Ridge was only approved as an AVA in 1997, it has some of the oldest vineyards in the region.〔“Mendocino Ridge Viticultural Area (95R-017P).” Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. TD ATF-392. Treasury Decision September 24, 1997. < https://www.atf.gov/regulations-rulings/rulemakings/treasury-decisions/td-392.html> Accessed December 18, 2014〕 Italian immigrants in the late 1800s planted on Greenwood Ridge and surrounding areas, preferring zinfandel which remains a popular varietal in the AVA,〔Stewart, Rhoda. “Mendocino Ridge AVA is Zinfandel Heaven.” Appelation America. 16 April 2009. == References == 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Mendocino Ridge AVA」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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