San Francisco Bay AVA
The San Francisco Bay AVA is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) centered on the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was established on March 22, 1999 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by a consortium of nearly 75 growers and vintners led by Wente Bros. to establish a new viticultural area in Northern California known as "San Francisco Bay" to be within the Central Coast viticultural area. The San Francisco Bay AVA includes the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, San Francisco and San Mateo as well as parts of Santa Cruz and San Benito counties. The AVA was established by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) in 1999 and encompasses over 1,566,720 acres (2,448 sq mi). The AVA falls within the larger Central Coast AVA and contains five designated sub-region AVAs within its boundaries; Lamorinda AVA, Livermore Valley AVA, Pacheco Pass AVA, San Ysidro District AVA, and Santa Clara Valley AVA.
| Wine region | |
| Type | American Viticultural Area |
|---|---|
| Year established | 1999 2006 Amended |
| Country | United States |
| Part of | California, Central Coast AVA |
| Sub-regions | Lamorinda AVA, Livermore Valley AVA, Pacheco Pass AVA, San Ysidro District AVA, Santa Clara Valley AVA |
| Total area | 1,566,720 acres (2,448 sq mi) |
| Size of planted vineyards | 5,800 acres (2,347 ha) |
| Grapes produced | Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Grenache, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Pinot noir, Riesling, Syrah, Zinfandel |
| No. of wineries | 39 |
In conjunction with establishing San Francisco Bay viticultural area, ATF is amending the boundaries of the Central Coast viticultural area to include the San Francisco Bay AVA. The previous boundaries of the Central Coast already encompassed part of the San Francisco Bay area. Approximately 689 square miles (440,960 acres) was added to Central Coast with an additional 2,827 acres (1,144 ha) under vine.