The Sierra Foothills wine region is one of the largest AVAs (American Viticultural Area), not only in California but also in the entire USA, encompassing 2.6 million acres, from Mariposa County in the south to Yuba County in the north.
In this historic gold mining region, altitude ranges from 1,000 to 3,000 feet above sea level. The warm days are followed by cool nights as a result of the altitude - this is conducive to quality grape growing as acidity is retained and aromas concentrated in the grapes which help to balance the finished wine. This vast area has a huge array of terroirs. The rocky soils vary with low fertility commonplace, which makes grape growing difficult. Vines are forced to dig their roots deep to find water and nutrients. The end result is often small yields of grapes with intense concentrated flavors.
Grape growers have been drawn to Sierra Foothills as the land prices are considerably cheaper than other Californian grape growing regions. Wine drinkers too have been attracted by the bargains, as often wines are half the price of comparable wines from coastal regions. Zinfandel is the main grape variety planted across much of the region where it produces big ripe full flavored styles. Because of the diverse climate many other varieties flourish, notably, Rhone, Bordeaux and Italian grapes. Syrah in particular has been found to thrive in this difficult changing environment.
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