Yolo County Wine

Yolo County AVA lies west of Sacramento and has slightly cooler growing conditions than much of the rest of the Central Valley. This is because coastal winds penetrate via the Sacramento River Delta. Yolo’s central location means it is surrounded by the counties of Napa, Solano, Sacramento, Lake, Colusa, and Sutter.

Most vineyards within the Yolo County AVA are planted in the eastern sub AVAs of Clarksburg and Merritt Island where the cooling coastal influence is most prevalent and the soils are generally deep and fertile. To the southwest of the region the smaller sub AVAs of Dunningan Hills and the Capay Valley are more marginal with dryer conditions and poorer soils. Chardonnay is the most widely planted variety in Yolo County; there are smaller plantings of Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.