The Mendocino Ridge is the only non-contiguous AVA in America. Only elevations of 1200ft or higher are included. Everything lower than that falls into Mendocino County or Anderson Valley appellations. Adjacent to the Pacific, the lower areas of coastal Mendocino County are regularly blanketed with a cooling fog, except for the ridges. These non-contiguous peaks rise from clouds of fog, seemingly like islands, bringing uninterrupted sunshine to the scattering of tiny vineyards nestled among Redwood and Douglas fir trees. The region covers more than a quarter-million acres of mountainous land, but just 75 acres of the entire viticultural area are planted, with Zinfandel being the local specialty since the late 1800s when many of these ridge-top vineyards were first planted. The legacy of the early Italian mountain vignerons is honored today, as Mendocino Ridge is recognized for producing some of the very best, most distinctive Zins anywhere.
