Lamorinda AVA

Lamorinda
Wine region
TypeAmerican Viticultural Area
Year established2016
Years of wine industry166
CountryUnited States
Part ofCalifornia, Central Coast AVA, San Francisco Bay AVA
Other regions in California, Central Coast AVA, San Francisco Bay AVALivermore Valley AVA, Santa Clara Valley AVA, Contra Costa AVA
Climate regionRegion II-III
Heat units2,816–3,225 GDD
Soil conditionsThin clay-rich Orinda formation
Total area30,000 acres (47 sq mi).
Size of planted vineyards139 acres (56 ha)
No. of vineyards46
Varietals producedCabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Grenache, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, Syrah
No. of wineries6

Lamorinda is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in the San Francisco Bay Area located due east of the Berkeley Hills in Contra Costa County encompassing the region around the cities of Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda. The name Lamorinda is a portmanteau from the names of the three locales defining the region: Lafayette, Moraga, and Orinda.
It was established as the nation's 233rd, the state's 138th and the county's fourth appellation on February 24, 2016 by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Patrick L. Shabram, on behalf of the Lamorinda Wine Growers Association, proposing the viticultural area named "Lamorinda."
The AVA is a sub-region within the existing San Francisco Bay AVA and the larger, multi-county Central Coast AVA stretching approximately 30,000 acres (47 sq mi) with, at the outset, 46 commercially-producing vineyards that cultivates approximately 139 acres (56 ha), and six bonded wineries with plans for three more. The appellation was proposed as the growers in the area found the wider San Francisco Bay and Central Coast AVA titles too generic and not indicative of its terroir. The USDA plant hardiness zone ranges from 9b to 10a.