Petaluma Gap AVA
| Wine region | |
| Type | American Viticultural Area |
|---|---|
| Year established | 2017 |
| Years of wine industry | 196 |
| Country | United States |
| Part of | California, North Coast AVA, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast AVA |
| Other regions in California, North Coast AVA, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast AVA | Los Carneros AVA, Russian River Valley AVA, Sonoma Valley AVA |
| Climate region | Mediterranean |
| Precipitation (annual average) | 30 inches (760 mm) |
| Soil conditions | Sedimentary parent material and alluvial. Common series include Steinbeck/Tomales and Clear Lake |
| Total area | 202,476 acres (316 sq mi) |
| Size of planted vineyards | 4,000 acres (1,619 ha) |
| No. of vineyards | 80 |
| Varietals produced | Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah |
| No. of wineries | 9 |
Petaluma Gap is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in southwestern Sonoma County, California encompassing the Petaluma Gap landform. It was established as the nation's 240th, the state's 139th and the county's nineteenth appellation on December 7, 2017 by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Patrick L. Shabram, on behalf of the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance (PGWA), proposing the viticultural area named "Petaluma Gap."
The appellation spans 202,476 acres (316 sq mi) stretching through an 30 miles (48 km) inland valley from the Pacific coast at Bodega Bay southeast to Highway 37 at Sears Point on San Pablo Bay straddling the border of northern Marin and southern Sonoma counties.
The wind gap in its coastal mountain range funnels cooling breezes and fog east from the Pacific Ocean through the city of Petaluma to San Pablo Bay. A persistent afternoon breeze causes lower grape yields and longer hang time contributes to the AVA vintages' unique flavors and fruit characteristics which defines their character and distinction At the outset, the AVA contains eighty commercially-producing vineyards which cultivate 4,000 acres (1,619 ha) sourcing nine bonded wineries. Around 75 percent of plantings are Pinot Noir, with Chardonnay at 13 percent, and Syrah 12 percent.