Solano County Green Valley AVA
| Wine region | |
| Type | American Viticultural Area |
|---|---|
| Year established | 1982 |
| Country | United States |
| Part of | California, North Coast AVA, Solano County |
| Other regions in California, North Coast AVA, Solano County | Suisun Valley AVA |
| Growing season | 312 days |
| Climate region | Region III-IV |
| Heat units | 3,498.2-3,683.9 GDD units |
| Precipitation (annual average) | less than 2.8 in (71 mm) |
| Soil conditions | Conejo clay loam |
| Total area | 10,626 acres (17 sq mi) |
| Size of planted vineyards | 800 acres (324 ha) |
| No. of vineyards | 4 |
| Grapes produced | Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, Syrah, Zinfandel |
| No. of wineries | 2 |
Solano County Green Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in a valley landform in Solano County, California, due east of the Napa Valley wine region in the Coast Range and 12 miles (19 km) northeast of San Pablo Bay. The wine appellation was established as the nation's 21st, the state's fourteenth and the county's initial AVA on November 24, 1982 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Mr. Ben A. Volkhardt, president of the West Solano County Grape Growers Association, proposing a viticultural area in Solano County, known as "Green Valley."
The name of the area, Green Valley, was well documented by the petitioner, as it describes the landform and the census-designated place Green Valley. After evaluating the petition and the comments received, ATF believed that the name "Solano County" should be made a part of the viticultural area name in order to distinguish this area from Green Valley in Sonoma County. ATF believed that the name "Green Valley," qualified by the words "Solano County," is the most appropriate name for the appellation and the additional detail will eliminate any possible consumer confusion concerning where the "Green Valley" AVA is designated. The petition and attached documents show that Green Valley is located in the southwestern portion of Solano County adjacent to the Napa County line and west of Suisun Valley. Green Valley is a small valley approximately one mile (2 km) wide and four miles (6 km) long and, at the outset, had about 400 acres (162 ha) of grapes within its boundaries with a winery scheduled to begin operations in the near future. It lies within the southern end of two ranges of the Coast Range, the Vaca Mountains on the east and the Mount George Range on the west. The valley's southern terminus is the marshlands of Suisun Bay. The plant hardiness zone ranges from 9a to 10a.