Upper Lake Valley AVA
| Wine region | |
| Type | American Viticultural Area |
|---|---|
| Year established | 2022 |
| Years of wine industry | 146 |
| Country | United States |
| Part of | California, North Coast AVA, Lake County, Clear Lake AVA |
| Other regions in California, North Coast AVA, Lake County, Clear Lake AVA | Big Valley District-Lake County AVA, Guenoc Valley AVA, High Valley AVA, Kelsey Bench-Lake County AVA, Long Valley-Lake County AVA, Red Hills Lake County AVA |
| Growing season | 202 days |
| Climate region | Region II-III |
| Heat units | 2,809–3,434 GDD units |
| Precipitation (annual average) | 35 to 43 in (890–1,090 mm) |
| Soil conditions | Millsholm–Skyhigh-Bressa (loams and clay loams), Still–Lupoyoma (loams and silt loams), Tulelake–Fluvaquentic–Haplawuolls (silty clay loams) |
| Total area | 17,360 acres (27 sq mi) |
| Size of planted vineyards | 300 acres (120 ha) |
| No. of vineyards | 16 |
| Grapes produced | Cabernet Sauvignon, Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc,Tempranillo, Zinfandel |
| No. of wineries | 1 |
Upper Lake Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in northern Lake County, California located adjacent to the northern shoreline of Clear Lake. The appellation was established as the nation's 266th, the state's 146th and the county's ninth AVA on June 3, 2022, by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Terry Dereniuk, on behalf of the Growers of Upper Lake Valley, proposing a viticultural area named "Upper Lake Valley."
The AVA lies within the established multi-county North Coast AVA and the established Clear Lake AVA. Upper Lake Valley encompasses approximately 17,360 acres (27 sq mi) and, at the outset, contained 16 commercial vineyards cultivating approximately 300 acres (120 ha) with only one bonded winery, Nice Wine Co., that was acquired in 2018 by Shannon Family of Wines. At the time the petition was submitted, at least one additional vineyard was planned.
Upper Lake Valley is elevated between 1,326 and 2,820 feet (404–860 m) above sea level in a series of valleys north of the unincorporated towns of Upper Lake and south of the Mendocino National Forest (Bachelor Valley, Middle Creek Valley, Clover Valley), and a stretch of Clear Lake's north shore extends from Upper Lake in the west to the unincorporated community of Nice to the east.
The Elk Mountain Valley appellation was originally proposed, but after consultation with the TTB, it was abandoned in 2018 favoring the Upper Lake Valley petition.
The Clear Lake AVA boundaries were slightly modified to fully encompass the Upper Lake Valley appellation that lies in the Upper Lake Groundwater Basin on four water-bearing formations: Quaternary alluvium, Pleistocene terrace deposits, Pleistocene lake and floodplain deposits, and Plio-Pleistocene cache creek. The petition mentions that the basin "contains high levels of ammonia, phosphorus, chloride, iron, boron, and manganese." Fifty-six percent of the area are made out of loam soil variations: Millsholm–Skyhigh-Bressa, Still–Lupoyoma, and Tulelake–Fluvaquentic–Haplawuolls. Constant, gentle winds keep grapes and leaf canopies cool and dry, and reduce the risk of mildew. Vineyards in the appellations are mostly planted on gentle slopes, favoring drainage. The plant hardiness zone range is 8b to 9b.