Sierra Foothills AVA [see-EHR-ruh]
Large appellation that runs through California’s “gold country.” It’s about 160 miles long and covers approximately 2,600,000 acres in parts of Yuba, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne, and Mariposa Counties. There are more than sixty wineries scattered throughout the region, mostly in El Dorado and Amador Counties. The Sierra Foothills AVA includes the smaller AVAs of El Dorado, Fiddletown, North Yuba, and Shenandoah Valley. The most widely planted grape variety by a very wide margin is Zinfandel. It’s followed by Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and an assortment of other grapes.
The New Wine Lovers Companion, 2nd Edition, by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Copyright © (1) 2003, 1995 by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Reprinted by arrangement with Barron's Educational Series, Inc.