Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak AVA

Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) straddling the borders of Mendocino and Sonoma County, California. It was established on October 27, 2011 by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Sara Schorske of Compliance Service of America on her and on behalf of local wine industry members proposing the 4,570 acres (7 sq mi) Northern California viticultural area known as "Pine Mountain-Mayacmas." The area lies approximately 90 miles (145 km) north of San Francisco and five miles (8 km) north-northeast of Cloverdale, surrounding much of Pine Mountain, which rises to the east of Hwy 101 and the Russian River, to the north of that river's Big Sulphur Creek tributary, and to the immediate west of the Mayacmas Mountains. Approximately two-thirds of the proposed viticultural area lies in the southernmost portion of Mendocino County, with the remaining one-third located in the northern portion of Sonoma County. It is located at the top of Pine Mountain, at the Northern end of the Mayacamas Range, which separates the Napa and Sonoma growing regions. The AVA rises between 1,600 and 2,600 ft (488–792 m) making the area one of the most elevated grape growing regions in California. TTB determined, after public comments, that the "Mayacmas" portion of the proposed name could be misleading or confusing for consumers due to the length of the Mayacmas Range, which extends beyond the Pine Mountain region. After reviewing the public comments as well as the evidence provided in support of the alternate "Cloverdale Peak" name, TTB agreed that the proposed "Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak" name was appropriate for the viticultural area because it more accurately and specifically describes the location of the viticultural area.