Mendocino
Mendocino is the most northerly of California's wine producing regions and as such it is far removed from the glamour and high society of the more southerly regions. The over-arching “Mendocino County” appellation is home to a total of ten AVAs.
One of them is named, simply, “Mendocino” which largely nests together six smaller AVAs that you may be familiar with (Anderson Valley, Yorkville Highlands, McDowell Valley, Potter Valley, Redwood Valley, and America’s smallest AVA, Cole Ranch).
In addition, the “Mendocino County” appellation also encompasses “Dos Rios” AVA, “Covelo” AVA, and "Mendocino Ridge" AVA. Uniquely, while the latter’s land mass footprint covers a quarter million acres, the Mendocino Ridge AVA itself includes just the land 1,200 ft. and above in elevation, or about 87,000 acres of which less than 2,000 acres are vineyards.