North Coast Wine Map: Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake County in 3D

Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Mendocino, Lake County, and the North Coast AVAs in full 3D terrain.

This interactive 3D North Coast wine map shows 56 of California’s North Coast AVAs on real terrain, from Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley, Sonoma Coast and Mendocino down to the Napa Valley districts of Oakville, Rutherford, Stags Leap and Howell Mountain through the Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley and Alexander Valley in Sonoma to Anderson Valley in Mendocino and the Red Hills of Lake County, plus the overarching North Coast, Central Coast and San Francisco Bay AVAs, drawn in 3D by SommGeo. Fly between counties with the bookmarks, check elevation and slope, and click any AVA for its grapes and character. The interactive map is part of SommGeo membership, which starts with a free 15-day trial.

• AVAs on the map: 56 North Coast AVAs, from Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley, Sonoma Coast and Mendocino down to their nested districts, plus the overarching North Coast, Central Coast and San Francisco Bay AVAs, every boundary clickable
• Napa’s frame: The Mayacamas to the west and the Vaca range to the east, with 15 nested Napa Valley AVAs on the map from Calistoga to Coombsville
• Fog: The Petaluma Gap and San Pablo Bay pull Pacific air into Carneros, the Russian River Valley and the southern Napa Valley
• Mountain AVAs: Howell Mountain and Crystal Springs of Napa Valley start at 1,400 feet, and Mendocino Ridge counts only vineyards above 1,200 feet
• Signature grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa, Alexander Valley and Knights Valley; Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Carneros, the Russian River Valley and Anderson Valley; Zinfandel in Dry Creek Valley and Rockpile
• 3D tools: Tilt and rotate the terrain, bookmarks to fly between areas, elevation profile readouts, daylight and shadow animation and a weather overlay

California’s North Coast covers Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Mendocino, and Lake County, and the terrain drives the differences between them. Two parallel mountain ranges (the Mayacamas and the Vaca) frame Napa Valley. Sonoma’s appellations spread from fog-cooled coastal ridges to warm inland benchlands. Mendocino and Lake County add higher elevations and volcanic soils further north. The geography is dense with nested and overlapping AVAs, and the relationships between them only make sense in 3D. This map covers the North Coast AVAs with detailed popup data. The bookmarks are the best way to navigate: use them to fly between Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake County. Use the arrow keys on the popups to explore overlapping AVAs.

What You’ll Explore

This 3D Fast Map covers the AVAs of California’s North Coast. Click any mapped AVA for detailed popup content covering grape varieties, classification details, and geographic specifics. Start with the bookmarks to fly between Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Mendocino, and Lake County. Then use the layer controls to filter by AVA grouping and the elevation profile tool to trace the mountain ranges and valley floors.

• North Coast AVAs mapped with detailed popup data
• Bookmarks to fly directly between Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake County
• Toggleable layers to control which AVA groupings are displayed
• Elevation profile tool for measuring mountain passes and valley floor altitudes
• Daylight and shadow animation to visualize aspect and sun exposure
• Weather overlay to see how Pacific fog and coastal influence interact with terrain

Key Regions in Focus

Napa Valley

Napa Valley is roughly 30 miles (48 km) long and 5 miles (8 km) wide, framed by the Mayacamas to the west and the Vaca Mountains to the east. The valley floor rises from sea level at Carneros (cool, fog-influenced) to around 400 feet (120 m) at Calistoga (warmer, sheltered). Seventeen nested sub-AVAs reflect the diversity: Oakville and Rutherford produce benchmark Cabernet Sauvignon on the benchland, Howell Mountain and Spring Mountain District add altitude and volcanic soils, and Stags Leap District on the Vaca side occupies a specific exposure that moderates afternoon heat. In 3D, the narrow valley profile and the mountain walls that contain it are immediately clear. Use the bookmarks to fly the length of the valley and compare sub-AVAs.

Sonoma County

Sonoma is geographically larger and more varied than Napa, and the terrain tells the story. The Russian River Valley, shaped by the river’s path through the coastal hills, channels fog from the Pacific directly into the vineyards, creating ideal conditions for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Sonoma Coast AVA covers a vast, fog-cooled area along the ocean, with the Petaluma Gap (a wind gap in the coastal hills) producing some of the region’s most site-driven Pinot Noir. Dry Creek Valley, further inland, is warmer and sheltered, producing Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon on benchland soils. Alexander Valley, at the northern end, adds warmer valley-floor conditions for Cabernet.

Mendocino and Lake County

North of Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake County offer altitude and distinct geology that set them apart. Mendocino’s soils are largely alluvial and marine sedimentary, while Lake County is defined by the volcanic terrain surrounding Clear Lake and Mount Konocti. Anderson Valley, in western Mendocino, is a narrow, fog-cooled valley producing high-quality sparkling wine, Pinot Noir, and Gewürztraminer. The inland Mendocino Ridge AVA (defined by elevation rather than a continuous boundary, covering vineyards above 1,200 feet / 365 m) and Redwood Valley add warmer, hillside conditions. Lake County, centered on Clear Lake at roughly 1,300 feet (400 m), is one of the highest wine-growing areas in the North Coast, with volcanic soils (including the Red Hills Lake County AVA on volcanic red clay) and intense sunshine moderated by altitude. The 3D terrain makes Lake County’s volcanic basin and the Mayacamas separation from Napa immediately visible. The bookmarks take you between these northern areas and the more familiar Napa and Sonoma zones to the south.

Hopefully this index is useful on its own. To explore these regions interactively, with every boundary on real terrain and a full profile for each, start a 15-day free trial. To see what one of these maps is like first, a different map is unlocked for everyone every day. For a flat view of the same AVAs, see the United States Fast Map.