Mendocino named Wine Enthusiast’s American wine region of the year: one of California’s greenest

Grapes grown among redwoods and the fresh ocean breeze, small wineries tucked between hills, and vintners welcoming visitors in barns with dirt floors: this is Mendocino, where you can feel the essence of the most authentic and sustainable Californian winemaking. Often overshadowed by its famous neighbors, like Napa Valley and Sonoma County, this corner of Northern California has been named Wine Enthusiast's Wine Region of the Year. The accolade celebrates not only the quality of Mendocino’s wines but also its commitment to organic viticulture and environmental conservation.

Mendocino’s wine region

Spanning 275,000 acres of vineyards (over 111,000 hectares), Mendocino boasts one of the highest proportions of organic cultivation in the state, with 25 percent of its vineyard land certified organic, accounting for a third of California's total. Elizabeth Archer, communications head for Bonterra Organic Estates and marketing manager for Mendocino Winegrowers, proudly tells Wine Enthusiast that the region has long been a “hidden gem” and a “model for sustainable growth” for the entire area. Mendocino's varied terroir, from the warm inland slopes to the cooler hills overlooking the ocean, enables an extraordinary diversity in wine production, including robust Cabernet and Syrah and delicate Anderson Valley Pinot Noir.

Unlike nearby AVAs (American Viticultural Areas), Mendocino has remained more rural and less impacted by wine tourism. “This is a special place,” Archer says, emphasizing how Mendocino is also a microcosm of rural and agricultural communities. “We have very famous neighbors, and we’re sometimes overlooked. But that’s what makes us unique.” Here, wine is not only a product to consume but also a means to convey values of preservation and environmental responsibility for future generations. Archer explains that visitors to Mendocino may find themselves tasting wines in rather informal settings, among small growers and winemakers who humbly carry on their work with deep respect for the land.

The terroir of Mendocino’s Region

Viticulturally, Mendocino is defined by its great biodiversity, supported by its vast land and contrasting microclimates. Driving from Sonoma to Mendocino along Highway 101, you traverse a range of terroirs that condenses the essence of Californian wine regions into a few miles. Vines grow on the sunny slopes of Yorkville Highlands and in cooler valleys like Anderson Valley, where both still and sparkling Pinot Noir achieve peak delicacy and aromatic complexity. In northern Mendocino AVA, Potter Valley is home to the sources of the Russian River, which flows south toward Lake Mendocino and Sonoma County. Here, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah, and Petite Sirah thrive in the sunlight, while Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, the region’s main white varieties, flourish in cooler parts of the county.

In Mendocino, even larger wineries like Bonterra, Goldeneye, and Roederer employ local workers, many of whom are multi-generational residents or people who, like Archer, fell in love with the region. “As soon as I arrived, I felt a deep peace, as if I had finally come home,” she says. It’s a sentiment shared by those who put down roots in Mendocino, a welcoming land that has made authenticity and simplicity its calling card. Winning the Wine Star Award offers Mendocino an opportunity to finally showcase itself to the world. Archer explains that the community is thrilled at the prospect of more people discovering not only its wines but also its “informal and friendly” lifestyle. In Mendocino, you might taste wine in a barn, meet the producer at the table, and hear stories of families with generations-long ties to the land.