Wine-Growing Areas

Gewürztraminer in California

Here is an overview of principal California American Viticultural Areas, (AVAs), the U.S. equivalent of appellations, associated with Gewurztraminer. For a deep dive into specific regions, please visit our Regional Guides.

California Gewürztraminer Acreage by County (2021)

COUNTY 2021 TOTAL GRAPE ACRES
(bearing and non-bearing)		 2021 TOTAL GRAPE HECTARES
(bearing and non-bearing)
Monterey 374 151.35
Yolo 252 101.98
Mendocino 123 49.78
Sonoma 99 40.06
Sacramento 62 25.09
Santa Clara 60 24.28
San Joaquin 57 23.07
Madera 50 20.23
Solano 30 12.14
Lake 16 6.47
Other 55 22.26
STATE TOTAL 1,177 476.32

Much of California is considered too warm for Gewurztraminer, a finicky grape that requires a slightly cooler climate to fully ripen, without losing acidity. Further, Gewurztraminer is a finicky variety when it comes to soil and adaptability.

Little of this variety exists in the Golden State, where it is grown in just 18 of California’s 58 counties. While no region overly dominates quantitatively, the best expressions are concentrated in just a few spots, notably Mendocino County’s Anderson Valley, Sonoma County’s Sonoma Valley, plus diminutive amounts in the Napa Valley. Given the viticultural challenges, those producers dedicated to quality drive the state’s reputation for the grape. In the end, the reality is that fewer than 476 ha/1,177 acres of Gewurztraminer are planted in California, a testament to the deep-seated commitment of those that do opt to produce it. Moreover, close to a third is planted in warmer, more volume-driven regions, where the grape’s bold aromatics are put to use in enhancing the aromatics of otherwise blander white wine bottlings.

Gewürztraminer Around the World

As Andrew Jefford poignantly once wrote in Decanter magazine: “Gewurztraminer is the wine world’s equivalent of a peaty whisky such as Laphroaig, or yeast-extract spreads like Marmite; it’s either loved or loathed.” True … but that has not stopped producers globally from making wines to please those who do love it!

  • France: Alsace
  • Italy: Alto Adige
  • Germany: Pfalz, Baden, Rheinhessen
  • Australia: New South Wales (Riverina), Southern Australia (Riverland)
  • New Zealand: North Island (Gisborne, Hawkes Bay)
  • The Americas:
    • Canada: British Columbia (Okanagan Valley)
    • Chile: Aconcagua (San Antonio), Central Valley (Curicó), Southern Valleys (Bio Bio) Aconcagua (Casablanca)
    • United States: Washington, Oregon, New York, Michigan, Virginia
    • Argentina
    • Brazil: Rio Grande do Sul
  • Other Countries: Spain (Aragon, Catalunya), Luxembourg, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, South Africa, Japan, Israel