Suisun Valley AVA
"it's the climate"
There’s something special about Suisun Valley, and it’s all in the name. Suisun, pronounced sue soon, is the Native American word for west wind. These winds cool the valley, creating ideal growing conditions for ultra premium and luxury class wine grapes.
I realized we needed proper recognition for our wines and we established Suisun Valley as the 12th official California American Viticultural Area in 1982, just a year after our neighbor, Napa Valley, was designated.
In 1983 the North Coast Appellation combined Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino counties, plus Suisun Valley, Green Valley and parts of Lake and Marin counties, into an ultra premium wine grape growing region, with worldwide recognition.
Suisun Valley is around eight miles long and three miles wide – about 15,000 acres. It’s a cool climate, with plentiful daytime sun, and cool afternoon breezes out of San Pablo bay. Fog is rare in Suisun Valley because the George Range protects us from the effects of the Pacific Ocean. The soil here is abundant, deep, and varied.
As it should be, Suisun Valley is at the forefront of ultra premium wine grape growing regions – and it shows in our wines.
- Chick Lanza
