You've been to Napa and Sonoma, now what?

If you've had trips to Napa Valley and neighboring Sonoma County, but want something new, where do you go? 

 

Santa Lucia Highlands in Monterey County, CA

 

Have you actually seen all of Sonoma County?

There are many microclimates in Sonoma, meaning pretty much every grape variety can be grown somewhere. It's a big county, bigger than Rhode Island, so be sure to explore the main growing areas and some of the smaller, less-known ones.

The most well-known American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) in Sonoma County are Alexander Valley, Carneros, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma Valley, and Russian River Valley. Each is known for specializing in certain wines. Then there are 14 lesser-known growing regions such as Bennett Valley and Green Valley.

Penner-Ash Cellars, Yamhill-Carlton AVA, Willamette Valley, OR

 

The premium wine producing regions on the West Coast:

California - The coastal areas starting to the north are the counties of Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara. Inland there is Amador, plus other Foothill counties, and the town of Lodi in San Joaquin County.

Oregon - The Willamette Valley grape-growing area, or American Viticulutural Area (AVA), produces most of the state's wines. It's comprised of parts of several counties in NW Oregon. This large AVA contains eleven sub-AVAs within it.

Washington - The vast Columbia Valley AVA of eastern Washington State make up most of the wine grape growing area. The primary wines grown are Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay, Riesling, then Syrah. This growing area has about 20 sub-AVAs.

Hint: Some grape varieties grow in similar climates. For instance, where you find Pinot Noir, you'll find Chardonnay. Where you find Cabernet, you'll find the other Bordeaux varietals such as Merlot. You'll also find Sauvignon Blanc where you find Cab.

Washington State vineyard planted on the banks of the Columbia River

Where to go if you're a fan of:

Chardonnay 
Monterey or Santa Barbara in CA.
Willamette in OR. 

Sauvignon Blanc
Lake County just north of Napa or Monterey in CA.
In the Yakima and Horse Heaven Hills areas of WA, near Prosser.

Pinot Gris
Willamette in OR.

Riesling
Mendocino in CA.
Yakima in WA. Also some in the Columbia Gorge and the far eastern Columbia Valley.

Pinot Noir
Monterey, Santa Barbara, and Mendocino in CA.
The Willamette Valley in OR is all about Pinot.

Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varietals
Lake and San Luis Obispo Counties in CA.
Central Columbia Valley in WA. Areas with the most premium Cab grown are Horse Heaven Hills, Wahluke Slope and Red Mountain, in the Prosser area.

Syrah
San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara in CA.
Concentrated in Horse Heaven Hills in WA.

Zinfandel
Amador, Mendocino, San Joaquin (Lodi), or San Luis Obispo of CA. Yes, Zin is pretty much a California thing. Look for Primitivo, as it's a sister clone of Zinfandel.

Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara County

Disclaimer: Once I get out of my wheelhouse or Northern California, I have to rely more on Google. :)
Some of the information is from various state and county resources.