San Diego is the southernmost county (and AVA) in California, stretching from Orange and Riverside counties in the north to the border with Mexico in the south. In the past, most wines produced here were sold to local consumers, but their popularity further afield is growing as quality triumphs over quantity. The county is particularly noted for bold, ripe red wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Petite Sirah.
San Diego County is the second most populous in California (after Los Angeles), and most of the population live around the city of San Diego in the south-west. Viticulture mostly takes place in the hills that run the length of the county, separating the Pacific Ocean from the Colorado Desert in the east. San Diego's two sub-AVAs, Ramona Valley and San Pasqual Valley, can both be found in these hills, although there are many wineries scattered across the larger county.
The history of viniculture in San Diego County stretches right back to the time of the first Catholic missionaries in California. San Diego de Alcalá, established in 1769, was the first mission and the vineyard that was planted then to make sacramental wine is largely considered to be the first in California (although viticulture in nearby Mexico predates this by almost 200 years). Commercial viniculture sprung up following the California Gold Rush of the 1850s, but Prohibition in the 1920s spelt the end of San Diego's wine industry until its resurrection in the 1990s.
San Diego County has a moderate Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and mild winters. Despite this, most vineyards in the region are located close enough to the coast to benefit from cooling winds and fog from the Pacific Ocean. These temperature-moderating factors are enough to lengthen the growing season, ensuring grapes don't lose acidity as they ripen slowly.
Much of the county is covered by chaparral, a kind of low scrub that is similar to the garrigue of Languedoc-Roussillon in France and the fynbos of South Africa. This scrubland has sometimes been destructive to the vineyards of San Diego County – wildfires are not uncommon and in the past, vines have been destroyed.
Viticulture has enjoyed a renaissance in San Diego County in the past 20 years and many boutique producers are making excellent wine under the San Diego County AVA.
San Diego is also an important center of craft beer production.
