Clements Hills is an AVA in the south-east of the larger Lodi AVA. It is bisected by the Mokelumne River, which runs through Lodi from the Sierra Nevada mountains. The Sierra Foothills are found to the east, and the town of Lodi lies to the north-west.
The warm climate and poor-quality soils here are well suited to the production of wines made from Spanish grape varieties such as Tempranillo, Grenache (Garnacha) and Albarino.
Clements Hills shares the Mediterranean climate that is enjoyed by much of Lodi, although this AVA is slightly warmer and wetter than those on the western side of Lodi. Intense sunlight is tempered by cooling breezes from the Golden Gate Gap, extending the growing season and ensuring balance in the wines of Clements Hills.
The water in the ground in this eastern part of Lodi is slightly lower than in the regions closer to the coast. Combined with shallow, rocky soils made up of decomposed granite and loam, this lower water table means that vines here develop deeper root systems to reach the water. The berries grown by these vines are small, with thick skins and low yields. Consequently, the wines made in Clements Hills tend to be more structured and have firmer tannins than those from regions on the western side of the Lodi AVA.
Although there are some wineries that call Clements Hills home, a significant portion of the vineyards in the region sell their grapes to other producers outside of the AVA. Clements Hills wines are often sold under the better-known Lodi AVA. While the Spanish varieties do excellently here, there are also plantings of Zinfandel, Syrah and Viognier.
