©Vin De Tevis
Dos Rios is a small AVA situated 40 miles (65km) north of Ukiah in northern Mendocino County. As the name ("two rivers" in Spanish) implies, the AVA centers around the confluence of two of Mendocino County's key rivers – the Eel River and Middle Fork of the Eel River. It is home to a single winery, Vin de Tevis, that produces Dos Rios wines from red grape varieties including Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Petit Verdot and, interestingly, Charbono.
The growing conditions in this region are quite different from those in the rest of Mendocino County. Dos Rios has a transitional climate with continental characteristics, due to the significant cooling effects of the Pacific Ocean. The vineyards are located on steep, infertile slopes that warm up in the hot summer sunshine and retain their heat in the cold nights, thanks to their high stone content. Indeed, there is a noteworthy similarity between the terroir of Dos Rios and that of the hotter, steeper appellations of the Rhône Valley, including those of Hermitage and the Côte-Rôtie.
Dos Rios lies to the southwest of Covelo, another small and underdeveloped Mendocino County AVA. As it happens, the creation of both AVAs was effectively the handiwork of an amateur vigneron named Ralph Carter, who petitioned for their appellation status.
