Tehachapi Mountains AVA

Wine grapes were cultivated in the Tehachapi Mountains as far back as the 19th century, but Prohibition brought commercial activity to a halt. Growing resumed in 2006, and a 2007 petition for a 'Tehachapi/Cummings Valley AVA' was declined by the TTB due to insufficient planted acreage. Vineyard owners filed a new petition in 2018, and the AVA was officially established on November 18, 2020, becoming effective December 21, 2020.

• Wine grapes first grown in the area during the 19th century
• Commercial viticulture resumed in 2006 after a Prohibition-era gap
• A 2007 AVA application was rejected for insufficient planted acreage
• The current AVA petition was filed in 2018 and approved in 2020

The Tehachapi Mountains AVA sits in Kern County, California, approximately 40 miles southeast of Bakersfield. Positioned at the southernmost pass of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, the region occupies roughly 58,000 acres. No existing AVAs abut or exist within 75 miles of the Tehachapi Mountains AVA, making it a genuinely isolated appellation. The area is flanked by the San Joaquin Valley to the west and the Mojave Desert to the east.

• Located in Kern County, about 40 miles southeast of Bakersfield
• Situated at the southernmost pass of the Sierra Nevada
• Covers approximately 58,000 acres total
• No other AVAs exist within 75 miles

Despite elevations ranging from 3,600 to 5,400 feet, the Tehachapi Mountains experience surprisingly moderate winters. Warm winds arriving from the San Joaquin Valley to the west and the Mojave Desert to the east temper what might otherwise be extreme cold. The average growing season runs 198 days, accumulating approximately 2,762 growing degree days annually. Temperatures rarely exceed 100°F during summer, though spring frosts are an occasional risk. Soils are mixed alluvium deposited on old alluvial fans and stream terraces.

• Majority of vineyards sit between 3,800 and 4,600 feet elevation
• Warm winds from San Joaquin Valley and Mojave Desert moderate winter temperatures
• 198-day average growing season with approximately 2,762 growing degree days
• Mixed alluvial soils on old fans and stream terraces

The AVA supports a wide array of varieties, including Zinfandel, Primitivo, Syrah, Malbec, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Chardonnay, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, and Arneis. High-altitude exposure to intense sunlight and ultraviolet radiation stimulates phenolic synthesis, producing grapes with thicker skins and higher phenolic concentrations. The resulting wines are full-bodied, deeply colored, concentrated, and tannic.

• Over a dozen varieties are grown, spanning red, white, and aromatic styles
• UV intensity at elevation drives phenolic synthesis and thicker grape skins
• Wines are characteristically full-bodied with deep color and strong tannic backbone
• Zinfandel, Syrah, and Malbec are among the key red varieties planted

At the time of the AVA's establishment in 2020, six commercially producing vineyards covered approximately 25 acres within the appellation, alongside one winery. Notable producers operating in the region include Triassic Vineyards, Dorner Family Vineyard, Tehachapi Wine and Cattle Company, Tehachapi Winery, Los Viajeros Vineyard, and Stray Leaves Tasting Room. The AVA remains one of California's smallest by planted acreage, reflecting its emerging status.

• Only about 25 planted acres across six vineyards as of 2020
• One winery was operating within the AVA at establishment
• Triassic Vineyards and Dorner Family Vineyard are among the named producers
• Tehachapi Wine and Cattle Company reflects the region's ranching heritage