The largest of the five wine-growing regions in California (also known as the "Inland Valleys" or "Delta & Inlands"). It stretches more than 600 kilometres from north to south and covers more than half of the state's surface area. To the west are the North Coast and Central Coast regions, to the east the Sierra Foothills mountain range. The huge region is divided into the Sacramento Valley in the north and the San Joaquin Valley in the south. Both rivers join in the centre of the valley in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and flow westwards into San Francisco Bay.
The Central Valley was already a centre of large-scale vine plantations in the 19th century, particularly in the Sacramento Valley. Many of the former areas have now disappeared. Modern viticulture is heavily focussed on the San Joaquin Valley, while the Sacramento Valley plays more of a complementary role. The city of Davis is also home to an important branch of the University of California, which specialises in viticulture and oenology.
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Diplom-Sommelier, Weinakademiker und Weinberater, Volders (Österreich)