Our Story

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The Squaw Valley-Miramonte American Viticultural Area is a unique grape-growing region with an area of 44,690 acres, located entirely within the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, 35 miles east of the Fresno Air Terminal. The terrain is quite distinct from the rest of Fresno County, with the mountainous landscapes providing the main point of difference from the Central Valley below. Terrain is foothill mountainous with slopes ranging from 5% to over 75%. 

The elevations of this AVA range from 1,600-3,500 feet above sea level. To date, there are several vineyards and two commercial wineries in the region, making wines from some from some 18 different grape varietals. Squaw Valley-Miramonte AVA is one of the newest American viticultural areas of California, established September 8, 2015.  

The Squaw Valley-Miramonte Wine grape growing area is located in Fresno County, California, approximately forty miles east of the city of Fresno in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  Take the scenic highway 180 east from the valley all the way to the Big Trees in Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. Stop along the way to visit the wineries, and olive oil producers. 

Our wine country weather is above the fog and below the snow! With an average of 267 sunny days per year, Squaw Valley-Miramonte Wine Region is part of the California interior chaparral and woodlands ecoregion, which exists on hills and mountains surrounding the San Joaquin Valley. It has cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Rainfall is 29-33 inches a year, typically more than that of the San Joaquin Valley and less than at elevations above 3500'. Most of the precipitation in the AVA falls as rain; however, at higher elevations it sometimes falls in the form of some snow. Micro-climates, including cold air sinks and temperature inversions occur. The day/night temperature shift in Squaw Valley–Miramonte is less pronounced than in the valley, making the region’s growing season from one to three weeks later.  Vineyards are located on south and southwest-facing slopes, providing the heat, needed for vine growth. Winds flow downhill out of the mountains at night and cool the vines.

Soils are primarily formed from granitic parent material. These granitic soils are normally high in potassium, low in free calcium, and boron, which differ from the valley’s predominately sandy loam soils. Much decomposing granite is just below the soil, making vines work hard to push down roots. 

The variations in climate, soils and various micro-climates contribute to our unique richness of aromas and flavors of our wines.