United States
California wine prices
In the last five years, California wines sold 224,825 times at auction, at an average of $230 a bottle across 12,642 wines. Napa Valley trades most. 119,950 retail offers are live, from $0 a bottle.
- Auction sales, 5 yrs
- 224,825
- Avg per bottle
- $230
- Wines traded
- 12,642
- Lowest retail now
- $0
Auction averages are per 750 ml bottle over the last five years. Updated weekly, last on Oct 22, 2026.
Most traded California wines
| Wine | Auction sales, 5 yrs | Avg at auction | Lowest retail | Live lots |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harlan Estate, Napa Valley Harlan Estate · Napa Valley · Red | 4,279 | $1,109 | $781 | 71 |
| Opus One, Napa Valley Opus One · Napa Valley · Red | 3,339 | $380 | $87 | 69 |
| Screaming Eagle, Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville Screaming Eagle · Oakville · Red | 2,813 | $2,781 | $1,935 | 57 |
| Joseph Phelps, Insignia, Napa Valley Joseph Phelps · Napa Valley · Red | 2,781 | $249 | $176 | 57 |
| Ridge, Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains Ridge · Santa Cruz Mountains · Red | 2,544 | $305 | $87 | 43 |
| Caymus, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley Caymus · Napa Valley · Red | 2,497 | $136 | $38 | 30 |
| Scarecrow, Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford Scarecrow · Rutherford · Red | 2,483 | $745 | $569 | 68 |
| Dominus, Napa Valley Dominus · Napa Valley · Red | 2,380 | $354 | $167 | 80 |
| Spottswoode, Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena Spottswoode · St. Helena · Red | 1,869 | $205 | $125 | 70 |
| Eisele Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley Eisele Vineyard · Napa Valley · Red | 1,562 | $250 | $159 | 30 |
Areas
| Area | Auction sales | Avg at auction | Retail offers | Lowest retail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Napa Valley | 97,032 | $260 | 45,228 | $1 |
| Oakville | 14,445 | $745 | 5,539 | $13 |
| Sonoma Coast | 12,892 | $122 | 6,950 | $2 |
| Russian River Valley | 10,051 | $59 | 5,000 | $2 |
| Paso Robles | 8,762 | $78 | 4,751 | $2 |
| Rutherford | 6,799 | $388 | 3,629 | $18 |
| Santa Cruz Mountains | 5,717 | $187 | 2,738 | $2 |
| Sonoma County | 5,622 | $115 | 5,182 | $5 |
| Sta. Rita Hills | 5,124 | $180 | 3,337 | $10 |
| Howell Mountain | 5,107 | $165 | 1,444 | $35 |
| St. Helena | 4,824 | $163 | 1,860 | $12 |
| Stags Leap District | 3,741 | $215 | 1,404 | $25 |
| Knights Valley | 3,531 | $120 | 1,653 | $16 |
| Alexander Valley | 3,321 | $65 | 1,807 | $10 |
| Mt. Veeder | 2,521 | $140 | 1,038 | $29 |
| Sonoma Valley | 2,148 | $55 | 982 | $5 |
| Los Carneros | 2,007 | $66 | 1,729 | $10 |
| Calistoga | 1,877 | $137 | 325 | $26 |
| Anderson Valley | 1,762 | $51 | 1,266 | $14 |
| Yountville | 1,599 | $174 | 877 | $17 |
| Santa Lucia Highlands | 1,498 | $66 | 723 | $10 |
| Santa Barbara County | 1,335 | $48 | 1,427 | $6 |
| Spring Mountain District | 1,213 | $100 | 444 | $25 |
| Diamond Mountain District | 1,079 | $192 | 253 | $4 |
Top producers
| Producer | Auction sales | Avg at auction | Retail offers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sine Qua Non | 7,100 | $334 | 1,524 |
| Harlan Estate | 5,170 | $961 | 1,665 |
| Aubert | 5,155 | $125 | 1,561 |
| Ridge | 4,561 | $216 | 2,581 |
| Joseph Phelps | 4,188 | $216 | 1,456 |
| Schrader | 3,993 | $416 | 1,402 |
| Peter Michael | 3,873 | $129 | 1,747 |
| Screaming Eagle | 3,675 | $2,363 | 1,750 |
| Realm Cellars | 3,661 | $303 | 1,800 |
| Opus One | 3,473 | $369 | 2,298 |
About California
Spanish missionaries first planted vines in California in the 18th century to make sacramental wine, and the Mission grape spread with the missions. Buena Vista in Sonoma, founded by Agoston Haraszthy in 1857, was the state's first commercial winery. After Prohibition the industry was known mainly for sweet and jug wines. That changed at the 1976 Paris tasting, where California Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon outscored top French wines. California now makes about 90 per cent of American wine. Its vineyards stretch from Mendocino County to Riverside County and are divided into American Viticultural Areas, with Northern California's Wine Country the best known.
- Country
- United States
- Vineyard area
- 193,225 ha
- Classification
- American Viticultural Areas
Sources: Wikipedia