Commercial Real Estate in Yorkville: Vineyards, Winery Zoning and Highway 128 Rules

By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.

Yorkville is the first of Anderson Valley’s four towns on State Route 128 for drivers coming from Cloverdale, ahead of Boonville, Philo and Navarro. Commercial property here is mostly agricultural: vineyards and wineries in the Yorkville Highlands, a few roadside parcels near the post office, and rural lodging. There is no city and no town plan, so Mendocino County decides what is allowed. Confirm the zoning and permit history of every parcel with County Planning and Building Services before relying on this page.

Who controls the parcel

Yorkville is unincorporated, so the County’s inland zoning code, Title 20 Division I, applies. The County repealed and re-enacted its district chapter by Ordinance 4538 on September 10, 2024, so permit files approved before that date may cite older section numbers. Yorkville is inland, not in the Coastal Zone.

The County’s planning policy for the area is in the General Plan’s Chapter 6, in the Anderson Valley section. It describes the planning area as running from Yorkville through Boonville, Philo and Navarro along Route 128. It describes Yorkville as a mix of residential, limited commercial and agricultural uses, with a staffed post office, cemeteries run by the Anderson Valley Cemetery District, and the Yorkville Ranch residential area. Fire service in the valley is provided by the Anderson Valley Community Services District’s volunteer department, with a seasonal CAL FIRE station in Boonville; confirm which agency covers your parcel.

Yorkville has no water or sewer district. Plan on a private well and septic system for any business use. See our Mendocino County commercial guide for countywide rules.

Yorkville zoning for commercial, agricultural and resource uses

Yorkville has no commercial strip. Most land is in agricultural, rangeland, forest or rural residential districts. The County’s district list in Chapter 20.040 includes these districts, which are the ones most likely to apply around Yorkville. Check the parcel’s actual zoning on the County map.

District	Intended uses	Notes
A-G Agricultural (20.052)	Crops, livestock and processing of what the farm grows	Winery packing and processing permitted by right. 40-acre minimum lot. 50 ft height
R-L Rangeland (20.060)	Grazing and large-acreage resource land	Confirm parcel mapping
F-L Forest Land (20.064) and TPZ (20.068)	Timber and forest uses	TPZ carries state timberland limits
R-R Rural Residential (20.048)	Rural homes with limited accessory uses	Check home occupation rules
R-C Rural Community (20.084)	Small mixed rural centers	Applies only where mapped
C-1 Limited / C-2 General Commercial (20.088, 20.092)	Retail and services	Only where mapped; confirm
R Commercial Resort combining (20.146)	Resort uses added to a base district	Applies only where mapped

What A-G allows. The A-G chapter permits row, field and tree crops, horticulture, animal raising, limited packing and processing, and winery packing and processing. Agricultural sales and services, general packing and processing, general cottage industries, kennels and stables need an administrative permit. Limited transient lodging and limited outdoor commercial recreation need a use permit. The chapter does not list tasting rooms by name, so a buyer planning visitor tasting should get a written determination from Planning.

The Yorkville Highlands appellation and Anderson Valley policies

The AVA. The Yorkville Highlands viticultural area (27 CFR 9.159) was established by the federal government in 1998 under T.D. ATF-397. Its boundary is drawn on six USGS quadrangles, including Yorkville, Cloverdale and Hopland, passes the summit of Sanel Mountain and follows the Mendocino-Sonoma county line on the south. A vineyard’s position inside or outside the line affects how its wine can be labeled, so confirm it on the federal description. The General Plan lists Yorkville Highlands as one of three wine appellations in the valley.

Where retail belongs. Policy CP-AV-1 concentrates new development in the four towns and their immediate vicinities and discourages new retail outside them. A retail proposal on a remote Yorkville parcel faces that policy. Policy CP-AV-19 keeps agricultural and resource zoning throughout the valley, so do not expect rezoning of farmland for commercial use.

Water, wastewater and fire. Action CP-AV-11.1 commits the County to help Yorkville and the other towns set up small, decentralized water and wastewater systems. Policy CP-AV-13 supports community fire hydrant systems in Yorkville. Neither is a built system yet, so treat them as policy, not infrastructure.

Highway 128. Policy CP-AV-2 asks the State to keep Route 128 a two-lane rural road, with actions for passing turnouts and left-turn lanes. The plan notes it carries log trucks to mills in Ukiah and Cloverdale. Driveway and encroachment questions go to Caltrans.

Lodging, events and cannabis

Lodging. Limited transient lodging needs a use permit in A-G. County Chapter 5.20 taxes stays of 30 consecutive days or less at 8% of rent plus a 2% add-on approved by voters in March 1997. Each parcel needs its own registration certificate before operating.
Events. Weddings and winery events are not named in the A-G use list. Ask Planning whether a use permit is needed before marketing an events business.
Cannabis. The County maps a Commercial Cannabis Prohibition (CP) combining district and regulates cannabis through its Cannabis Division. Check both before buying for that use.

Transfer tax, business tax and property tax

Fidelity National Financial’s Who Pays What chart lists the Mendocino County transfer tax at $1.10 per $1,000, customarily paid by the seller. With no city here, there is no city transfer tax. Confirm on the escrow estimate and with the County Recorder. A sale generally triggers Proposition 13 reassessment. Vineyard land under a Williamson Act contract is assessed on its farm use, and the contract follows the land, so ask the Assessor for the contract status.

Due diligence that matters in Yorkville

Start with our commercial due diligence checklist, then add:

Confirm the base zone and any combining district, and whether a permit file predates the 2024 code.
For wineries, confirm the processing permit and get a written determination on tasting and events.
Check the parcel against the Yorkville Highlands AVA boundary.
Test well yield and water rights, and size the septic system to the planned business use.
Confirm fire service, defensible space and access road standards for any visitor use.
Check Williamson Act status and any Caltrans encroachment needs on Route 128.

Questions people ask

Who regulates land use in Yorkville?

Mendocino County, under its inland zoning code. Yorkville is unincorporated and has no town plan of its own.

Can I open a winery in Yorkville?

On A-G land, winery packing and processing is permitted by right. Retail tasting and events are not named in the A-G use list, so get a County determination first.

Is my vineyard in the Yorkville Highlands AVA?

Check the boundary in 27 CFR 9.159, which is drawn on six USGS quadrangles and follows the Sonoma County line on the south.

Can I build a store on Highway 128 in Yorkville?

Only where commercial zoning is mapped. Policy CP-AV-1 discourages new retail outside the four Anderson Valley towns and their immediate vicinities.

Is there public water or sewer?

No. Business uses rely on wells and septic. The General Plan supports small decentralized systems, but none is established.

Can I add guest lodging to a ranch?

Limited transient lodging needs a use permit in A-G. Stays of 30 days or less owe County TOT under Chapter 5.20, and each parcel needs its own registration certificate.

Does Diamond handle commercial property in Yorkville?

Contact Matthew Martinez to discuss buying, selling or leasing commercial property in Yorkville.

Sources & notes

Mendocino County General Plan, Chapter 6, Anderson Valley
Mendocino County Code Ch. 20.040, inland districts (Ord. 4538) (GoCodebook)
Mendocino County Code Ch. 20.052, A-G Agricultural
27 CFR 9.159, Yorkville Highlands viticultural area
Mendocino County Code Ch. 5.20, Transient Occupancy Tax
Mendocino County Recorder
Fidelity National Financial, Who Pays What (rev. January 2026) (title company, not an official source)

Note: We did not verify the zoning of specific Yorkville parcels, the R-L, R-C and resort chapters, the fire agency boundary or whether the 2% TOT add-on is currently collected.

This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.

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