Livermore Valley AVA unique east-west orientation, unlike many other winegrowing valleys. Due to a reliable onshore afternoon/evening breeze off of the San Francisco Bay a wide fluctuation in temperature between sites and a large diurnal temperature swing occur. Livermore Valley is considered a Winkler Region III grape growing zone with temperatures comparable to northern Napa Valley appellations such as St. Helena or Calistoga. The relatively obscure Petite Sirah grape produced Livermore's best historically known red wine, although the climate also makes for interesting dessert wines as well as excellent Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Rhone varieties. The original plantings of Sémillon and Sauvignon blanc
Petite Terre Islands named because it is downwind compared to Terre de Haut island ("Upper Land" island) to its northeast which first meets the trade winds blowing from the north-east in the Caribbean. Administratively, the Petite Terre Islands are dependent of the commune (municipality) of La Désirade. The two islands and 842 hectares (2,081 acres) of sea around them were declared a nature reserve, the "National Nature Reserve of Îles de la Petite-Terre". Petite Terre Islands Petite Terre Islands (, literally "Islands of the Small Land") are two small uninhabited islands located about to the south-east of the island of Grande-Terre (Guadeloupe), in