The hills lie at the foot of Mount Konocti, a volcano which last erupted 11,000 years ago, but which is still regarded as active.

[1][3] The petition submitted to the TTB in 2002 was on behalf of several winegrowers, notably Beckstoffer Vineyards, Beringer Blass Wine Estate and Kendall-Jackson.

[1] In order to raise the profile of the appellation, David and Andy Beckstoffer launched in 2016 a program to incentivize reputed winemakers to use their Red Hills fruit (Beckstoffer acquired the 1,618 acres (655 ha) Amber Knolls vineyard in 1997[7]).

[9] In March 2024, following a petition on behalf of local vineyard owners, the AVA was officially expanded again, this time by 679 acres.

[10] The most planted (and lucrative) variety in the Red Hills is by far Cabernet Sauvignon, but Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah are also represented,[3] as well as Sauvignon blanc, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah and Zinfandel.