Sonoma County Vineyard

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Part 2 of 3: Sonoma County's AVA's

Let's jump straight in and talk about the AVA's of Russian River, Dry Creek and Alexander Valley. If you missed the first posting, you can read it here.

Sonoma County American Viticulture Area map....


(Map courtesy of the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission)


Russian River Valley:



Mostly known for its cool climate, Russian River is highly regarded in Sonoma County for the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. But there are many other grapes planted as well, including: Zinfandel, Syrah, Pinot Blanc and Viognier. Climate is cool, especially in the western portion. Like Carneros, this valley see large temperature swings because of its proximity to the Pacific Ocean. Soils in this area range from volcanic (which came from Sonoma Mountain), alluvial materials in the benchlands to clay in the center part of the AVA. Interesting fact: The Russian River, which runs through the AVA) used to travel down through Sonoma Valley. No one knows why the river changed routes, but my guess would be a significant earthquake or volcanic eruption.



Dry Creek Valley:



The first grapes in Dry Creek were planted by Italian immigrants in the 1870's. Today, it is mostly known for the Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blancs being produced and sourced from there, but Cabernet is the most planted varietal. The climate is warm to hot depending on where you are in the valley. Everything is very compact - the valley is just 2 miles from ridge to ridge. In it are over 60 wineries, most are small to medium in size. The soils come in a wide variety from silty loams to gravel and volcanic to sand - all very fertile. Tip: When visiting make sure to stop at the Dry Creek General Store. It's old, funky and cool. Especially check out the bar attached to it.



Alexander Valley:



In the 1840's Cyrus Alexander was gifted 9,000 acres on the east side of what is now known as Alexander Valley. Among other things, he planted a vineyard and the history of the valley as a wine growing region began. Far inland, this valley does not get much of the cool breezes and fog off the ocean or bay. But what this AVA has is elevation - and the higher one goes the cooler it gets. So, surprisingly, there is Chardonnay planted there. But Alexander Valley is best known for its Cabernets. It is home to several world class wineries that use Cabernet as their main ingredient, if not 100 percent. Fun facts: There is an extremely upscale restaurant in Healdsburg named Cyrus (after Cyrus Alexander) and every once in a while a bear is spotted in the hills running away with some grapes!



Next up the rest of the AVA's in Sonoma County.



Cheers!

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