Just west of Napa, over the Mayacamas mountain range, Sonoma boasts 60,000 acres planted to wine grapes. More than a dozen diverse sub-appellations, including Dry Creek Valley, the Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley, Sonoma Coast and Sonoma Valley, produce a wide range of varietals. Closer to the Pacific Ocean than Napa, Sonoma has cool and warm growing areas that are impacted by both coastal and inland influences, often within a single sub-appellation.
A significant portion of fruit for Zinfandel from Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley sub-AVA, where long, warm days allow the grapes to develop mature flavors before the cooling fog rolls in overnight. Cabernet and Merlot get their brighter red and black fruit flavors from Sonoma County grapes, while our Chardonnay gets its stone fruit and citrus notes from cool-climate vineyards in this region.
*An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), United States Department of the Treasury
| AVA | Sub-AVA | |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Sonoma | Alexander Valley | |
| Bennett Valley | ||
| Dry Creek Valley | ||
| Knights Valley | ||
| Rockpile | ||
| Russian River Valley | Chalk Hills Sub AVA | |
| Sonoma County Green Valley Sub AVA | ||
| Sonoma Coast | ||
| Sonoma Valley | Los Carneros | |
| Sonoma Mountain |
