California AVAs, North Coast - Sonoma County

Question 1

What are the 3 overarching AVAs of Sonoma County?

Answer 1

Northern Sonoma AVA
Sonoma Coast AVA
Sonoma Valley AVA

Question 2

What area does Northern Sonoma AVA cover?

Answer 2

It covers a large area from the Mendocino border in the north , the Mayacamas mountains to the east, down to Santa Rosa

Question 3

What small AVAs does Northern Sonoma include?

Answer 3

Alexander Valley AVA
Knights Valley AVA
Dry Creek Valley AVA
Rockpile AVA
Russian River Valley (+ sub AVAs - Green Valley of RR Valley and Chalk Hill AVA)

Question 4

Where is Alexander Valley AVA?

Answer 4

Northeast corner of Sonoma County

Question 5

What climate does Alexander Valley AVA have?

Answer 5

Warm climate, cooled in the evenings by Pacific air funnelled in from the Petaluma Gap and Russian River Valley to the south.

Question 6

Where are the vineyards planted in Alexander Valley AVA?

Answer 6

on both the valley floor and on west/southwest facing slopes and bench lands of the Mayacamas mountains at elevations of 100 to 750m which helps retain acidity in grapes

Question 7

What soils are in the Alexander Valley?

Answer 7

fertile soils on the valley floor and more low-nutrient, free-draining sand and gravel at higher altitudes resulting in less vigour and lower yields than valley floor.

Question 8

What is the rainfall in Alexander Valley?

Answer 8

80cm per year, mainly in the winter

Question 9

What is the most planted grape variety in Alexander Valley? and style?

Answer 9

Cab Sav
produces full-bodied wines with ripe flavours of blackberry, blackcurrant, dried herbs and chocolate. Those on slopes/benchlands tend to be more structured and concentrated.
They are good to outstanding in quality and mid-priced to premium in price with some super-premium examples

Question 10

Other notable plantings in Alexander Valley?

Answer 10

Chardonnay
Merlot
Zinfandel
Petit Verdot
Malbec

Question 11

Significant producer in Alexander Valley?

Answer 11

Kendall Jackson (including Stonestreet Estate)

Question 12

Where is Knight’s Valley AVA found?

Answer 12

Sonoma County at the northern end of Napa County by the Mayacamas Mountains.

Question 13

What is the climate in Knight’s Valley?

Answer 13

One of the warmest areas of Sonoma as it is surrounded by hills and is sheltered from any cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean.

Question 14

How are cooler sites found in Knight’s Valley?

Answer 14

By planting at altitude of 450m in the foothills of the Mayacamas

Question 15

what is the soil in Knight’s Valley?

Answer 15

free-draining volcanic soil

Question 16

Key grape varieties in Knight’s Valley?

Answer 16

Cab Sav (ripe, full-bodied)
Syrah
Merlot
Zinfandel
Chardonnay
Sauvignon Blanc

Question 17

Dry Creek Valley AVA - best known for which grapes?

Answer 17

Zinfandel and Sav Blanc

Question 18

Describe Dry Creek Valley AVA topography
Plantings are where?

Answer 18

a narrow valley, 2 miles x 16 miles
Vineyards planted on both valley floor and on slopes and bench lands either side of the Dry Creek River

Question 19

Dry Creek River is a tributary of which river

Answer 19

Russian River

Question 20

What shelters the Dry Creek Valley AVA?

Answer 20

Coastal mountains to the West

Question 21

Mountains on both sides of the valley effect what?

Answer 21

Funnel cool ocean air and fogs from San Pablo Bay (tidal estuary, northern extension of San Fran.

Question 22

When does this effect happen?

Answer 22

Afternoon and evenings = cooler nights, helps retain acidity

Question 23

Is there any coastal influence?

Answer 23

Yes, in the south of the valley, generally cooler

Question 24

Which vineyards are warmer?

Answer 24

West-facing vineyards on east of river tend to be warmer

Question 25

What are the soils in Dry Creek Valley AVA? effect on vines?

Answer 25

Mixed soils, Gravel sandy loam gravel red clay on benches Gravelly free-draining soils help reduce vigour and yields

Question 26

What is Dry Creek Valley AVA best known for? age of vines? tasting note? oak?

Answer 26

Zinfandel, home to old vines of over 100 years old. Med+ to FB med+ acidity ripe flavours of blackberry, black plum and cherry West facing vineyards riper, more jammy and dried fruit flavours matured in oak (new) adds spice, American oak common

Question 27

What other varieties are grown in Dry Creek Valley AVA?

Answer 27

Bdx varieties Rhone Varieties (red) Sav Blanc

Question 28

2 x significant producers in Dry Creek Valley AVA?

Answer 28

Kinsella Estates Ridge

Question 29

Rockpile AVA location?

Answer 29

Northern part of Sonoma County, overlapping Dry Creek AVA, extending to Mendocino County

Question 30

Where are Rockville AVA vineyards planted?

Answer 30

Steep Rocky slopes, above 244m to be within AVA

Question 31

What are the vineyards heavily influenced by? What is the effect? Fog?

Answer 31

snake-like Lake Sonoma that surround the bottom of Rockpile AVA on 3 sides Lake creates an inversion layer, keeps vineyards warm at night. Vineyards sit above the fog layer which stays close to lake, so exposed to long hours of sunshine

Question 32

What other conditions effect the fruit?

Answer 32

shallow hillside soils hold little water windy conditions lead to HIGH evotranspiration RATES = LOW YIELDS concentrated ripe fruit.

Question 33

Grape varieties in Rockpile AVA?

Answer 33

Zinfandel, Petit Sirah, Syrah, Cab Sav, Cab Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot even Douro varieties

Question 34

2 x significant producers in Rockpile AVA?

Answer 34

Devil Proof Seghesio

Question 35

Russian River Valley AVA located where?

Answer 35

middle of Sonoma County

Question 36

Topography of RRV AVA?

Answer 36

range of both flat and hilly topography which influences climate = moderate to warm

Question 37

Which are the coolest parts of RRV AVA? why?

Answer 37

Southern and western parts are coolest - they receive fog and wine through Petaluma Gap, a break in the Northern Coast range

Question 38

When does fog affect RRV AVA? Effect?

Answer 38

Arrives in the evening and retreats in the morning reduces temperature significantly = slower accumulation of sugar, retains acidity as aroma and flavour compounds ripen

Question 39

What is the most planted grapes in RRV AVA?

Answer 39

early-ripening Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

Question 40

What are the soils in RRV AVA? effect on vine?

Answer 40

Vary - yellow sandstone to rocky sandy clay loam, but generally free-draining, low in nutrients controlling vigour and yields

Question 41

What has the quality of fruit in RRV AVA meant? plantings increased?

Answer 41

The AVA has extended twice to similar fog-affected areas and plantings have increased from 1600 ha in 1990s to over 7000 in 2013

Question 42

Pinot Noir tasting note for RRV

Answer 42

med(+) bodied medium tannin med+ acid ripe strawberry, red cherry vanilla spice from oak

Question 43

Chardonnay tasting note for RRV

Answer 43

Med+ body med+ acidity Ripe peach and pineapple flavours creamy and spicy flavours from MLF and oak

Question 44

2 x significant producers in RRV

Answer 44

La Crema Rochioli

Question 45

How is the climate different inland to north-east of AVA? Grapes?

Answer 45

Vineyards are sheltered by hills from fog and breezes, giving warmer conditions... best of Cab Sav, Merlot, ZIN and riper Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Question 46

What are the 2 sub-AVAs of RRV? climate effect?

Answer 46

Green Valley of RRV AVA - next to Petaluma gap, gains first fog of afternoon and last area to have fog burn off = coolest conditions in California Chalk Hill AVA - in north-east corner of RRV, hilly area, blocks Pacific breezes

Question 47

What is the soil in Chalk Hill AVA? Where are vines planted?

Answer 47

White Volcanic Ash (rather than chalk) vineyards are planted on valley floor up to 500m

Question 48

What are the soils in Green Valley RRV AVA

Answer 48

free-draining low nutrient sandstone soils, limits vigour and makes small concentrated grapes

Question 49

What style of wine does Green Valley RRV make?

Answer 49

Still and Sparkling with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

Question 50

Sonoma Coast AVA is where?

Question 51

What areas does Sonoma Coast AVA cover?

Question 52

What climatic influences does Sonoma Coast AVA have?

Question 53

Where is Fort Ross Seaview AVA?

Question 54

What is the effect of weather on Fort Ross Seaview AVA?

Question 55

What style of wine is produced in Fort Ross Seaview AVA?

Question 56

Where is Petaluma Gap AVA

Question 57

what climatic influence does Petaluma Gap AVA have?

Question 58

What effect does climate have on vines?

Question 59

What style of wine is produced in Petaluma Gap AVA?

Question 60

Sonoma Valley AVA

Question 61

Sonoma Valley AVA

Question 62

Sonoma Mountain AVA

Question 63

Sonoma Mountain AVA

Question 64

Sonoma Mountain AVA

Question 65

Bennett Valley AVA

Question 66

Bennett Valley AVA

Question 67

Carneros AVA

Question 68

Carneros AVA

Question 69

Carneros AVA

Question 70

Carneros AVA

Question 71

Carneros AVA

Question 72

Carneros AVA