Russian River Valley

AVA area named after the 3,850 kilometre-long river of the same name in the north of Sonoma County (North Coast) in California. It stretches from Healdsburg in the north southwards to Santa Rosa and south-westwards to Forestville and Sebastopol. The name is derived from the Russian trappers who explored this river in the early 19th century when there were still Russian trading colonies on the Californian north coast. Two sub-AVA areas, each with around 400 hectares of vineyards, are Sonoma County Green Valley on the western edge and Chalk Hill on the eastern edge.

Rebflächen im Russian River Valley

The vineyards cover a total of around 4,000 hectares. The climate is relatively cool due to the early morning fog from the nearby Pacific coast, which often lasts until the middle of the day. These conditions are virtually predestined for the two dominant varieties Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, while the red wine varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel as well as the white wine varieties Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc are also important. Well-known wineries include Boisset, Clos du Bois, Gallo, Iron Horse, Korbel, Marimar Estate, Ravenswood and Simi Winery.

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Russian River Valley

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