Russian River Valley is anAmerican Viticultural Area (AVA) inSonoma County,California located in theRussian River Valleylandform. Thewineappellation was established on October 21, 1983, as the nation's 53rd, the state's 34th and the county's sixth AVA by theBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF),Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by the Appellation Committee, on behalf of twenty local vintners and growers, proposing an approximately 150 sq mi (96,000-acre) viticultural area in Sonoma County to be kmown as "Russian River Valley."[9]
The area generally lies betweenSebastopol andSanta Rosa in the south, andForestville andHealdsburg in the north.[10] The Russian River Valley has a characteristically cool climate, heavily affected byfog generated by the valley's proximity to thePacific Ocean. The area is known for its success with cool climatevarietals, notably Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.[8] The planthardiness zone ranges from 9a to 10a.[11]
Viticulture in Sonoma County dates back to the establishment of the last of theCalifornia missions,Mission San Francisco de Solano, atSonoma in 1824. The vineyard at the mission was planted in 1825. In the late 1850sJacob Gundlach andCount Agoston Haraszthy established major plantings of the European vine,vitis vinifera, the first such plantings in the United States.[9]
Russian River Valley viticulture began when immigrants fromMediterranean countries descended upon the region and began planting vines. While most vineyards were "gardens" for personal family consumption, commercial wineries sprung up shortly thereafter in 1876 when wine production in the area was in excess of 500,000 gallons and planted acreage totaled approximately 7,000 acres (2,800 ha) includingKorbel Winery in 1882, Santa Rosa Wine Company in 1876, Martini & Prati Winery in 1880, and Foppiano Winery in 1896. In 1887, the editor of the "Sonoma Enterprise" wrote, "the famous Russian River andDry Creek Valleys,tributary to Healdsburg, which is situated near the confluence of Dry Creek with Russian River comprise the cream of good soils that characterize 'Old Sonoma'. It is here that the largest and finest flavored fruits are grown and where the choicest wine and table grapes are produced."In a "History of Sonama County, California", published in 1880, mention is made of the four "great valleys" comprising theSonoma,Petaluma,Santa Rosa and theRussian River with "others smaller in size ... chief among them are: Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley ... ". The water courses describe Mark West Creek & Santa Rosa Creek emptying into the Russian River. The watershed some twenty miles south of the Russian River drains northward into that river. By the dawn of the 20th century there were nearly 200 wineries operating.[12]
The enactment ofProhibition dealt a devastating blow to the region with many wineries going out of business. Somewinemaking families continued to make wine illegally and others converted tobootlegging a sugar and water base wine known as "Jackassbrandy" to survive during this period.[13] One of the most prestigious vineyards in the region is the Jackass Hill Vineyard owned byMartinelli Winery. By theRepeal of Prohibition the few vineyards that were operating would sell their grapes to bulkjug wine producers. It would not be until the 1970s that vineyards in the Russian River region would begin to focus on quality wine production and begin using their grapes for local bottlings. The 1973 vintages ofFoppiano Vineyards claims to be the first wines to include the words "Russian River" on their wine labels. The winery giants ofE & J Gallo andKendall Jackson invested significantly in the region in the late 20th century with Gallo purchasing the large Laguna Ranch Vineyard for its flagship "premium" Chardonnay under its Gallo of Sonoma label in 1970 and purchasing the Twin Valley Ranch once owned by actorFred MacMurray for its MacMurray Ranch label.[14][15] Gallo's rival Kendall Jackson pumped more than $12 million into updating and establishing its La Crema label in the Russian River region.[13]
In 1983, the Russian River Valley appellation was established. Over time the region began to develop a reputation for the quality of its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for both still andsparkling wine production. In the late 1990s and early 21st century, as the popularity for Pinot Noir grew, the region saw an explosion of investment with Pinot plantings jumping from 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) to over 12,000 acres (4,900 ha) by 2003.[16] TheFreeman Vineyard & Winery was founded in 2001.[9]
The use of the name "Russian River Valley" on wine labels began with Foppiano Winery in 1970, followed by Mark West Vineyards in 1977, Davis Bynum in 1978 and DeLoach Vineyards in 1979. The most recent "Connoisseur's Guide" states that "as an appelation of origin ... the name Russian River Valley has commonly been used to describe the low lying flat plain that extends south and west of Healdsburg and follows the river as it turns toward the Pacific Ocean. AtGuerneville the coastal hills close off the area and mark its western boundary. Plantings are oriented to early ripening varieties...".[9]
The Russian River AVA has had a number of disputes regarding the expansion and revision of the appellation boundaries. The Russian River Valley Winegrowers (RRVW) is a community of winemakers and farmers dedicated to producing exceptional wines that showcase the diversity of the Russian River Valley neighborhoods. In 1997, the RRVW attempted to expand the AVA to include the town ofCotati in the southeast corner ofSonoma County. The ATF rejected the proposal for being too broad in scope. In 1999, RRVW filed a new proposal to revise the boundaries based on the influences of coastal fog. Under this proposal the warmer Chalk Hill sub-appellation, which has littlefog influence, would be excluded from the Russian River Valley AVA and more acreage along the southwest corner of the appellation would be added.[17] That proposal was also later rejected. In January 2003, a petition was submitted proposing to add 767 acres (310 ha) on the southwestern end near the Green Valley region.[18][7] This expansion was approved in December that year.[19]
In 2008,E & J Gallo petitioned for a further expansion of Russian River Valley in the southwestern corner of 14,000 acres (22 sq mi) that would include the winery's Two Rock Vineyard located along theHighway 101 corridor nearCotati. If approved, the petition would expand the total acreage to 169,000 acres (264 sq mi). When initially proposed, the Russian River Valley Winegrowers voted unanimously to oppose the expansion on the grounds that the expansion is climatically different from the rest of the Russian River Valley area. Gallo contested that opinion and after changes in leadership the RRVW officially took a neutral stance on the proposal though some vocal opposition still existed.[20] At a meeting of the members on December 9, 2008, the RRVW opposed the proposed expansion.[21]
Despite its name, the Russian River Valley AVA does not cover the entireRussian River Valley—which extends north intoMendocino County, California and southwest all the way to thePacific Ocean. Originally the river continued south and emptied intoSan Francisco Bay but during its history, for reasons not yet understood bygeologists, the river changed course.[22] The small segment of the river valley that makes up the AVA begins near Healdsburg once the river leaves theAlexander Valley region through a narrowgorge in the foothills of theMayacamas Mountains. From there it extends south to theSanta Rosa Plains and Sebastopol and west to the towns ofMonte Rio,Guerneville andOccidental. Within the boundaries of the Russian River AVA are the sub-appellationsChalk Hill andSonoma Green Valley.[16] In 2003 the AVA was expanded to include 767acres (310 ha) south ofFulton.[19] Elevations in the expansion area range from 130 to 160 feet (40–49 m), with a gentle rise from southwest to northeast, according to the twoUSGS topographic maps covering the expansion area. These elevations are similar to those found in the portion of the established Russian River Valley viticultural area immediately adjacent to the expansion area.[2]
The geography of the Russian River Valley was shaped millions of years ago by collisions between theNorth American andPacifictectonic plates and eruptions byvolcanic vents that depositedvolcanic ash over layers of erodedbedrock. This createdsandstone ofloam known as "Goldridge soil".[22] Some of the area's most respected and Chardonnay vineyards are planted along deposits of Goldridge soil. Near the town of Sebastopol, a different soil that is moreclay based, known as "Sebastopol soil" has also shown itself to work well with Pinot noir due to its ability to retain less water than Goldridge soil.[13] This soil was created by water flowing off theSonoma Mountains that carried with it clay deposits. A third soil type, found close to the river, is predominantlyalluvial and makes up thebenchland regions of the river.[22] The predominant soils of the Russian River Valley viticultural area are Huichica Loam, Yolo Clay Loam, and Yolo Silt Loam, as depicted on the Sonoma County Soil Survey map (USDA, 1972), in the petition. These soils are also found in vineyards to the north of the expansion area.[4]
With parts of the AVA less than 10 miles (16 km) from the Pacific, the climate of the Russian River viticultural area is characterized by cool morningfog that flows in from the ocean through thePetaluma Gap and burns off during the day.[23] The cooling influence of the fog is responsible for the largediurnal temperature variation with nighttime temperatures dropping as much as 35 to 40 °F (2 to 4 °C) from daytime highs.[22] The Russian River is arain-fed waterway that swells in the wintertime and provides vitalirrigation to the region's vineyards during the dry season in late spring. During the summer, the season heat is tempered by themaritime influence of fog that facilitates a long, slowripening period and limits the risk of over ripeness or "baked" flavors in the grapes.Harvest in the Russian River region often occurs at later dates than in its neighboring regions.[22] The central and western reaches of the AVA have the coolest climate and tend to be concentrated with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay plantings. The eastern region, located near Highway 101 and includes the Chalk Hill sub-appellation, are the warmest area of Russian River AVA since its the furthest from the ocean.[4][13]
According to the Russian River Valley Winegrowers, 42 percent of the grapes harvested in the region are Chardonnay, while 29 percent are Pinot noir. While the region is predominantly associated with Chardonnay and Pinot noir, hillside vineyard locations have shown success with other varieties such as Syrah and Zinfandel.[16] Within the AVA there are severalmicroclimates that allow for suitable plantings of Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.[13] In warmer areas of Chalk Hill there have been successful plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon.[23] Even for these non-Burgundian varietals, the nature of the Russian River Valley's cool climate can be seen in the wine. For example, Russian River Merlots tend to have distinctivetea-like note and Zinfandels tend to exhibit more tart red fruit than Zinfandels from the warmer Dry Creek Valley. While Sauvignon Blanc from the region tend to be slightly less "grassy" they still tend to exhibitherbal andcitruslime aroma.[24] Despite its close proximity, the Russian River AVA produces Chardonnays that are dramatically different from those found in theAlexander Valley AVA. The region's cool climate produces more grapes with higher acidity that tend to be more balanced than the fatter, creamy style found in the Alexander Valley. Grapes from the Russian River and smaller Green Valley areas have been prized by sparkling wine producers for their crispness and high quality.[23]
As of 2008, the Russian River Valley accounted for nearly 19% of all the Pinot noir plantings in California and 10% of all grape varieties planted in Sonoma County. Olderclones planted in the mid to late 20th century, including the Martini, Swan, Pommard, and 115 clones, produced a "classic" style of Russian River Pinots that were characterized by vibrant (but pale) color, livelyacidity,cherry andberry fruit flavors and delicatearoma that would often include earthymushroom notes. While that style had it share of fans, the lack of coloring would be a factor in poor scorewine ratings fromwine critics. In response to these poor scores, some Russian River winemakers altered their techniques in order to enhance the color. These techniques ranged from blending in the darker colorAlicante Bouschet and Syrah or the red wineconcentrate known as "Mega Purple", to extendedmaceration andoak extraction that added more weight and extraction ofphenolic compounds that add color to the wine. Other winemakers altered some of their viticultural practices in the vineyards, including adopting newtrellising systems that allowed for more leaf removal which exposed the grapes to more sunlight. In addition to enhancing some of the color producing phenols, the new trellising also served to increasesugar content (and subsequentlyalcohol levels) and decrease the amount of the green tastingpyrazine compounds found in the grapes. The style of Pinot noir produced from these techniques tend to be heavier, morefull bodied and almost "Syrah-like".[24]
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