| Wine region | |
| Type | American Viticultural Area |
|---|---|
| Year established | 1987[1] |
| Years of wine industry | 208[2] |
| Country | United States |
| Part of | California,North Coast AVA,Sonoma County |
| Sub-regions | Chalk Hill AVA,Fort Ross-Seaview AVA,Green Valley of Russian River Valley AVA,Los Carneros AVA,Northern Sonoma AVA,Petaluma Gap AVA,Russian River Valley AVA,Sonoma Valley AVA,West Sonoma Coast AVA |
| Total area | 480,000 acres (750 sq mi)[1] |
| Size of planted vineyards | 11,452 acres (4,634 ha)[1] |
| Grapes produced | Cabernet Franc,Cabernet Sauvignon,Chardonnay,Gewurztraminer,Marsanne,Merlot,Pinot gris,Pinot Meunier,Pinot noir,Pinotage,Roussanne,Sauvignon blanc,Syrah,Viognier,Zinfandel[3] |
| No. of wineries | 269[3] |
Sonoma Coast is anAmerican Viticultural Area (AVA) inSonoma County,California encompassing approximately 480,000 acres (750 sq mi), mostly along the coastline of thePacific Ocean, but also includes inland areas extending fromSan Pablo Bay to theMendocino County border. It was established by theBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF),Treasury on June 10, 1987 after reviewing the petition submitted by Ms. Sara Schorske, a wine industry consultant residing inSanta Rosa, California, for a viticultural area in Sonoma County, to be known as "Sonoma Coast."[4]
Theappellation is known for its cool climate and high rainfall relative to other parts of Sonoma County. The area has such a broad range ofmicroclimates that petitions were submitted to theAlcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB),Treasury to establish the unique coastal viticultural areas ofFort Ross-Seaview, recognized in December 2011, and theWest Sonoma Coast, more recently established in 2023.[5]
Viticulture in the Sonoma coastal area is thought to be the first in what is today the North Coast AVA.Vitis vinefera vines may have been planted as early as 1817 according to historian Charles L Sullivan.[6] These vines were planted byRussian settlers looking to establish agricultural outposts in theFort Ross vicinity. Vines were reported to be bearing fruit in 1823. By the 1880's, vines were established and wine was commercially produced in several places throughout western Sonoma County, including, but not limited to, the areas aroundFreestone andOccidental,Bodega,Forestville,Guerneville, andCazadero.[6] Steve Heimoff, a wine writer, further notes ten acres (4 ha) of vineyard "at Plantation above Fort Ross Road, northwest of Cazadero."[7] Most of the western Sonoma County wine industry did not survivephylloxera outbreaks andProhibition. Lemoral Winery near Occidental, built in 1903, was in operation until the 1960's.[2][8]
The boundaries of the appellation are defined in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 27, Section 9.116.[1] The following seven cities are located in, or partly in, the Sonoma Coast AVA:
ThePetaluma Gap is also part of the Sonoma Coast AVA.
E & J Gallo Winery operates Two Rock Vineyard, a 400 acres (160 ha) hillside vineyard near Cotati.[9]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.38°24′N123°00′W / 38.4°N 123°W /38.4; -123
 | Thiswine region article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |