Sonoma County · Appellation

Russian River Valley

Established in 1983, Russian River Valley owes its identity to the Petaluma Gap and the river itself, both of which funnel Pacific fog deep inland each night before it burns off by midday — a rhythm that has made this Sonoma's definitive ground for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Much of the acreage sits on Goldridge soil, an ancient sandy loam formed from volcanic ash that drains well and lends the fruit its characteristic lift. Within its borders, the valley fractures into cooler and warmer neighborhoods, from fog-locked Green Valley to warmer benchlands near Healdsburg, making it less a single terroir than a spectrum.