Summer Fling

Russian River Valley

Prized for its elegant Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Sonoma's Russian River Valley is one of California's premier AVAs for cool-climate wines. Blessed with the Petaluma Gap—a break in the coastal mountains where chill, foggy air blows in from the Pacific—the valley also benefits from the effects of the Russian River itself. This draws cool Pacific Ocean air inland and creates blanketing fogs that veil the vineyards throughout the chilly mornings. The result is one of the state's longest and coolest growing seasons. Bracing acidity and complex flavors characterize wines from this region, which also includes excellent sparklers made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.