Exploring Sonoma County’s coolest vineyards plus top wines from each
Brooke Herron profiles three of the region’s cool-climate AVAs...
Sonoma County is the most diverse wine-growing region in the USA. Three-times the size of Napa County, it comprises 13 AVAs divided across three main areas: Sonoma Valley, Northern Sonoma and Sonoma Coast.
The ‘true’ Sonoma Coast, where many vineyards cling to ridges just 3km to 8km from the Pacific Ocean – not to be confused with the ‘official’ Sonoma Coast AVA, which is ridiculously large at 200,000ha and includes parts of the warmer Carneros and Sonoma Valley appellations – is a hot spot for cool-climate Pinots with crystalline fruit, high acidities and lower alcohols.
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