It’s fitting that the Russian River Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) lies at the geographical heart of Sonoma County. This is where some of Wine Country’s best known and most beloved varietals really earned their reputation. It’s the appellation — a legally defined geographic area — that set the standard for California, and perhaps New World Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, while remaining home to sought-after old-vine Zinfandel.

The Russian River Valley is where the top wineries in Napa go to get their cool-climate grapes. True to the Sonoma County spirit, it’s where the leaders of the premium wine boom — now household names — were not wealthy businessmen, but inspired farmers and newspapermen, along with a dancer and a pilot.
The Russian River Valley earned AVA status in 1983, and comprises 15,000 vineyard acres. Today, among its 70 wineries, a new guard toils to get their start in old sheds and urban warehouses.