Alexander Valley Wineries, Wine Region & Red Wine
Alexander Valley Wineries produce some of the best Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon wines in California. Thirteen types of red wine grow in this region. Other popular Alexander Valley red wines include Merlot, Zinfandel and Syrah.
The Alexander Valley wine region is located in northern California. It sits in the northeastern part of Sonoma County near the town of Healdsburg. There are just over 40 wineries in the region. Vineyard plantings total around 15,000 acres.
The region is not as large as other wineries in northern California. This beautiful wine region is just 22 miles long and anywhere from 2 to 7 miles wide.
Alexander Valley Winery History
The history of the Alexander Valley wineries starts around the 1840s. This is when Cyrus Alexander scouted out the land in the area for his employer in southern California. He was looking for high quality land for ranching.
As part of his payment, he received a slice of land in the region. He selected the most fertile soil on the ranch.
Upon receiving his land, Alexander built out his homestead. He constructed a home, a number of buildings and planted a wide variety crops. He then planted the first vine on his property in 1846.
Alexander was a respected member of the community. He built a school house and offered many other things to his community. Because he was such a generous man, everyone decided it was fitting to name the region after him.
More and more people moved into Alexander Valley. As they learned more about the richness of the soil, many began planting prunes. For decades, this was the preferred crop in the region. However, prunes are tough to grow and several farmers struggled. Around the late 1960s and 1970s, many farmers replanted their land with wine.
Wine flourished in the region. In 1984, Alexander Valley became an official American Viticulture Area (AVA).
Alexander Valley Winery Recommendations
Visiting this region is a fun experience. It is easy to get around and there are plenty of great wines to try. I visit here quite frequently and always enjoy wine tasting here. These are just some of the Alexander Valley Wineries I think you will enjoy.
Great Wine Tasting Experience: Silver Oak Winery
The Silver Oak Winery, officially called Silver Oak Cellars, is one of the more popular wineries in the region. They have a tasting room both in Alexander Valley and Napa Valley. Both tasting rooms offer the same selection of wines for tasting.
The Alexander Valley winery location has two different tasting options. One option is to taste their current releases. For this tasting, you are welcome to just walk in and taste some of their great wines.
The second option includes a tour of the winery before tasting. This requires a reservation, but is a great way to learn more about the winery and how the wines are made.
This winery is not open on Sundays.
Alexander Valley Geyserville Tasting Room
24625 Chianti Road, Healdsburg, CA 95448
Prices, Ratings & Reviews: Silver Oak Cellars Wines
Tasting Room Hours: Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm
Tours: Monday to Friday at 1:30pm, call to make an appointment 707.942.7026
Napa Valley Oakville Tasting Room
915 Oakville Crossroad, Oakville, CA 94562
Tasting Room Hours: Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm
Tours: Monday to Friday at 10am & 1pm, call to make an appointment 707.942.7026
Lots of History, Wonderful Cabs: Alexander Valley Winery
The Alexander Valley Winery sits on some of the original land of Cyrus Alexander's estate. The current owners purchased this property from the Alexander family back in 1962. They produced the first commercial wines in the mid-70s.
This is just one of the great Alexander Valley wineries that is worth a visit when you are in the area. Is is located about 20 minutes from downtown Healdsburg, CA on Hwy 128.
The tasting experience here is a lot of fun due to the history of the property and their large selection of wines. I would highly recommend tasting a few of their Cabernet Sauvignon wines and one of their Merlot wines. They have a number of different red wines to choose from and I think you will really enjoy a visit to this winery.
Address: 8644 Hwy. 128, Healdsburg, CA 95448
Website: www.avvwine.com
Tasting Room Hours: 10am to 5pm
Tours: By appointment only, call 707-433-7209
So Many Reds, So Little Time: Hanna Winery
It will not take you long to realize the number of great red wines that are available for tasting at Hanna Winery, another one of the Alexander Valley wineries. This winery has two different locations. One is right outside of Santa Rosa and one here in Alexander Valley.
This location is the second of the two and an expansion location for this winery. The tasting room at this location is much larger and open than the small, quieter Santa Rosa location. However, the wines are all the same.
There are a number of red wines to taste. My favorite is their Hanna Pinot Noir wine. This wine is grown in the Russian River Valley location. It is medium bodied and is 100% Pinot Noir wine. It has a nice red berry flavor and I really enjoy it.
I also like many of their other wines. In fact, I cannot remember a red that I do not like from this Alexander Valley winery. My two other favorites are their Hanna Alexander Valley Merlot and the Bismark Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. They also had some fun and interesting red wine blends.
It's a great place to stop and is just a few minutes from the Alexander Valley winery.
Hanna Winery Alexander Valley Tasting Room
9280 Hwy 128, Healdsburg, CA 95448
Tasting Room Hours: Open daily from 10am to 4pm
Hanna Winery Russian River Valley Tasting Room
5353 Occidental Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
Web Site Address:
www.hannawinery.com
Tasting Room Hours: Open daily from 10am to 4pm
A Winery You May Recognize: Clos du Bois
Another one of the most popular Alexander Valley wineries to visit is Clos du Bois. This is a winery that you might recognize. They have a wider distribution than many of the other wineries in this region. However, it is worth a trip since they have a number of tasting room only wines.
A great way to see more of the winery is the make an appointment for their tour & tasting program. You will need to call ahead and it is about $15 per person.
It is a great lunch stop too. The winery has a small store on-site that sells cheese and meats to complement their wines. You can buy a bottle of wine, sit in the picnic area and enjoy your wine along with your lunch.
Address: 19410 Geyserville Avenue, Geyserville, CA
Pricing, Ratings & Reviews: Clos du Bois Wines
Tasting Room Hours: 10am to 4:30pm
Tours: 11am and 2pm, by appointment only, call 800-222-3189
*Note: Most of the Alexander Valley wineries have limited hours during the holidays. All prices quoted are estimates and may be changed at anytime by the individual winery.
Alexander Valley Winery Visiting Tips
The Alexander Valley wineries are also really close to Dry Creek Valley and Russian River Valley. If you plan on a visit to the region, I recommend you stay a couple of days. One day in each region or one day in a couple of the regions will give you a great feel for the region and its wines.
It takes about an hour and a half to get from San Francisco to the southern end of Alexander Valley. Add another 30 minutes or so if you are coming from San Francisco International.
From either location, take Hwy 101 across the Golden Gate Bridge and continue north to the town of Healdsburg. Take the Dry Creek Valley exit and take a right off the exit onto Dry Creek Valley. After that, take the second left onto Healdsburg Avenue. This road splits in two, so take the slight right onto Alexander Valley Road.
This road takes you to Hwy 128. This is the location for the majority of the Alexander Valley wineries. Some are also on side streets off the Hwy, so make sure you bring your addresses with you.
If you decide to stay the night, your best options are to stay in Healdsburg or Santa Rosa. Healdsburg is a smaller town that is right on the southern end of Alexander Valley. There are some fun tasting rooms right in town along with a number of higher end restaurants and shops. Visit the Healdsburg Hotel page for some recommendations on places to stay.
Santa Rosa is a larger town that is about 30 minutes south of Healdsburg, right off 101. The town is a little larger, so has a few more hotel options. Visit the Santa Rosa Hotels page for some hotel recommendations in Santa Rosa and a few smaller towns right off 101.
Alexander Valley Red Wines: Selecting The Right One for You
Not everyone gets the chance to visit the Alexander Valley wineries. So, this area is dedicated to help you find the right Alexander Valley red wine without an expensive trip over to the region.
Alexander Valley reds are usually big and bold wines. So, if you are a fan of full bodied wines that might need a little aging, this is the place to look. Although most year you will find high quality wines in this region, 2007 was an exceptional year.
Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Wines
If you love Cabernet Sauvignon wine, then one from Alexander Valley is a great choice. Cabs from this region are usually big and bold or full bodied wines. They are also fruity with balanced or softer tannins.
Cabernet Sauvignons from this region typically carry aromas of fruits such as cherries, plums and blackberries as well as hints of chocolate and spices. Once you take a sip, you will often taste fruit flavors including red cherries, black plums and blackberries. Other tastes for Cabs from Alexander Valley wineries are cocoa, vanilla and cassis.
Many of the wineries in the region also age their wines for a few months or up to a couple of years. Much of the aging is done in oak barrels, so you are likely to smell and taste hints of oak in their Cabernet Sauvignon wines.
Alexander Valley Merlot Wines
The second most favored red wine from Alexander Valley wineries are Merlot wines. They are not as popular as the Cabernet Sauvignon wines from this region, but they still have a number of world class Merlots.
Typical aromas in an Alexander Valley Merlot are red cherries, plums and blackberries. Your nose will also enjoy hints of vanilla, mocha, chocolate and spices.
When you taste your first sip, your mouth will appreciate flavors of red cherries, plums and blackberries. In addition, you will also taste hints of roasted coffee, mocha and violets.
Even though the region is known for their big and bold reds, you can still find some great Merlots that are medium bodied.
Other Reds to Try from Alexander Valley
Other reds to try in Alexander Valley are Zinfandel and Syrah wines. These two wines are slightly overshadowed by their neighbor Dry Creek Valley. However, you can still find some great Zins and Syrah wines from a handful of the wineries in the region.
Alexander Valley is not as well known as Napa Valley. This means you still find some reds that are a great value for their price. Uncover some great deals on Alexander Valley wines today!
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Here are some other pages you might enjoy:
- Sonoma Valley Wineries and Wine Region: Located to the south east of Alexander Valley is the Sonoma Valley. This region is larger and more well known than Alexander Valley. Discover another great wine region in Sonoma County!
- Dry Creek Valley Wineries and Wine Region: Dry Creek Valley is just north of Healdsburg and only a few miles away from Alexander Valley. This region is small, but known for their Zinfandel and Syrah wines. If you are a red wine lover, this is yet another region to explore.
- Russian River Valley Winery Recommendations: The Russian River Valley is also close to Alexander Valley. It is just south of Healdsburg and produces amazing Pinot Noir wines. For yet another red wine tasting experience, find out more about what Russian River has in store and why their Pinot Noir wines are so popular.
