Russian River Winery Recommendations
History, Wines and Wineries of the Russian River AVA
Discover great Russian River winery recommendations, the history and the famous red wines for the Russian River Valley appellation. Uncover details and the wines of its two sub-appellations, Green Valley and Chalk Hill.
Located in northern Sonoma County, Russian River is one of the larger American Viticulture Areas or AVAs in the county. This wine region has some of the best Sonoma County Pinot Noir wines.
You will find more than 50 Russian River Valley wineries within this AVA. They spread out from north to south between the towns of Santa Rosa and Healdsburg. Many wineries are just on the western side of Hwy 101 between these two northern California towns.
Russian River Winery and Wine Region History
The name of the region comes from Russian immigrants who were the first non-native settlers in the region. They first came to the area around the 1830s.
Even at this time, many of them planted and produced wines for individual consumption. Some of the first vines planted by them were near Fort Ross.
The Russian immigrants soon abandoned the area and other Europeans settled in the region. These settlers established the first Russian River winery for commercial production.
Like other regions around it, phylloxera destroyed many of the Russian River winery vines. The few that did survive this pesky bug flourished until Prohibition in 1919.
It wasn't until the 1960s when the modern day Russian River winery industry started. Vineyards started to pop up around the region. In 1983, the region received its official AVA designation. Then in 2005, the AVA borders expanded creating a larger AVA region.
Green Valley and Chalk Hill also became sub-appellation AVAs that same year.
Russian River Valley Winery Facts & Its Red Wines
Russian River Valley extends east to west from Santa Rosa to Guerneville. It starts in the south at Sebastopol and stretches all the way north to Healdsburg.
On the northern end, it borders both Dry Creek Valley and Alexander Valley. The western side of the region sits just a few miles off the coast of the Pacific Ocean.
The breezes and fog from the ocean keep the majority of this region cool. This makes it perfect for cool climate grapes such as Pinot Noir -- and the white wine Chardonnay.
Pinot Noir wine makes up almost 30% of the total vines in the region. They are some of the best in California with notes of red berry fruits such as strawberry, raspberry and red cherry. You will also smell and taste hints of spices such as cinnamon.
Other reds that you will find in the region include Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Syrah, Petite Sirah and a handful of other reds also grow here.
Green Valley Appellation
Due to its climate, you will find some of the tastiest and most balanced Pinot Noir wines from the Green Valley appellation. Many great sparkling wines and Chardonnay come from this region also. Syrah and Zinfandel are other reds that grow here.
More than 100 growers own vineyard acres in this small appellation. However, there are only eight wineries located inside its boundaries. Many other wineries in Russian River and other Sonoma County regions source grapes for their Pinot Noir wines from these growers in Green Valley.
Green Valley vineyards are in the southwest part of Russian River. Although it received its AVA designation in 1983, its official name changed to Green Valley of Russian River Valley in a 2008 AVA amendment.
Chalk Hill Wineries
The Chalk Hill AVA is another small sub-appellation fully within Russian River Valley. It sits near the northeastern side of the Russian River AVA.
The weather here is warmer than the rest of the Russian River AVA. Red wines needing slightly warmer weather grow in this appellation.
Here you will find Bordeaux reds including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Many of the vineyards are at elevation, which means less fog reaches the vineyards. This creates the perfect climate for these Bordeaux reds.
The region gets its name from its white, chalky soil. The soil is also rich from volcanic activity.
You will only find five wineries inside the borders of this region. Many of the wineries within Chalk Hill also source grapes from Russian River Valley to make their Pinot Noir wines.
Russian River Winery Recommendations - Top Ten
It was a little difficult to pair this list down to just ten, as there are so many great Pinot Noir wines from this region. However, here is a list of some of the great wineries to try -- or visit, if you are ever in the area.
- Hanna Winery & Vineyards: This Russian River winery is one of my favorites. Its original location is just a few minutes west of the town of Santa Rosa. They have quite a few great reds. My favorites are their Russian River Valley Pinot Noir and their Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
- J Vineyards & Winery: Another favorite is J. Vineyards & Winery near Healdsburg. They have a good selection of Pinot Noir wines, but are mostly known for their great sparkling wines.
- Rodney Strong Vineyards: Also at the northern end of the AVA, you find the Russian River winery of Rodney Strong. Here you find estate vineyard Pinot Noir wines along with a number of great reds from Alexander Valley and Dry Creek Valley.
- De Loach Vineyards: Green Valley is the home of De Loach Vineyards. Their award winning Pinot Noir wines showcase the fruit forward nature of both Green Valley and Russian River Valley wines.
- Iron Horse Vineyards: Another popular Russian River winery is Iron Horse Vineyards. Located in Green Valley, this winery will win you over with their variety of classic wines. You will not only love their Pinot Noir wines, but also their selection of sparkling wines and rose of Pinot Noir.
- Dutton Goldfield: Many 90+ point wines are produced at Dutton Goldfield. The cool climate of their Green Valley vineyards is the key to the production of their smooth and balanced Pinot Noir wines.
- Gary Farrell: Almost 50% of the vines at Gary Farrell produce Pinot Noir. Much of this comes from the Russian River Valley, but you will also find some great wines from Carneros -- another popular Pinot Noir wine growing region.
- La Crema: This is another one of my favorites. Here you will find award winning wines. La Crema also has a wider distribution than most wineries in this region -- so they are a little easier to find.
- Freestone Vineyards: This Russian River winery is not as well know, but is on the rise. Their wine maker was just named one of the "Winemakers to Watch" by the San Francisco Chronicle. Pinot Noirs from their Quarter Moon and Pastorale vineyards are some of the best in the region.
- MacMurray Ranch: Another widely distributed brand is MacMurray Ranch. They consider themselves 'passionate' about Pinot Noir and it shows in their wines. Try their Russian River or Willamette Valley Pinot Noir wines for just a sample of the great reds available at this winery.
This Russian River winery list is just for the wineries that sit within the region. You will also find a number of amazing Russian River Valley Pinot Noir wines and other reds from wineries in other regions. These wineries either source their grapes from growers or they own vineyard in this region. Discover additional recommendations on the Sonoma County Pinot Noir wines page.
You can also find some of these great wines online. Find Pinot Noir and other red wines from Russian River Valley
online today.
Visiting The Russian River Valley Wine Region
Visiting a Russian River winery in person is the best way to experience this region. By tasting in person, you can get a better feel for the time, effort and passion put into each wine.
You can easily get to Russian River Valley from San Francisco and the bay area. Take Hwy 101 over the Golden Gate Bridge and all the way north to Santa Rosa. This is where your adventure will begin.
I also recommend staying the night in the region. This gives you plenty of time to taste wines and learn more about Russian River Valley.
There are two options for accommodations. The first is staying in Santa Rosa. It is a medium sized city with a lot of lodging options. Here are some of my recommendations for Santa Rosa Hotels.
Healdsburg, at the northern end of the region, is another great option. The hotels in Healdsburg are a little pricier than Santa Rosa, but ideal for wine country visitors. Find recommendations for Healdsburg Hotels.
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More Sonoma County Wine Regions
Sonoma County is filled with other great wineries and wine regions. Check these out to learn more about this popular northern California wine county.
- Sonoma Valley Wineries and Wine Region: The most popular and well known region is Sonoma Valley. This region is on the southern end of Sonoma County and features a number of amazing red wines. Read on to learn more about the birthplace of the California wine industry.
- Dry Creek Valley Wineries and Wine Region: Dry Creek Valley is just to the north of Russian River Valley and the town of Healdsburg. This warmer region is home to some of the best Zinfandel wines in the world. Discover this picturesque region, its history and its famous Zinfandel wines.
- Alexander Valley Wineries and Wine Region: Alexander Valley is another northern Sonoma County wine region. It is popular for its big and bold red wines -- specifically its Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Find out more about Alexander Valley including recommendations for some of its best red wines.
