This was the first time I had spent any significant time in Sonoma and I was blown away by what I found there. While located just across the mountains from Napa Valley, the Mayacamas Mountains to be specific, Sonoma is often overlooked. The region is much larger than Napa, about 60,000 vineyard acres versus 40,000. Spread out over a million acres, its climates and soils are as diverse as its people.
I got to see everything from large scale, national operations, to wine made practically in a garage. There were wineries on main roads and some tucked way away in their own self-sufficient ecosystem. I visited wineries in Sonoma Valley, Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley, and Dry Creek Valley (yeah, there's a lot of valleys in Sonoma). And I tasted wines from Rockpile to Petaluma, Chalk Hill to the Western Coast.
From where to where you say? These are all AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) or proposed AVAs in Sonoma County. There's currently 17, with at least 2 more in the works. At first glance, this can sound like a lot, but--not to compare too much to the other side of the mountain--Napa currently has 16. And remember Napa is much smaller. To compare to Burgundy, which has a little over 70,000 vineyard acres, there are 100 different AOCs (the French equivalent of AVA).
So what is Sonoma known for? Well, I think that's the main problem with Sonoma right now. We're still not really sure. There's a lot of variation in Sonoma. Regions like Burgundy are known for their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and even Napa has become known primarily for its Cabernet Sauvignon. Sonoma seems to still be figuring out what they're good at. I got to know one producer who was making Grenache Blanc, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel. All very different grapes, all with very different growing preferences. To be fair, the region is incredibly diverse, making it good for growing a lot of different things. But in order for people to really get behind wines from Sonoma, I think they'll need to figure out what works best not just what works.
What's the future of Sonoma look like? Regions in France and Italy have the benefit of hundreds of years helping them figure out what works best in their wine regions. Sonoma, and really most of the wine regions in the US have been seriously producing wine for only 40 or 50 years. What they do have on their side, however, is technology. Technology can greatly speed up the process of figuring out what grapes grow best, and how to grow them. I met with one producer who is replanting a massive vineyard. Instead of just replanting what was there, they were able to take soil samples all over the place and determine not just which grapes but which clones of those grapes will work best in each area of the vineyard. Chances are, using technology, regions like Sonoma will learn much faster than their winemaking ancestors. But, it still may be another 40 or 50 years before they settle in to their true identity.
I had a great time in Sonoma and can't wait to go back. It's a very different place than just across the mountain, but equally exciting. It felt a little more like visiting wineries here in New Jersey, but maybe where I hope New Jersey will be in 10 or 15 years. Sonoma is laid back and down to earth, and is producing some really incredible wines--not to mention at pretty good prices, too. They've just got to figure out a way to let everyone know that.
I've got some more stories to share from trip to Sonoma so be sure to stay tuned!