Sonoma Flashcards
Where is Sonoma County?
Just north of San Francisco
This AVA overlaps both Sonoma and Napa counties
Carneros AVA
These 7 varities make up over 90% of plantings in Sonoma
Chardonnay
Pinot Noir
Cabernet Sauvignon
Zinfandel
Merlot
Sauvignon Blanc
Syrah
Sonoma County’s most planted grape
Chardonnay
Sonoma County’s most planted red grape
Pinot Noir
Where is Cabernet Sauvignon grown in Sonoma County?
only in the warmest vineyards
Sonoma CS compared to Napa CS
Sonoma: typically more herbaceous; more approachable when young
Where is Zinfandel orginally from?
Croatia
Zinfandel ripens differentially in the vineyard; can result in ____ & _____ characteristics in the wine
sweet & sour
Syrah grown in cooler pockets in Sonoma County can produce lean, peppery style of wine similar to ….
Northern Rhone
What does Semillon contribute to SB-Semillon blends?
fuller body, waxy texture
What does Malbec contribute to Bordeaux blends?
juicy berry flavors
this grape contributes pepperiness + violet aromas to Bordeaux blends
Cab Franc
What kind of wine would you expect from Petit Syrah?
concentrated + inky color; signature blue fruit
Why do you often see Italian varities in Sonoma?
Big wave of Italian immigrants in the 1880s
The two influential bodies of water
Pacific Ocean + San Pablo Bay
t/f: sonoma county has more varied soil types than France
true
The 3 most important soils can be grouped into these 3 categories
Franciscan Complex (ocean floor sediment + volcanic)
Sonoma Volcanics
Wilson Grove (golden sandstone; often Burgundy varities planted on this soil)
The climate is typically ____ in NE Sonoma
hotter
Where are vineyards typically found?
in valleys between mountains
Mountain range that forms border between Napa and Sonoma
Mayacamas
How many AVAs are within Sonoma County?
18
1st AVA of Sonoma County - established 1981
Sonoma Valley AVA
Sonoma County is part of this larger AVA that contains Napa, Marin, Mendocino, Lake, and Solano counties
North Coast AVA
Sonoma County mandates conjuctive labeling. What does this mean?
Any AVA-designated bottle must also list “Sonoma County”
To feature an AVA on a label, __% of the grapes must be sourced from said AVA
85
For generic origin labeling (eg, Sonoma County or California) what is the minimum % of grapes that must be sourced from said location?
75%
For vintage-dated AVA wines, __% of grapes must be sourced from said year.
95
At least __% of a wine must be made from said variety for a wine to be varietally labeled
75
Minimum % requirements for grape, vintage, and source of grapes
vintage - 95%
grape - 75%
AVA - 85%
Almost 90% of Sonoma’s vineyards are…
family owned
Over 99% of Sonoma’s vineyards are…
certified sustainable
This Fault runs thru Sonoma County
San Andreas Fault
What is conjuctive labeling?
requirement to feature county name on any wine bottle that features an AVA
California’s first commercial winery, founded by Agoston Haraszthy
Buena Vista
What is the Petaluma Gap?
meterological pattern that funnels cold Atlantic air to an opening in the San Pablo Bay
Russian River Valley yields ____ expressions of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
rich
