Sonoma County Flashcards
The Gloria Ferrer family is related to which European wine house?
Gloria Ferrer Caves Vineyards is a winery in the Carneros AVA, The Ferrer family owns the Spanish Freixenet Cava business.
*Name the 4 counties which surround Sonoma County
Mendocino, Lake, Napa, Marin [all the North Coast AVA counties except Solano County]
*Name the most widely planted WHITE grapes of Sonoma County.
Chardonnay (27%), Sauvignon Blanc (4%)
*Name the most widely planted RED grapes of Sonoma County.
Pinot Noir (20%), Cabernet Sauvignon (20%), Merlot (9%) and Zinfandel (9%)
*Name the only Sonoma County AVA that overlaps into Napa.
Carneros
*Name the newest sub-AVA of Sonoma Coast.
Fort Ross-Seaview AVA
*Name the largest AVA in Sonoma County.
Sonoma Coast, established 1987. [largest in total area, not vineyard acres]
*Name Sonoma AVA with the highest average summer temperature.
Knights Valley AVA [Hot Nights!]
*Name 2 Sonoma County AVAs well-known for Zinfandel.
Dry Creek AVA and Rockpile AVA [adjacent AVA’s; note that Dry Creek AVA also grows substantial amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon]
*Name 3 Sonoma County AVAs well-known for Cabernet Sauvignon.
Alexander Valley AVA, Knight’s Valley AVA, Sonoma Mountain AVA
*Name 2 Sonoma County AVAs well-known for sparkling wine.
Carneros AVA and Green Valley of Russian River AVA
*Name the geographical feature that cools Carneros.
San Pablo Bay (northern SF Bay) where cool air enters from the Petulma Gap and the SF Bay
*Name the breaks in the coastal range that allows fog and cool breezes into the Russian River Valley.
Petaluma Gap and channel cut by Russian River
*State the name native Americans had for Sonoma Valley, also used by Jack London.
Valley of the Moon; however the etymology of the word Sonoma is not clear.
*Translate the Spanish word carneros into English.
rams (this area was an ancient home for shepherds)
*Name the 6 AVAs nested within the Northern Sonoma AVA.
Alexander Valley AVA, Chalk Hill AVA, Dry Creek AVA, Knights Valley AVA, Russian River Valley AVA as well as most of Green Valley of Russian River Valley AVA. [not the southern AVA’s Carneros AVA or Sonoma Valley AVA]
Compare the size of vineyard land in Sonoma County vs. Napa Valley.
Sonoma County is about 50% larger Napa County 64,000 vs 43,000 acres .
How many bonded wineries are in Sonoma County vs. Napa Valley.
685 wineries in Sonoma vs. 400 in Napa
Sonoma County lies within which regional AVA?
fully within North Coast AVA
When was the town of Sonoma founded?
1834
What is the name of the mission that predates the town of Sonoma?
Mission San Francisco Solano
When and where was California’s first commercial winery focused on quality production?
1855, Agoston Haraszthy founded Buena Vista Winery just east of Sonoma. [Wiki says 1857. He previously planted grapes in San Diego and Wisconsin!]
When in the modern era did vineyard acres in Sonoma Valley finally reach pre-Prohibition levels?
1975 [one year before Judgment of Paris]
Describe the soils of Chalk Hills AVA.
the soils themselves do not contain any chalk but rather are composed of a mixture of quartzite, abundant volcanic ash, sand and silty loam.
When did California become independent from Mexico? and then become a state?
1845, 1850
What was Rodney Strong’s business background and where did he start his wine business?
He trained at the School of American Ballet in NYC and spent 4 years dancing in Paris, where he developed a taste for wine. In 1959, he moved to Marin County where he established Tiburon Vintners, which bought bulk wine and bottled it. In 1962, he bought Windsor Vineyards in northern Sonoma County. Mr. Strong eventually lost control of Rodney Strong Vineyard in 1989.
When and where were the first grapes planted in Sonoma County?
1812, Fort Ross, Russian Colonists
Name the four AVA’s nested in Sonoma Valley AVA?
Bennett Valley, Sonoma Mountain, Moon Mountain, Carneros [BMC Software]
Compare the relationship between Napa Valley and Napa County to Sonoma Valley and Sonoma County?
Napa appellations of County and Valley nearly overlap. Sonoma Valley vineyards are just over 20% of Sonoma County vineyards.
What are the borders of Sonoma Valley?
Mayacamas Mountains and Sonoma Mountain
Name 3 Winkler Zone 3 AVA’s in Sonoma County.
Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, Knight’s Valley
Name 5 Winkler Zone 1-2 AVA’s in Sonoma County.
Russian River Valley, Green Valley of Russian River, Carneros, Sonoma Coast, Fort-Ross/Seaview
Name the primary soil type in Carneros AVA.
Sedimentary (from ancient flooding from San Pablo Bay)
What are the primary grapes of Chalk Hill AVA?
Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc
Chalk Hill AVA is nested within which AVA?
Russian River Valley AVA
Sonoma County’s Green Valley AVA is nested within which AVA?
Russian River Valley AVA
Name two AVA’s nested withing Russian River Valley?
Chalk Hill AVA and Green Valley of Russian RiverAVA
What is the difference between blackcurrant and cassis?
Macerated blackcurrants are the primary ingredient in the apéritif crème de cassis. Blackcurrant liqueur mixed with white wine is called Kir or Kir Royale when mixed with champagne.
At what wind speed is the grapevine affected?
At >8 mph, wind cause the stomata (pores) of the grapevine leaves to close and sugar production slows down. This may lead to greater flavors at lower alcohol.
If a Petaluma Gap AVA is approved, what would be the defining measure?
wind (not geographic features or soil type)
Of these towns along Hwy 101, order them from North to South: Cloverdale, Geyersville, Healdsburg, Novata, Petaluma, San Rafael, Santa Rosa, Windsor.
Cloverdale, Geyersville, Healdsburg, Windsor, Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Novata, San Rafael
According to sonomacounty.com how many wineries are located there?
more than 400
Which Sonoma AVA is known for steep hills and ripping wind?
Rockpile AVA
*Name an AVA that overlaps Sonoma and Mendocino.
Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak
Name two geographic aspects of Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak.
high altitude and steep aspect
What AVA’s are nested within Sonoma Valley AVA?
Bennet Valley, Sonoma Mountain, Moon Mountain, Carneros
