The special character of Dry Creek Valley is much more than a place that grows grapes. The essence of Dry Creek Valley's grapes and wines is the dynamic interaction of its people, climate and soils. Dry Creek Valley's proximity to the Pacific Ocean 20 miles to the west and the San Francisco Bay, more than 70 miles south, provides fog and a maritime influence that gives it a relatively cool climate similar to the Bordeaux region of France. A patchwork quilt of diverse, well-drained soils and terrain are ideal for growing an array of grape varieties.

Soils: Soils on the valley floor are primarily alluvial and sandy. In this part of the AVA, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon are grown along with the ever present Zinfandel. Dry Creek Vineyard makes several high quality affordable Zinfandel as well as a Sauvignon Blanc from this part of the region.

Varietals: Located in the northern part of SONOMA COUNTY, this APPELLATION runs from north of the town of Geyserville to just south of Healdsburg and spreads west from these towns. Most of the vineyards and wineries are scattered around Dry Creek, a tributary of the Russian River. The warmer northern end of this VITICULTURAL AREA favors ZINFANDEL grapes, which have been planted in this area since the 1880s. Other varieties that do well here include SAUVIGNON BLANC, CHARDONNAY, and CABERNET SAUVIGNON, and in the cooler southern portion (near the RUSSIAN RIVER AVA) even RIESLING does well.

Wine Regions Represented by MDM

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