The Thomas Gals in the AVV Wine Cave |
Dexter and the Barrels |
Located at the northern end of Sonoma County, the Alexander Valley is 22 miles long and varies in width from two to seven miles. A prominent appellation known worldwide as the source of elegant, age worthy wines, the valley is best known for the world-famous Cabernet Sauvignon grapes that thrive from the valley floor all the way up the rolling hillsides and mountain ridges. The alluvial soils (which means it is made up of materials that are left by the water of rivers, floods, etc…) of the region tend to impart a rich chocolates note on these rich and voluptuous Cabernets. The gravelly soil the straddles the Russian River also encourage Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot to flourish. Besides these staples the Alexander Valley is also home to Zinfandel and Rhone varieties, including Syrah and Viognier.
Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley was mostly
prune orchards and pastures when, in 1962, Maggie and Harry Wetzel purchased a
large portion of a homestead built by Cyrus Alexander in the 1840s, the valley’s
nineteenth century namesake. Here,
in a rural community of family farms and ranches, the Wetzel family
settled. They raised livestock,
cultivated gardens and restored Alexander’s original home making the center of
the family life.
Kelly in the Zen of Wine |
AVV quickly established a reputation for estate
grown wines with distinctive varietal character. Acclaimed for crisp Chardonnay and luscious Cabernet
Sauvignon. Alexander Valley
Vineyards brought recognition to the appellation and became a leading winery in
Sonoma County.
Located on Highway 128, 6 miles from the sleep
town of Healdsburg, the Wetzel Family Estate grows fourteen grapes varieties on
diverse sites stretching from the banks of the Russian River up onto the
hillsides Each grape variety
is matched to a specific soil type and exposure.
Vineyard Manager Mark Houser and Winemaker Kevin
Hart work as a team to maximize fruit flavor in the vineyard and to create
balanced wines that capture the grapes varietal characteristics. Barrel fermentation and aging take
place in their AVV Wine Cave, which reaches deep into a hillside adjacent to
the winery for a total of 25,000 square feet, where the cool constant
temperature and high humidity are ideal for aging wine.
Kelly and I toured the Wine Cave all the while AVV
winery dog, Dexter the Pug, scampered from our legs to the wine barrels. As Francis Krugar, Director of Hospitality of Alexander Valley
Vineyards explained, “We don’t need air conditioning with
the Wine Cave, the temperature is always around 60 degrees usually only shift a
degree or two here or there.”
Dexter the Pug |
Though parties and lunches are few and far
between, every year AVV has an annual 3-course meal in the Wine Cave to
celebrate the new release of CYRUS, their flagship Bordeaux style blend named
after Alexander Valley founder Cyrus on his birthday (March 15th), and features
the cuisine of a favorite Sonoma County chef (this year it Peloton Catering).
2014 marks the family’s 52nd year on
the historic property and the winery’s 39th anniversary. The 3rd generation of the
Wetzel Family (most of whom live on the property) now produces 100,000 cases
annually and was voted Sonoma’s Best Winery in 2011 by Bay Area wine
lovers.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Merlot
constitute over one-half of total production. Other varietals include Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese,
Cabernet Franc, and Syrah.
Proprietary wines include CYRUS, their limited production Bordeaux style
blend, Gewurz, and their 3 voluptuous Zins: Temptation Zinfandel, Redemption
Zinfandel, and Sin Zin.
We’ll go into highlights of these wines in our next
post, but we first wanted you to get a taste for the world of Alexander ValleyVineyards!
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