Alexander Valley is one of the key winegrowing areas in California's Sonoma County. It is one of the warmer parts of Sonoma, with vineyards stretching from the edges of the Russian river up into the foothills of the Mayacamas mountains that separate Sonoma from Napa. Alexander Valley's key grape variety is Cabernet Sauvignon, making vibrant, fruit driven wines that are less earthy than their Napa counterparts.
The AVA covers the land along a 20-mile (33-km) stretch of the Russian river between the Mendocino County border and the city of Healdsburg. South of Healdsburg, where the fog-influenced climate is much cooler, the Russian River Valley AVA takes over, while Dry Creek Valley lies across the hills to the west. The separate but overlapping Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak AVA lies at the northern end of Alexander Valley.
©Lancaster Vineyards
The majority of Alexander Valley's vineyards are on the benchlands on the eastern side of the river, where the southwesterly aspect and alluvial gravel soils provide an excellent terroir for Cabernet Sauvignon. The valley is warmer than other parts of Sonoma due to its inland location, although cool winds and fog still make their way up the Russian river from the Pacific ocean via the Petaluma Gap. During the growing season, the days are warm and dry, with the southwest-facing vineyards angled perfectly toward the afternoon sun. The nights are cooled by the wind and fog, which slows ripening and ensures the grapes retain acidity as they develop sugars and varietal character.
Alexander Valley's alluvial gravel soils have been deposited over time by the course of the river. These are deep and well-drained, and provide the perfect amount of stress to the vine over the growing season. The lack of water in the soil forces the vines to grow deep root systems in search of hydration, and also helps prevent the vine from producing as much energy-sapping leafy foliage. Instead, the vine will focus its energy on creating small, thick-skinned berries with concentrated flavors, which are perfect for wine production.
Outside of Napa, Alexander Valley is one of the most important regions for Cabernet Sauvignon in California, and as a result, some of the state's most famous wine producers have vineyards here. Giants like Kendall-Jackson and E&J Gallo planted substantial vineyard areas here in the 1980s and 1990s, bringing considerable economic stability to the valley as a wine region. The prestige of the Alexander Valley name, however, is more often attributed to the smaller-production wines of Murphy-Goode, Clos du Bois and Geyser Peak. Some of the best-known names in Californian wine (Ridge Vineyards, Seghesio, Francis Ford Coppola) maintain a balance between scale and artisanal winemaking; each of these outfits has vineyards in the valley and produces Alexander Valley wines. Several have built their winemaking facilities there, mostly in the lower-lying southern half close to Healdsburg.
A number of other grape varieties are also grown in Alexander Valley, including Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Like its neighbor Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley is also home to a number of old-vine Zinfandel vineyards, including a part of the famous Lytton Springs vineyard, the source of some of California's top Zinfandel wines.
