Anderson Valley (AVA)
 Welcome | My Account | Sign Out
Subscribe to our newsletter
Bookmark and Share  


Anderson Valley in California’s Mendocino County now ranks with the top Pinot Noir regions in North America. While production is not huge, quality is soaring, as rising-star winemakers from Adrian Fog, Copain, Littorai, Radio Coteau and Siduri join home-grown stalwarts such as Lazy Creek, Londer and Navarro in producing sleek, powerful Pinots.

An unusual transverse appellation -- cutting laterally through the coastal range rather than lying between ridges -- Anderson Valley is also a mere 10-15 miles from the cold Pacific Ocean. These factors result in a wide diurnal range, with daily high and low temperatures diverging up to 40 or 50 degrees. This enables Pinot Noir growers to keep acid development in line with sugar and flavor formation through long, warm Indian summers. It also makes for superb Gewurztraminer and Riesling, giving rise to the valley’s annual Alsatian festival. Then there’s sparkling wine. With three methode champenoise sparkling houses, including the renowned Roederer Estate, Anderson Valley is bubbly paradise.

~ Thom Elkjer, Mendocino Editor

Current Feature

In the southern Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and Georgia vineyards are small and few, yet the establishment of the Upper Hiwassee Highlands could bring much more.  [>] continue


Appellation Features

[>] see all Anderson Valley features (17)

Related Features


 

Best of Appellation

See the best wines of Anderson Valley

See the best wines of
Anderson Valley

BLUE BOOK PROFILES

Blue Book Taste Profiles for the Anderson Valley AVA

Chardonnay

Sparkling Blend

Alive & Well here


Pinot Noir: You're beautiful...a goddess...but so exasperating! Loving you is like worshiping an unfaithful temptress!  [>] continue

Recommendations

Quick Finds

Appellation Honor Role

Search the Anderson Valley Wine List

 
select wine style:
select grape:
 

Featured Wines

Raye's Hill Vineyards and Winery 2003 Pinot Noir - Wightman House Vineyard Wonderful weather and location has resulted in a complex wine with aromas of ripe red fruit and flavors of strawberry and cherry.
buy wine $24.00

Buy Anderson Valley wines
directly from these wineries

Advertisement



    Help us improve travel information to your favorite region...



Winery Sponsors

Winery sponsors of Appellation America’s coverage of the Anderson Valley appellation.