Sonoma Valley: two volcanic mountains and the valley between
From Bennett Valley over the shoulder of Sonoma Mountain, down to Glen Ellen, and up the Mayacamas to Moon Mountain. Tap a layer to read it.
Swipe the plate sideways to see the whole section.
Schematic. The line runs NW to SE from the edge of Santa Rosa to the Mayacamas crest. Richard Dinner lies about 3 km SW of the line and is shown where it projects. The Rodgers Creek fault is placed approximately at the west end. AVA lines in the top band are approximate. Contacts follow the general pattern of the USGS and CGS Santa Rosa and Napa sheets and have not been checked against them in detail. Heights from AWS terrain data.
4 layers, youngest at the top
Single vineyards we pour from. Tap one on the plate.
Why the mountain sites taste different from the floor
- Volcanic soils on the slopes are thin and stony, so vines are stressed for water by late summer.
- Sites above the valley fog stay warmer at night and cooler by day than the floor.
- Bennett Valley takes cool air from the Petaluma Gap side, so its Syrah keeps its pepper and lift.
- The valley floor, on deeper gravels and alluvium, gives rounder wine and earlier ripeness.
Did you knowSonoma Valley is called the Valley of the Moon. Jack London, who farmed above Glen Ellen, used the name for a novel in 1913.
Pas Mal wines on this ground
Bennett Valley
- Syrah Bennett ValleyFlanagan
Sonoma Mountain
- Chardonnay Richard Dinner VineyardHunnicutt
Moon Mountain District
- Nectar Dance ChardonnayChiron
Sonoma Valley fruit in a blend
- Sauvignon BlancHourglass Estate
Sources: USGS and California Geological Survey, Santa Rosa and Napa 1:100,000 geologic maps; Paul Hobbs, Richard Dinner Vineyard notes; Flanagan Wines, Bennett Valley notes; AWS Terrain Tiles.