Sonoma County may have it all when it comes to scenery – a beautiful coastline, lush forests, mountains, and rural farmlands – but when we think of California Wine Country, we can’t help but picture miles of hillside vineyards and winding roads. That’s just what you’ll get when you visit the north end of Sonoma County, especially within the rural wine region of Dry Creek Valley. Here, surrounding the must-visit city of Healdsburg, you’ll find plenty of family-owned wineries offering intimate tasting experiences and award-winning wine. If you love zinfandel, there’s no better place to be!
The Dry Creek Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) was established in 1983, though the area has a grape growing history dating back almost 150 years; the region’s first vineyard was planted in the 1870s! And, although it’s one of the most compact regions in Sonoma at only 16 miles long and two miles wide, it’s packed with over 9,000 acres of vineyards and 70 wineries – many of which produce some of Sonoma County’s best wines.
Over 30 grapes are planted here, but this region’s heart lies with zinfandel. Blocks of old vine zinfandel produce distinctive wines that garner lots of recognition, and with good reason. From elegant and concentrated to robust and structured, we can’t get enough of the impressive zinfandels of Dry Creek Valley, and these wineries are a few of our favorites for tasting California’s Heritage grape!