Explore Dry Creek Valley AVA
QUICK AVA FACTS:
Dry Creek Valley is a narrow and majestic 16-by-2-mile valley in Sonoma County
Established in 1983
9,000 vineyard acres with 70 wineries – mostly family-owned
Best known for robust Zinfandels – particularly old vine Zinfandel
Located northwest of the town of Healdsburg. The valley is formed by Dry Creek, a tributary of the Russian River
The appellation benefits from the proximity of the Lake Sonoma reservoir for irrigation in this relatively dry area.
“Established as an AVA in 1983, Dry Creek Valley includes more than 9,000 vineyard acres and 60 wineries, one deli, and no traffic lights.”
– SonomaValley.com
Dry Creek Valley’s wine growing history is one of the longest in California – dating back nearly 150 years. By the late 1880s, Dry Creek Valley was home to 883 acres of vineyards, predominately planted with Zinfandel. During Prohibition, while some vineyards continued to grow grapes (some under the radar – selling their wines to neighbors and friends), much of the valley was converted to plum, pear, and prune trees. Dry Creek Valley’s vineyard revival began in the 1970s. In 1983, Dry Creek Valley was one of the first wine regions to receive its AVA designation.
SOIL:
Dry Creek Valley, one of the smallest AVAs (just 16 miles long by 2 miles wide), is a narrow dense stretch of land composed of floor, benchland and hillside vineyards. The valley was formed by the depositing of alluvial material along ancient earthquake faults. The valley floor soil is primarily gravelly and sandy loam. The surrounding benches and hills have soils largely composed of gravelly clay loam (notable for its strikingly red soil).
CLIMATE:
Dry Creek Valley has both coastal and inland influences. The nearby coastal mountain range helps keep the cool marine temperatures at bay, resulting in long, warm days that allow the grapes to ripen. But these mountains also allow the cold coastal air and fog to prevail at night, dropping temperatures dramatically. This coastal cooling in the evenings allows the grapes to mature more slowly and retain their balance and acidity. Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc thrive in this climate.
FEATURED WINERY: Puccioni Vineyards
Dry Creek Valley AVA
Puccioni Vineyards makes distinctive Zinfandel and Petite Sirah from the Puccioni Vineyard in the Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma County. Founded by their Great Grandfather in 1904, Puccioni wines are made using 100-year-old vines and the knowledge passed down from their family’s generations of winegrape growers and winemakers. Their style is to “let the vineyard speak” by producing concentrated wines in a complex and rustic style that exhibit characters of the site.
Puccioni Vineyards is run by Glenn Proctor and his wife, Laurie. Glenn is the fourth California generation of Puccioni winegrowers in California. (His kids are the 5th gen)
