Article Archive
Insider View: Russian River Valley
Great Wine Touring All Year Long
Issue: October 2008
By: Steve Heimoff
So near, and yet so far...the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County is only about 65 miles from downtown San Francisco, but once you turn off the 101 Freeway onto River Road or Westside Road and head west toward the Pacific, you feel the stresses and strains of “civilization” melting away.
Granted, the Valley isn’t quite as tranquil as it was even five years ago. There are more housing developments, more traffic on weekends, and Healdsburg isn’t the quaint little farm village it used to be. It’s been “discovered” (in the jargon of real estate).
But the Russian River Valley remains my favorite one-day getaway to wine country. Two days is even better, and three days is ideal. It’s a fairly large viticultural area, 126,000 acres, so if you really want to get a feel for this beautiful, diverse region, you can’t just wham-bam it. From Sebastopol and Occidental in the south and southwest, up through Guerneville in the northwest, eastward to Healdsburg and then south to the county seat of bustling Santa Rosa, the Valley is more or less a big square, about 20 miles on each side. Although it has many back roads that twist and turn along with the Russian River itself, the main roads -- Highways 12 and 16, in addition to those mentioned above -- will get you to most places without getting lost.
To most people, Russian River Valley means Pinot Noir (and its Burgundian white brother, Chardonnay), but the region produces gorgeous, complex Syrahs, and Zinfandels made from century-old vineyards are among the best. The occasional Sauvignon Blanc stars (Rochioli makes a fantastic one), and Iron Horse’s bubblies, grown in the little Green Valley sub-region, are sought after.
Among my favorite Pinot Noir producers in the Valley, those with tasting rooms include Dutton-Goldfield, Rochioli, De Loach, Hartford Court, Marimar Torres, Gary Farrell and Iron Horse. Don’t look for big, fancy tasting rooms selling lots of stuff,like you’ll find “across the hill” (as the locals refer to Napa Valley). With the exception of De Loach, Russian River Valley visitor centers tend to be low key. But, hey, it’s all about the wine, not the t-shirts and coasters!
Among the nicest places to stay are Madrona Manor (a charming, large Victorian inn with a top-ranked restaurant), the Hotel Healdsburg (post-modern, conveniently located in Healdsburg), Les Mars Hotel (also in Healdsburg. It’s built along the lines of a European hotel and is very expensive, as is its tenant restaurant, Cyrus, which has been compared to the French Laundry). Then there’s the Farmhouse Inn (also with one of the best restaurants in Sonoma County). But there are dozens of B&Bs, inns and chain hotels, as well as scores of restaurants spanning Sonoma’s famously diverse cuisines: Mexican, fusion, Asian, and California fresh.
Pinot Noir, as I said, is the Valley’s top wine. It’s famous for its affinity with grilled steak, broiled lamb and roasted salmon, as well as game, and the top restaurants have plenty of offerings of those on their menus, most of which change seasonally. And speaking of seasons, the Russian River Valley really does have a full count of four, although folks from east of the Rockies might quibble with that assertion. Seasons here are more subtle. Summer mornings start off cool and foggy, then can turn rapidly warm to hot. Fall is magnificent, as the colors start to turn. Winter can be rainy and chilly, but the crowds thin out, and the cold makes a fireplace, with a bottle of Pinot Noir and a loved one, all the more inviting. Springtime is my favorite, when the buds on the vines and trees turn pea green, and the wildflowers are in full riot.
For more information, visit the Russian River Valley Winegrowers at www.rrvw.org.
Steve Heimoff is the West Coast Editor of Wine Enthusiast Magazine and has written numerous articles on the wine industry. He is the author of New Classic Winemakers of California: Conversations with Steve Heimoff and A Wine Journey along the Russian River. Heimoff lives in Oakland, California.
