Northern Sonoma AVA

Northern Sonoma is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Sonoma County, California. The appellation covers most of the county with the notable exceptions of the Los Carneros AVA, Petaluma Gap AVA and Sonoma Valley AVA wine regions, which are located in the southern portion of the county. It was established on May 16, 1985 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after reviewing the petition proposing the viticultural area named "Northern Sonoma."^[6] The creation of the Northern Sonoma AVA was largely based on the petitioning of the E & J Gallo Winery as part of their expansion of their Gallo of Sonoma brand.^[5] The viticultural area entirely encompasses Alexander Valley AVA, Chalk Hill AVA, Dry Creek Valley AVA, Knights Valley AVA, Russian River Valley AVA, Sonoma Coast AVA appellations, and portions of the Green Valley of Russian River Valley AVA and Rockpile AVA.^[7]

Northern Sonoma

Wine region
Type	American Viticultural Area
Year established	1985[1] 1986 Amended[2] 1990 Amended[3] 2011 Expand[4]
Country	United States
Part of	California, North Coast AVA, Sonoma County
Sub-regions	Alexander Valley AVA, Chalk Hill AVA, Dry Creek Valley AVA, Green Valley of Russian River Valley AVA, Knights Valley AVA, Rockpile AVA, Russian River Valley AVA, Sonoma Coast AVA,
Total area	329,000 acres (514 sq mi)[1] 2011:373,244 acres (583 sq mi)[4]
Size of planted vineyards	26,000 acres (11,000 ha)[1]
No. of vineyards	72[1]
Grapes produced	Chardonnay[5]

The majority of the grape varieties grown in Sonoma County are grown in Northern Sonoma AVA, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon blanc, Chardonnay, and Zinfandel.^[8] Zinfandel is more commonly grown in the Rockpile and Dry Creek Valleys.^[7] Gallo Family Vineyards are known for their Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay while Rodney Strong Vineyards is known for its Zinfandel and Sauvignon blanc. Bacigalupi Vineyards, situated in the Russian River Valley, are known for their Chardonnay.^[8]

See also

• Sonoma County wine