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Peter Merriam, Rich Thomas, Tom Seminou
Russian River Valley Appellation*
Winegrowing in the Russian River Valley began with the Russian colonists who settled the Northern California coast in the early 1800s. Vineyards were among the first cultivated fields in what is now the Russian River Valley appellation.
It is believed that the Russian immigrants planted grapes in this area as early as 1817, a full six years before Padre Jose Altimira –who traditionally has been credited with planting the first grapes in Sonoma County– planted grapes in the town of Sonoma.
While the Russians planted the first grapevines, much of the growth in the rest of the 1800s was a result of the Italian immigrants, many of who were drawn to California by the Gold Rush of 1849. Grape plantings grew throughout the second half of the century, reaching their peak in the 1890s, the so-called "glory years" of the Russian River Valley. By then there were nearly 250 growers farming some 6,000 acres of grapes and producing more than a million gallons of wine – a third of the county’s output.
The later years of the century witnessed the establishment of a number of premier wineries that are still in existence today. Grape growing and winemaking had grown to new heights by the end of the century, only to go into decline in the 1900s. The phylloxera epidemic that decimated the Sonoma Valley in the 1880s and the Napa Valley in the 1890s hit the Russian River Valley around 1900. Growers were forced to rip out diseased vines and start over.
A rebirth of grape growing and winemaking began in the Russian River Valley appellation in the 1960s with renewed planting and the introduction of new grape varieties. Also a new wave of winemakers joined the old-time families producing wines of exceptional quality that scored prestigious awards in competitions and captured the attention of a new generation of consumers.
In 1983 the Russian River Valley was designated an American Viticultural Area (AVA) by the BATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms). The appellation, one of the largest in Sonoma County covers an area of 150 square miles. The fog bank that comes inland from the coast continues to define the appellation boundaries.
Today the Russian River Valley appellation includes over 200 different growers and more than 10,000 vineyard acres. In recent years, with each vintage, the Russian River Valley has established itself as one of the world’s premier appellations and continues to garner acclaim for its grapes and wine.
*Historical information provided by the Russian River Valley Winegrowers.
