A Visitor’s Look at the Alexander Valley

By Paul Franson

The Alexander Valley is Sonoma County's “Napa”

Along with the little-known, neighboring Knights Valley, the Alexander Valley produces Cabernet Sauvignon and other wines comparable to those from the Napa Valley, though rarely as expensive. The reason is simple: its climate and soils are much like those of upper Napa Valley, which is no surprise when you know that the Russian River emptied into San Francisco Bay through the Napa Valley before an eruption of Mount St. Helena diverted the river to its present mouth on the Pacific Coast.

At wineries in the Alexander Valley you can find signature hearty Cabernets and Zinfandels, superb Sauvignon Blanc, as well as almost every other variety of wine you can imagine. Though most of the wineries produce excellent wine, many are small and have limited distribution, which is a great reason to visit this rural valley in person.

The Alexander Valley is 22 miles long and between 2 to 7 miles wide. The Alexander Valley viticultural area includes both the valley floor and the hills to its east and west. It includes 75,000 acres, with about 15,000 planted in wine grapes. M ore than 200 growers and 28 wineries occupy the area, which received formal recognition as an American Viticultural Area in 1984. The valley lies along the southwest-flowing Russian River from Cloverdale to Healdsburg, the last bit curving around and discouraging roads and development. It is naturally divided into two parts near Geyserville. North of that town, the vineyards and wineries lay off busy Highway 101 and are accessible only if you leave the freeway. Highway 101 is a road that urges you to rush along, but it's worth the time to turn off and visit the wineries along the way.

South of Geyserville, the valley becomes more bucolic. The only reason you don't see many contented California cows there is that grapevines line the highway.

The valley follows the Russian River away from the busy highway and behind Fitch Mountain, which makes it seem even more isolated from bustling Healdsburg, which is only a few miles away. Here many small wineries lie down small, private roads that turn off the narrow main road. You could walk or bicycle from one winery to another in minutes and in fact, a bicycle trip from Healdsburg or Geyserville is a favorite pastime.

Though the upper and lower valley seem very different, the vineyards along the river are similar. Gravel-filled benches above the river are ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon, though many other varieties grow in the valley, too. The lowlands produce rich Chardonnays. High up on the adjoining hills and mountains grow some of the most prized grapevines, supporting luxury brands such as Jess Jackson's Stonestreet and Ferrari-Carano.

The warmer, northern end of the valley favors Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot and newcomers like the French Syrah and Italian Sangiovese, while the southern end is a bit cooler and is more influenced by marine air that flows up the Russian River Valley from the coast. Here, even Chardonnay thrives, though warm-climate grapes will find sweet spots for elegance rather than power.

The Alexander Valley was named for pioneering grower Cyrus Alexander, who arrived in 1840 looking for grazing land for San Diegan Captain Henry Delano Fitch . Alexander identified 48,000 acres of land, which Fitch then acquired as a grant from the Mexican government. Fitch hired Alexander to set up a working ranch and promised to reward him with his own land. The land grant became Rancho Sotoyome and it was the northern frontier of Mexico in 1841.

As caretaker, Cyrus Alexander was responsible for Fitch's 1,000 horses, 14,000 cattle and 10,000 sheep. He selected 9,000 acres on the eastern side of the Russian River as his own home site and built first an adobe, then his family home. This area is now the heart of the Wetzel Family Estate, producers of Alexander Valley Vineyards wines. Cyrus Alexander also built the valley's first schoolhouse and planted the area's first grape vines in 1846.

The Wetzels purchased a large portion of the Alexander homestead, including the old adobe and the family home, in 1962. They restored the adobe, and in 1972, they purchased the old Alexander Valley schoolhouse and moved it to a hillside north of the family home and gardens. Several years later, they completed the restoration of the Alexander family home, and it is now the principal residence on the Wetzel Family Estate.

For modern day visitors, a trip to the Alexander Valley often starts from the south on Highway 128 emanating from the Napa Valley. The Alexander Valley is the perfect place to spend the day tasting wine and enjoying a picnic, and fortunately, the Jimtown Store (located on Highway 128, right in the middle of the valley) provides some of the best picnic supplies around.

A few especially interesting wineries are on Chalk Hill Road to the west, at the southern end of the valley, but the majority of the wineries lie along Highway 128 and on access roads along Highway 101 (which also serves as 128 in the northern part of Alexander Valley).

Each Alexander Valley winery is distinct: Field Stone Winery is in a stone building set into the hill, Hanna Winery is a modern structure high on a knoll, while Johnson's Winery contains a pipe organ and other unique paraphernalia. Alexander Valley Vineyards demands a visit as an historic site, as well as a source of excellent wines. It sits in a narrow canyon by a creek off the valley floor and also has extensive modern caves.

Stonestreet Wines is largely hidden from the road; it's a large, modern winery owned by the Jackson family of Kendall-Jackson fame and sources most of its grapes from high mountain vineyards to the east. Just north of Stonestreet, where the road jogs to the west lies the quirky Jimtown Store, an excellent deli and one of the few commercial establishments in the lower valley. Aside from tasty picnic lunches, the Jimtown Store contains a gift shop with many unique old-timey items and antiques. Continuing north (after a right turn past the Jimtown Store) are more vineyards and wineries including Murphy-Goode and a controversial Indian casino.

If you continue straight west from Jimtown, you cross the Russian River on an old bridge, pass the fancy Jordan Winery and can then hop onto 101 heading north, where you can exit on Independence Lane to see rustic Trentadue Winery, the still-unnamed fancy winery recently bought by Francis Ford Coppola (formerly Chateau Souverain), the large Geyser Peak Winery and others. At the town of Cloverdale, Highway 128 splits off from 101 to take the long, windy and picturesque road to the Anderson Valley and the quaint village of Mendocino.

Many of the Alexander Valley's wineries are open to the public, while others have tasting rooms in Healdsburg. The historic Simi Winery is right in town and is well worth a tour as well as a tasting.

Along Chalk Hill Road at the south end of the valley are a number of interesting wineries including Vérité Wines (another winery owned by Jess Jackson), which strives to produce Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines comparable to the best wines of those types in Bordeaux, and Lancaster Estate, which is another premium winery.

Aside from the many attractions in Healdburg, tiny Geyserville offers the famed Santi Restaurant and the Hope-Merrill and Hope-Bosworth Inns, as well as a few other accommodations and restaurants.

Knights Valley

The Knights Valley lies between Calistoga and the Alexander Valley. Protected from direct marine influence, Knights Valley is the warmest of Sonoma County's viticultural areas. Knights Valley has two wineries, and only one, the famed Peter Michael Winery, is open to the public (by appointment). This valley is a major source of Cabernet grapes for Beringer in St. Helena, and it contains a number of other vineyards. Jess Jackson intends to open a tasting room for his Pelton Estate in the future, but there are no remains left from the former town of Kellogg. Of the 37,000 acres in the appellation, 2,000 are planted to wine grapes by more than 30 growers.

The Knights Valley is ideal for warm-climate grapes as well as vegetable gardens, such as Forni-Brown-Walsh, that supplies fine restaurants throughout the wine country. Cattle ranches in the Knights Valley raise succulent Black Angus beef to match the rich red wines this region is known for.