Food & Wine

AVA Wines of Sonoma County: Dry Creek Valley Wine Region

Vineyard in Dry Creek Valley

With a grape-growing history going back 140 years, the compact Dry Creek Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) includes more than 9,000 vineyard acres and over 70 wineries, one deli, and no stoplights in an area only 16 miles long and two miles wide. Best known for its robust Zinfandel wines, this rural wine region is located in north-central Sonoma County, just outside Healdsburg, and is a short drive south of a small town called Cloverdale.

The Russian River and the Lake Sonoma Recreation Area bookend the valley itself.

A view of the blue waters of Lake Sonoma Recreation Area from above in Sonoma County — Lake Sonoma Recreation Area

Today, it’s one of California’s hottest wine travel destinations and a rural backwater with just about nothing but family-owned vineyards and wineries best known for their robust Zinfandel wines. Despite the increased attention, little has changed.

But what has changed in Dry Creek Valley has often changed for the better: better wines, better farming practices, and better watershed stewardship.

Among Sonoma County wine regions, Dry Creek Valley is the most compact, easy to navigate, and cheek-by-jowl filled with wine-tasting opportunities. Yet it’s also home to a tight-knit agricultural community, where corporations do not have so much as a toehold, and many newly-built wineries are owned by the descendants of immigrants who farmed here in the 1800s. And even though the nation’s largest family-owned winery maintains a facility here, you’d never know they were tucked into the rolling benchland.

Established as an AVA in 1983, Dry Creek Valley includes over 9,000 vineyard acres, 60 wineries, one deli, and no traffic lights.

Top Grapes & Wine Varietals

Beeson Ranch is one of Dry Creek Valley’s iconic old vine vineyards. — Beeson Ranch is one of Dry Creek Valley’s iconic old vine vineyards farmed by Dry Creek Vineyard.

The valley has been closely associated with Zinfandel since the beginning. Blocks of old-vine Zinfandel (some having survived Prohibition, which inspired most farmers to switch to growing prunes) are distinctive: Stout vines stand alone with no trellis, their gnarled arms seeming to flail in all directions.

Most new plantings follow the traditional head-trained style. Sauvignon Blanc is the standout white varietal, often grown on bottomland near the creek. Cabernet Sauvignon is under-appreciated here despite a few first-class examples. Côtes du Rhône-style blends of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre are attracting serious attention.

The Lay of the Land

The first fun fact about Dry Creek is that it isn’t dry. The northern portion of the valley was stoppered up with Warm Springs Dam in 1982, creating a year-round streamflow. You’ll get a stunning view of the lake if you continue down wide, smoothly paved Dry Creek Road past the fish hatchery — just don’t get lost on Skaggs Springs Road (eventually, after a long drive, you’ll end up at the ocean). A round trip of the valley must be made by returning to the stop sign at Yoakim Bridge Road and turning southwest.

Although the official AVA boundary bulges out into the mountains, most vinicultural action takes place in a north-by-northwest strip some 13 miles long and scarcely a mile wide in most parts.

In the south, it abuts Russian River Valley AVA; in the north, it overlaps Rockpile AVA. Tempered by fog but not dominated by it, the mesoclimate is an in-betweener compared to Russian River Valley or Alexander Valley; for Zinfandel, many say, it is a sweet spot.

Notable Wineries

Dry Creek Vineyard

The founding of Dry Creek Vineyard, renowned for Fumé Blanc (Sauvignon Blanc), Zinfandel, and the iconic sailboat label, signaled the valley’s post-prohibition renewal in 1972. When founder David Stare started Dry Creek Vineyard, he began the winery with a single-minded effort to offer the highest quality wine possible at a reasonable price.

Pedroncelli Winery

One of few Prohibition survivors, Pedroncelli Winery, has been owned and operated by the Pedroncelli family since 1927 and offers some of the best values in the area. During Prohibition, the family sold grapes to home winemakers to keep their vineyards alive. Now, the fourth generation is at the helm, and the company is 70% woman-owned, with a woman winemaker at the wheel.

Ridge Vineyard Lytton Springs

At Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs, a legend of the 1970s Zinfandel Renaissance, the environmentally-friendly tasting room is constructed from straw bales. This remarkable facility (built of straw bales and vineyard clay and primarily solar-powered) is a beautiful environment to experience their exceptional single-vineyard wines.

A. Rafanelli Wilson & Wilson Winery

A visit to the A. Rafanelli Winery is a Zin pilgrimage. The family prides itself on producing consistently exceptional wines year in and year out, specializing in some of the finest Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. The winery is small, and being family-owned and operated, production is limited, with the focus on quality, not quantity!

Wilson Winery

Zins are big, ripe, and ever-popular at Wilson Winery. The estate features a century-old tin barn that houses the Wilsons’ facility and is one of the oldest structures in the legendary Dry Creek Valley. The barn has been lovingly restored to provide a state-of-the-art venue for their award-winning winemaking.

Unti Vineyards

Once idiosyncratic, Unti Vineyards and Winery’s Grenache and Syrah aged in foudres are highly anticipated. Unti also produces a dry Rose from Grenache and Mourvedre and a handful of white wines: Vermentino, Fiano, and Grenache Blanc. Their winemaking style involves using traditional methods that enhance and support an ability to make wines with a sense of place.

Rued Wines

The Rued family grape growers who helped wineries like Kenwood to become household names now also make their own Sauvignon Blanc under their Rued Wines label. The winery is the perfect spot for a picnic or to delve into the true Dry Creek Valley AVA Wine experience. The family hosts many events, including barrel tastings and barbecues.

Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery

At the valley’s northern end, Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery pours famous Fumé Blanc and super Tuscan-style reds in a luxury setting at its Villa Fiore Wine Shop. Visitors to Ferrari-Carano may enjoy Classic and Reserve wines (with a charcuterie board or chocolate bonbons add-ons) on Il Terrazzo overlooking vineyards, under the Fontana Pergolas by a bubbling fountain, or in the Enoteca located in the underground cellar.

Mill Creek Vineyards

The folks at the valley’s southern end at unvarnished Mill Creek Vineyards invite visitors to enjoy award-winning Gewürztraminer. The beauty of Mill Creek Vineyards is that you can witness the entire process of growing grapes and selling wine. Unlike some properties where most of the fruit is purchased or the wine is made off-site, Mill Creek is the complete package where one can experience the creation of excellent varietal wines from start to finish.

Backroad Bodegas

A selection of pumpkins decorate the porch at Preston Farm & Winery, Sonoma County — Preston Farm & Winery, Healdsburg

Half this region’s wineries are found along a meandering little back road. Indeed, on West Dry Creek Road, practically a one-lane driveway in parts, you’ll find Preston Farm & Winery with their farm stand, organic wines, and many cats; bistro lighting inside the wine caves at Bella Vineyards & Wine Caves; biodynamic chicken coops and Fig Tree Sauvignon Blanc at Quivira Vineyards & Winery — also Grenache and Rhône.

And for even more options, browse our listing of all Sonoma County wineries.

Restaurants and Lodging in Dry Creek Valley

Dry Creek General Store

While just a few wineries have begun to offer gourmet food pairings with their wines, there’s only one place to grab lunch here: the Dry Creek General Store efficiently turns out excellent sandwiches; the adjoining bar with its eclectic local atmosphere (featuring an old-fashioned wood bar and relics suspended from the walls and ceiling) is a favorite, too.

Big Oak Vineyard House

The eastern border of the appellation is also where the town of Healdsburg’s numerous dining options begin. Some of the most exciting lodging options include guest house rentals amid the vineyards, which some of the smallest mom-and-pop wineries may offer, like the Big Oak Vineyard House at West Wines.

Hotels & Other Accommodations

Raford Inn is just a half mile from the Russian River and a 15-minute drive along gorgeous vineyard country roads to the Healdsburg Square. This 1880 Victorian plantation property is gently perched on a south-facing slope above sweeping Russian River Valley Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards, ringed by redwood forested mountains, near a small country crossroad.

Geyserville Inn is also a great overnight option with gorgeous vineyard views. With all the comforts of a modern hotel with the charm and service of a small country inn, it draws wine connoisseurs and travel writers from all over the world. Geyserville Inn is also a short drive from beautiful Lake Sonoma and only an hour away from the Pacific Ocean.

You can also browse our listing of all Sonoma County hotels and lodging, where you can find a romantic inn, a trendy downtown hotel, a luxury hotel resort with vineyard views, and a spa on site.

Written by Sonoma County Insider James Knight