Food & Wine

AVA Wines of Sonoma County: Rockpile Wine Region

Rockpile AVA

Basking in the sun like a lizard on a rock, Sonoma County’s Rockpile AVA is perched high above Dry Creek Valley. A suitably wild and rugged source for some of Sonoma County’s brawniest Zinfandel wines, the terroir of Rockpile is also man-made in one significant way: the deep, 2,500-acre Lake Sonoma reservoir.

Sheep ranching and hunting clubs dominated this area for 100 years before Rockpile’s modern grape-growing history began in 1992. Rockpile received AVA status in 2002, and its boundaries now contain 15,000 acres of land, with just 160 planted to grapevines.

Top Grapes & Wine Varietals

Gnarly, old Zinfandel vines grow in rows with bright green cover crops between them — Zinfandel vines from Seghesio Family Vineyards in Healdsburg

Rockpile is Zinfandel country and is especially famed for a signature clone of Zinfandel that was selected from the vineyard of St. Peter’s Catholic Church in nearby Cloverdale by two now-deceased area legends, vineyard manager Ulises Valdez and winemaker Kent Rosenblum.

Several other hot-climate reds flesh out the vineyards here, including Syrah, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and traditional Port varieties like Touriga Nacional.

The Lay of the Land

Vines grow above the fog in the valley below as thesun sets in Sonoma County — Seghesio Family Vineyards, Healdsburg

Rockpile is located in the northwest corner of Sonoma County, directly above Lake Sonoma in the northwest of the Dry Creek Valley. Some of the latter’s viticultural legacy actually lies at the bottom of this man-made reservoir, which was created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the 1980s.

Though the lake is artificial, the views from the overlooking vineyards are purely dramatic. Rockpile Road, an uncommonly wide, overbuilt throughway for rural Sonoma County, provides a good means of surveying the landscape — but few turnouts and no wine-tasting opportunities.

At elevations ranging from 800 to 2,100 feet, Rockpile vineyards receive plentiful sunlight with less fog thanks to an inversion layer created by Lake Sonoma.

Notable Wineries

Mauritson Wines

In 1884, Swedish immigrant S.P. Hallengren planted grapevines in the Rockpile area, but the resulting wines were only available in Sweden. Five generations later, his heirs run Mauritson Wines a few miles away in lower Dry Creek Valley, where you’ll find Rockpile AVA wines and more history of the area.

Rockpile Vineyards

Ask about Rockpile AVA wines at Rockpile Vineyards in their Downtown Healdsburg Tasting Room. Their beautiful mountaintop vineyard has 60 acres of planted vines producing Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Syrah & Cabernet Sauvignon of elegance & complexity made by Diane Wilson, Antoine Favero and Chris Barrett.

Seghesio Family Vineyards

Seghesio Family Vineyards is woven into the history and fabric of the Sonoma County wine industry. Since planting their first vines in 1895, the Seghesio family name has become synonymous with the highest quality Zinfandel and Italian varietal wines from Sonoma County.

Willamson Wines

Williamson Wines is where the celebration of quality wines, gourmet food, and great people come together. You can enjoy a Cheese & Wine Pairing at their Tasting Room or a Food & Wine Pairing at Bill’s Cellar, both in downtown Healdsburg.

Carol Shelton Wines

In Santa Rosa, seek out Rocky Reserve at Carol Shelton Wines. Carol Shelton has been Mastering the Zen of Zin since 1978. Focusing mostly on her favorite varietal, Carol is a guru of single vineyard Zinfandel. California has been the home of world-class Zin for over a century, making it the benchmark varietal of American wine culture.

Restaurants and Lodging around Rockpile

The outside of the old country store has cars parked all around — Dry Creek General Store in Healdsburg

Where to Eat

Rockpile may be reached from Healdsburg or Cloverdale with equal ease. One of the best ways to lunch in the area is to order sandwiches and deli salads at the Dry Creek General Store, then picnic at Lake Sonoma, surveying the lake and environs from the Rockpile Road lookout.

Where to Stay

In Cloverdale, the Cloverdale Wine Country Inn & Suites has a seasonal outdoor pool, hot tub, and onsite gym, and the Super 8 Cloverdale offers comfortable accommodations at an affordable rate. With shopping and restaurants directly outside their eco-friendly hotel — and attractions like local vineyards a short drive away.

Written by Sonoma Insider James Knight