Dry Creek Valley lies inland from the Pacific only a few miles, but it is shielded from immediate coastal influence by significant western mountains at the upper end of Sonoma County. About 60-75 miles north of San Francisco, Dry Creek does not share the bay area’s cool summertime weather. It is essentially a warm, dry place throughout the end of summer and into the harvest season. The upper end of the valley culminates at Lake Sonoma, a flood control lake created in 1983. The lower end, about 12 miles to the south, is bounded by the Russian River at the town of Healdsburg. The western side of Dry Creek Valley is hilly and wild, stretching up into the mountains. It holds virtually no plantings. The eastern side slopes gently reaching up to the boundary with Alexander Valley. Dry Creek has a rich tradition of fine winemaking going back to the 1850’s. Like the rest of Sonoma County, it has had major periods of prosperity, interrupted occasionally by natural and man-made calamities. Not the least of these was prohibition, which caused wholesale abandonment of fine wine making. In its place came an expansion of acreage of hardy, shippable grape types, suitable for the huge “homebrew” market. The number of acres of grapes is said to have expanded during prohibition, but the maintenance of premium vines was virtually abandoned. Fortunately, some pre-prohibition plantings survive and have been rehabilitated. The reemergence of Dry Creek as a premium region of significant volume dates from the 1960’s. Today, Dry Creek Valley has about 10,000 acres of vineyards owned by over 200 growers. Expansion of premium plantings continues, and about 30 wineries have located within the valley.

The upland areas rimming the valley floor have proved to be ideal for Zinfandel. Some of the historic vineyards sites contain “old vines” and “old clones” vines that predate modern nursery selections. Plantings of this uniquely Californian grape yield a variety of wines. Some are fruity, youthful, Beaujolais-like and easy-going, others are Bordeaux-like, oaky, and age-worthy. These days, a growing number are “new-age”, high alcohol wines, rich, deep-colored and heavy in extract. It is common to find high-end Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel with 16% alcohol and inky dark color. Although these do not always hit the mark (sometimes they are just plain overboard), often they are amazingly velvety and rich with fruit concentrate and complexity. They can be deceptively easy to drink. Dry Creek Zinfandel has been such a hit that many bottles not only specify the district, but also name a single vineyard site of particular notoriety. Remember that there are far more independent growers and vineyard sites than wineries. Some producers might make 8 or 10 different Zins in a single year. Wineries in other parts of California proudly identify their Zinfandel as “Dry Creek” when they have sourced their grapes from this special region. It is not rare for a winery to source different grapes from different regions.

Most Dry Creek Valley bottlings are limited in volume, and finding these special wines can be frustrating at times. Although many Dry Creek wines find their way to our area, one Dry Creek specialist stands out, and is generally available. Pedroncelli has maintained vineyards in Dry Creek since the 1920’s. Much of that time they produced their wine in relative anonymity. However, in recent years they have increasingly provided standout wines, at bargain prices, almost all of them purely Dry Creek. For between $12 and $20, Pedroncelli offers Cabernet, Zinfandel, Chardonnay and other varietals. Two standouts are their “Three Vineyards” Cabernet Sauvignon and “Mother Clone” Zinfandel, both selling for around $15. Pedroncelli Chardonnay is also a Dry Creek Valley wine, coming almost entirely from vineyards at the South end of the appellation where the cooler Russian River weather has considerable influence.

Another Dry Creek star is Gallo. Two of the firm’s estate vineyards are located in Dry Creek. “Frei Ranch” yields powerful age-worthy Cabernet and Zinfandel. “Stefani Vineyard” offers another take on the region with rich plum-like Cabernet and luscious rich Chardonnay. These vineyard designate products represent the pinnacle of Gallo’s impressive pyramid of premium wines, a pyramid which also includes Sonoma County regional varietals selling for under $15.

Also look for the Dry Creek appellation on wines from Ferrari Carano, Ridge, Seghesion, Rosenblum, and Dry Creek Vineyard. These wineries make many wines and only a few are “Dry Creek”, but they are worth seeking out.

06/05

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