The Ascentia House, overlooking the Alexander Valley and the Russian River.

Alexander Valley, Sonoma County

Alexander Valley is synonymous with world-class Cabernet Sauvignon. The microclimate and terroir within the appellation create unique vineyard sites. The different climates, soils, and topographies of Alexander Valley help create remarkable diversity, and is an ideal place for producing fresh, crisp white wines, and big bold red wines. Specifically with these conditions, Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits remarkable richness and complexity, with flavor profiles defined by black fruits, ripe berry, cherry, sweet spice and plush tannins. These wines are known for having both early drinkability and age worthiness.

A growing region so exceptional, you can actually taste it in the wine. This is because the climate with cool mornings and hot afternoons contribute to long ripening seasons. The soils are clay and gravelly loam, which controls the vine vigor and increases berry flavor and intensity. The topography varies dramatically throughout the valley with rich floodplains on the valley floor and rocky bench lands and hillsides. The result is a winemakers’ delight of varied nuances and flavor profiles.

The Alexander Valley is an American Viticultural Area located north of Healdsburg in Sonoma County, California. It is home to many wineries and vineyards, as well as the city of Cloverdale. Highway 101 runs through the valley, and the Russian River flows down the valley, surrounded by vineyards on both sides. From the higher elevations of the valley rim, there are views as far south as Taylor Mountain and Sonoma Mountain.

The Alexander Valley AVA, established in 1984, was named for Cyrus Alexander, a former land grant holder in the area in 1847. The region sits at the top of Sonoma County with about 15,000 acres of much prized vineyards. Within the 76,000 total acres of this AVA, there are a variety of microclimates supporting a substantial range of grape varieties. While Cabernet Sauvignon reigns supreme on the gravelly terrain of the valley floor, the Alexander Valley AVA also produces notable Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc. Even some cooler-climate varieties, like Gewürztraminer and Riesling, have found a niche here in the shadow of Mendocino. Just enough coastal fog finds its way up the Russian River Valley to create cool evening and morning conditions. This, however, gives way to hot mid-day temperatures in what is overall a relatively warm growing area. Originally, the AVA was designated for the alluvial floodplain vineyards on both banks of the Russian River, but those boundaries have since been expanded to include mountainside vineyards. The boundaries of the appellation are defined in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 27, Section 9.53.

Cyrus Alexander - 1805–1872

Alexander Valley is named after a man who arrived here on horseback in 1840. Pioneer Cyrus Alexander had ridden from San Diego, hired by Captain Fitch to look for unclaimed, frontier land suitable for ranching. A Pennsylvanian who sought adventure and fortune as a trapper in the Rocky Mountains and later as a gold miner in California, 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 award him with land of his own.

The Mexican land grant became Rancho Sotoyome, and when Cyrus Alexander settled there in 1841, the as-yet-unnamed valley was the northern frontier of Mexico. In the eyes of Cyrus Alexander this land had tremendous potential – good soil, temperate climate, plentiful water and abundant timber. As caretaker of Fitch’s property, Cyrus was responsible for guarding the owner’s 1,000 horses,14,000 cattle and 10,000 sheep. Cyrus was well acquainted with this ranch, and when it came time for him to collect on Fitch’s promise of land, he selected the 9,000 acres he described as “the brightest and the best”. Located on the eastern side of the Russian River, the land had an ideal homesite - atop a prominent knoll, near a large spring, alongside a brook.

On this site Cyrus Alexander built his family home; it now belongs to Alexander Valley Vineyards. While still overseeing Fitch’s Rancho Sotoyome, Cyrus built adobe and redwood buildings(sometimes without nails), planted fruit trees, grew wheat and took care of livestock. A vigorous, skillful outdoorsman, he gave more of himself than his contract with Fitch required. Industrious Cyrus built a lime kiln, erected a grist mill and developed a tannery. He planted the area’s first grape vines in 1846. He thought nothing of traveling great distances by horse and cart - to Sonoma to buy building supplies; to Fort Ross to trade for fruit tree seedlings; to Cache Creek, 100 miles east, to court Rufina Lucero who, at age 14, became his wife.

In 1847 Cyrus began developing his homesite, first constructing an adobe building with walls two feet thick and a foundation 80 feet long, 20 feet wide and 12 feet high. In 1863, just to the north of the adobe, Cyrus built his family home, the largest residence in Alexander Valley at the time. Outbuildings included barns, stables, granaries and a smoke house, all built of the best material. Alexander became the community’s leader, building the valley’s first schoolhouse and founding three local churches. He continued to develop his orchard, always obtaining the best stock available. Cyrus and Rufina Alexander are buried in their family cemetery on the Alexander Valley Vineyard property. Five of the ten Alexander children are also buried there. Source: Alexander Valley Vineyards.