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Appellation · United States

Anderson Valley

A narrow, fog-filled valley running towards the Pacific — cold, remote, and one of California’s best sites for Pinot Noir and sparkling wine.

Anderson Valley AVAmaritimecool
What to expect in the glass

Pinot Noir that is red-fruited, savoury and high in acidity; taut sparkling wine; and aromatic, off-dry whites.

About Anderson Valley

Anderson Valley runs north-west towards the Pacific, and marine fog moves up it daily. The lower, seaward end — "the deep end" — is genuinely cold.

Roederer established a sparkling wine operation here in 1982, and Anderson Valley traditional-method sparkling wine is among the best made in the United States.

It is also a rare American success for aromatic whites: Gewürztraminer and Riesling both do well.

What the name means

Legal name
Anderson Valley AVA
Type
American Viticultural Area (AVA)
Set by
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)
Recognised
1983
Regulates
Origin only. It sets no rules about varieties, yields, ageing or winemaking.

Only where the grapes were grown, plus the percentage that must come from the named area. An AVA sets no varietal, yield, ageing or winemaking rules whatsoever — the single most commonly misunderstood fact about US wine labels.

Grapes

Wines from here

red

California Pinot Noir

Riper and fuller than Burgundy, with dark cherry, cola and baking spice — but retaining real acidity in the coolest sites.

sparkling

California traditional-method sparkling

Bottle-fermented sparkling from cool Californian sites, several of them founded by Champagne houses.

What to eat, and how to serve it

Derived from this region’s signature styles. Each is listed separately, because a region does not have one serving temperature.

California Pinot Noir

Serve at 14–16°C (cellar cool).

Try with fillet steak, grilled chicken or turkey.

California traditional-method sparkling

Serve at 8–10°C (fridge cold).

Try with fillet steak, salmon or asparagus.

Where to go next

Places worth trying if you like this one — neighbours, rivals, and the obvious step across.

  • Mendocino County — California’s northernmost significant wine county, with an unusually high proportion of organic vineyard.
  • Sonoma Coast — A very large and much-criticised AVA reaching from the Pacific inland, within which the genuinely coastal vineyards are a small and distinct part.

Sources

Sources consulted