REDWOOD VALLEY
Redwood Valley covers about 35 square miles and
its wineries and vineyards produce premium to ultra premium varietal
wines distributed around the world. There are over 900 acres of
white wine grapes and over 1500 of red varietals planted in the
Valley.
History
Early settlers arrived in Redwood Valley in the
mid 1850s, and there was a thriving community by 1900. As early
as the 1870s, grape growing and wine making were an important part
of the economy and culture of Redwood Valley. One of the earliest
published mentions of Redwood Valley as a grape growing region was
in a March 7, 1913, article in the Ukiah Republican Press (1885-1954),
which described Redwood Valley as “admirably adapted for the
grape and fruit land in Northern California.”
The March 17, 1913 issue of the Ukiah Dispatch Democrat printed
the following article: The Redwood Valley Improvement Club Accomplishing
Splendid Results By Concentrated Action and Progressiveness, which
stated the following
(Grapegrowing) is perhaps at the present time one of the most important
industries of the valley, with hundreds of acres in vineyards and
several important wineries in active operation...Redwood Valley
grapes are exceptionally rich in sugar and are in demand because
they raise the quality of wine. Much of the valley's product is
contracted for over a term of years…(Grapes) produce splendidly
on the bench lands of the valley, and because of the sunshine and
climatic conditions mature and produce the ideal wine grapes.
A July 31, 1949 article in the Santa Rosa Press
Democrat states that,
…approximately half of Mendocino County's present grape acreage
of 7,700 acres is in Redwood Valley. Farm Advisor R.D. Foote of
Mendocino County said, “The Valley thus raised about half
of the county's 17,000 tons produced last year (1948). Redwood Valley
for years has been one of Mendocino County's most important farming
sections. Its 314 families for the most part farmers. They'll tell
you that those grapes make the finest wines in the region.”
The Redwood Valley viticultural area boundaries
are roughly the watershed that forms the headwaters of the west
fork of the Russian River, including Forsythe Creek. Starting
at the northern tip of the valley and following the ridge tops,
the area widens out to the south as far as State Highway 20. Across
Highway 20 to the south is the community of Calpella. Highway
20 provides a distinct southern boundary for the viticultural
area.
Topography
The geography of the area sets it apart from
other viticultural areas in several respects. Redwood Valley is
clearly defined by the ridges of the coastal mountain range that
surrounds it. The Valley floor slopes gently up in elevation from
around 750' to 900' above sea level. The mountain ridges rise
steeply from the valley floor to over 3,350' elevation.
Most of the grapes are grown at an elevation between 750' and
1,500' above sea level. At the south end of the valley the foothills
close in from the east and west to form a narrowed throat through
which the Russian River flows south. This narrowing is also where
Highway 20 crosses the valley and the river to intersect with
Highway 101. This combination of landforms provides a natural
set of boundaries for the viticultural area.
These features combine in several ways to affect the micro-, meso-,
and macro-climates to produce growing conditions which distinguish
Redwood Valley from surrounding areas
Soils
While all of the specific soil series found
in Redwood Valley also exist in the surrounding areas, the proportions
of the soils in the Valley distinguish it. The Wine Regions of
America, a book written by John J. Baxevanis in 1992, gives the
following description of the Redwood Valley area.
Redwood Valley, the northernmost of the string of Russian River
Valleys, lies (eight) miles north of Ukiah and Lake Mendocino
on a series of higher terraces. Representing the birthplace of
Mendocino winemaking, it is the home of some of the county's largest
wineries. With more than 40 percent of the county's acreage, it
is the most important of all the producing regions in the two
county region [Lake and Mendocino]. A region II area, it produces
above-average quality Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay,
Petite Sirah, and Sauvignon Blanc. One of its elements of celebrity
is the considerable quantity of Manzanita soil.
Redwood Valley has by far the largest deposit of Redvine Series
soil in the area. Nearly one quarter of the viticultural area’s
plantable acreage is composed of soils of the Redvine Series.
Potter Valley Viticultural Area to the east has no Redvine Series
soils.
Another soil series that stands out is the Pinole Gravelly Loam,
which also occurs in the Potter Valley and Ukiah areas, but is
a much smaller component of the area's overall composition. Redwood
Valley has three times as much Pinole Gravelly Loam as either
of these other two areas.
Climate
Redwood Valley’s unique climate and soils
manifest themselves in the wines. In general, the wines are of
higher acidity and later maturity than those of Ukiah Valley.
The typical picking schedule for a given variety would begin with
the Hopland-Sanel area, followed by Ukiah-Calpella, and then Redwood
Valley.
Acidity, color (especially in Pinot Noir), and phenolic content
are higher in Redwood Valley than in adjacent regions. Higher
temperatures (in general) lower phenolic content, color, and acidity.
Late ripening varieties can have difficulty ripening in Redwood
Valley. Cabernet is able to tolerate the rain associated with
the late season, but more fragile varieties such as Petite Sirah,
Carignane, and Sangiovese can develop rot before ripening in heavier
soils when bearing large crops.
Redwood Valley has 2,914 degree days and is the only Region II
Climate in Mendocino County. Redwood Valley’s temperatures
are several degrees lower than daily lows in the Ukiah Valley.
Although Redwood Valley may reach daily high temperatures similar
to the Ukiah area, the cooler nights mean there’s a longer
morning cool period.
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