Alexander Valley
Location: California, United States
Legal name: Alexander Valley American Viticultural Area
Nested under: Sonoma County
Regulatory body: TTB
Official designation: 27 CFR §9.53
Alexander Valley is modeled here as the appellation/legal-origin layer for the existing EncyclopediaOfWine region row. It identifies the protected label name associated with California, while the original region row remains available as legacy geographic context until downstream links are fully migrated. The AVA is nested here under the Sonoma County appellation row for navigation clarity. Commonly associated grapes include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Syrah. AVA status in the United States is origin-based rather than grape-prescriptive: it protects a delimited place-name and does not require one authorized grape list or a European-style production recipe.
Permitted Grapes
No AVA-specific grape restrictions. Commonly associated grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Syrah.
Notable Rules
AVA label use is origin-based: under 27 CFR §4.25(e)(3), at least 85 percent of the wine must be derived from grapes grown within the viticultural area, and American wine must be fully finished within the State, or one of the States, in which the AVA is located. The AVA does not impose a grape-variety list or European-style production code.
Recent Vintages
Recent Sonoma County vintages have generally tracked the broader North Coast pattern: drought and heat pressure in several years, uneven smoke concerns in 2020, and a more forgiving 2023 after a wet winter and moderate growing season. Cooler, coastal-influenced districts often had more natural freshness in warm years, while warmer inland areas could show riper, more concentrated profiles. Because smoke exposure and harvest timing varied by site, 2020 should be treated as producer- and vineyard-specific rather than as a simple region-wide verdict.
A general read of growing-season and harvest character — not a rating.
Also Known As
Alexander Valley AVA, Alexander Valley American Viticultural Area
Sources & References
- eCFR / 27 CFR §9.53 — United States appellation and AVA framework; public regulatory reference.
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REFERENCE NOTE
This entry is written as an educational overview and may synthesize public regulatory, historical, and editorial sources. It is not an official regulatory record.
Editorial text, descriptions, and vintage commentary © 2026 Encyclopedia of Wine — The Wine Atlas Library. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced without permission.