A unique terroir, between ocean, forest, and hills

Nestled north of San Francisco, in Mendocino County, Anderson Valley stretches over about 40 km, from Boonville to Navarro. Bordered by redwood forests and crossed by lush hills, it offers a unique landscape, far from the sometimes arid image of California's wine country.

The climate: coolness, fog, and thermal amplitude

The valley benefits from a cool and humid climate, influenced by the Pacific sea breezes. The morning fogs regularly cover the vineyards, slowing the ripening of the grapes. The temperature difference between day and night, often exceeding 20°C, helps preserve the grapes' natural acidity and develop complex and refined aromas.

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay: the great ambassadors

Anderson Valley is today one of the best Californian terroirs for Pinot Noir. Thanks to this temperate climate, the wines are pure, floral, subtle, with a beautiful freshness. They sometimes evoke the elegant expressions of Burgundy.
The Chardonnay is also remarkable: lively, tense, lightly oaked, often marked by a fine minerality and a beautiful salinity on the finish.

A high place for Californian sparkling wines

Since the 1980s, Maison Louis Roederer established Roederer Estate here, convinced by the climate's potential for high-class sparkling wines. Today, the house produces racy, balanced bubbles with great precision, worthy of the finest Crémants or even some Champagnes.

A mosaic of soils serving diversity

The soils are varied: clays, schists, gravels, silts, and sometimes even a bit of limestone on the heights. This diversity allows for a very rich parcel expression, which estates like Drew Family Cellars, Littorai, or Copain work with rare finesse.

A still confidential valley, focused on craftsmanship

Anderson Valley remains off the beaten tourist paths. Here, no crowds or glitz: the work is often manual, organic, on a small scale. The estates are run by families, enthusiasts, not international groups. This results in wines that are sincere, deep, and full of identity.

Alsace grape varieties in a Californian version

More rarely in California, some plots are planted with aromatic white grape varieties like Riesling, Gewurztraminer, or Pinot Gris. These wines, produced in very small volumes, express an unexpected freshness and a beautiful aromatic frankness, often in a dry version.

Why discover Anderson Valley?

Because it embodies another California: one of finesse, patience, and balance. Because its wines, still affordable for the quality they offer, can compete with some European expressions. And because it brings together some of the best cool-climate winemakers in the New World.