American Viticultural Area · CA
Alexander Valley
Alexander Valley is a federally-designated American Viticultural Area in CA, established in 1984. The map below shows its official TTB boundary alongside nearby AVAs.
The Alexander Valley boundary is highlighted. Nearby AVAs are rendered in gray — click any of them to view that AVA's page.
At a glance
Established
1984
State
CA
Climate
Warm Mediterranean
Signature varietals
Boundary recorded in 27 CFR Part 9 · Source: TTB
About the Alexander Valley AVA
Alexander Valley, designated 1984, occupies the northeastern corner of Sonoma County along the Russian River. It is warmer than its neighbors to the south — Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley — because it sits farther from the coastal cooling and at a slightly lower average elevation. The result is a warm Mediterranean climate well-suited to Cabernet Sauvignon, which has become the valley's signature varietal.
Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc do well on the valley floor, while Cabernet thrives on the surrounding benches and hillsides. The AVA is sometimes confused with Knights Valley to the east; the two are adjacent but distinct, with Knights Valley sitting at a higher elevation and being slightly cooler despite being further from the coast.
Nearby AVAs
Other American Viticultural Areas closest to Alexander Valley — useful when a vineyard sits inside more than one AVA at once.