Green Valley of Russian River Valley AVA
| Wine region | |
Sonoma County AVAs | |
| Type | American Viticultural Area |
|---|---|
| Year established | 1983 2007 Amend |
| Country | United States |
| Part of | California, North Coast AVA, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast AVA, Northern Sonoma AVA, Russian River Valley AVA, |
| Climate region | Region I |
| Soil conditions | Goldridge fine sandy loam |
| Total area | 32,000 acres (50 sq mi) |
| Size of planted vineyards | 3,600 acres (1,457 ha) |
| No. of vineyards | 70+ |
| Grapes produced | Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Zinfandel |
| No. of wineries | 9 |
Green Valley of Russian River Valley (formerly Sonoma County Green Valley) is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Sonoma County, California. The wine appellation was established on November 21, 1983, as the nation's 54th, the state's 35th and the county's seventh AVA by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Ms. Audrey M. Sterling, one of the partners of the Iron Horse Ranch and Vineyard, on behalf of local vintners and growers proposing a viticultural area in Sonoma County known as "Green Valley."
Green Valley landform encompasses approximately 7.7 by 7.4 miles (12.4 km × 11.9 km) measuring about 36,467 acres (57 sq mi) within its boundaries. Its location also resides within the Russian River Valley AVA designated the previous month. The area lies west of the Santa Rosa Plain and is located around Analy Township nestled in the southwestern corner of the Russian River Valley whose close proximity to the Pacific Ocean makes it one of the coolest appellations within Sonoma County. The climate in the Green Valley is even cooler than other parts of the Russian River Valley favoring cool climate varietals as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer for which Green Valley is best known as well as a few examples of cool-climate Syrah and Zinfandel. The plant hardiness zone ranges from 9a to 10a.