| Green Valley of Russian River Valley |
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Introduction History Seeking to connect the region with the more commercially successful Russian River Valley name, the appellation formally changed its name on April 23, 2007.[2] Green Valley was first designated as a wine region with the name Sonoma County Green Valley AVA on November 21, 1983, a name that was similar in structure to the Solano County Green Valley AVA created in 1982.[1] Many wines that could have been labelled with the Sonoma County Green Valley AVA designation were instead labelled with the broader appellation designation of the Russian River Valley AVA, due to the greater market awareness of Russian River Valley wines. A group of wine producers from the region petitioned the United States Department of the Treasury Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau for a name change to associate the Green Valley with the more popular Russian River Valley.[2] The name of the appellation was changed with an amendment to the federal law designating American Viticultural Areas, effective April 23, 2007, to be the Green Valley of Russian River Valley AVA. Geography and Climate The Green Valley of Russian River Valley AVA (formerly Sonoma County Green Valley AVA) is an American Viticultural Area in Sonoma County, California, USA. Located at the southwestern corner of the Russian River Valley AVA, its 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, and favors the cultivation of cool climate varietals like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer.[2] Wines
The apple trees are one clue. Blueberries and tangled thickets of blackberries and raspberries–and the densely-fruited jams, jellies and preserves they produce–are the other. Both reference a climate that is cool enough to bring out the most fully matured fruit flavors that Pinot Noir and Chardonnay can mount. Tucked away on the edge of Sebastopol– once the world’s home to the Gravenstein apple–Green Valley offers an admixture of redwood forests, llama and Christmas tree farms, ornamental flower nurseries (even normally fragile orchids thrive here), Luther Burbank’s famed Gold Ridge Farm, old style Italian restaurants … and wine grapes with distinctive “cold climate” identities. Also used for sparkling wine, Pinot Noirs are velvet-textured and supple with spicy black cherry, and local Chardonnays are crisp and creamy, with nutty spices all their own.
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