Cover; Contents; List of Illustrations; Preface 2010; Introduction; 1 Out of the Pangaean Mists a River Is Born; 2 Cyrus Alexander Finds a Valley; 3 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon; 4 Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon; 5 Healdsburg: The Crucial Turn West; 6 The Russian River Valley; 7 Pinot Noir Comes to Westside Road; 8 Clones, AVAs, and Storms: A Divertissement; 9 Into the Fog, and Above It: The Sonoma Coast; Recommended Wines and Producers; References and Suggested Reading; Index; A; B; C; D; E; F; G; H; I; J; K; L; M; N; O; P; Q; R; S; T; U; V; W; Y; Z.
Summary
Steve Heimoff takes readers on an intimate and enlightening tour of one of California's most diverse and accomplished wine areas as he travels along the Russian River and talks with growers and vintners from the Cabernet country of the Alexander Valley to the Pinot Noir producers of the Sonoma coast. This first comprehensive look at the natural history and winemaking practices of the region by one of America's most respected wine critics brings the Russian into the exalted company of the great wine rivers of the world--the Loire, the Rhône, the Rhine, the Mosel, and the Douro. Part wine guidebo.