Fort Ross-Seaview: California's Grand Cru Appellation

In 2012, Hirsch and other winemakers carved 27,500 acres out of the larger Sonoma Coast appellation to create Fort Ross-Seaview AVA. The distinction: ridges, hills, and mountains at higher elevations along the Pacific. This is California's 'grand cru' district for Pinot Noir - where fog burns off and grapes achieve phenolic ripeness.

What to do there

3 things to do

1. 1 Drive Highway 1 Through the AVA Adventure · Free

   Experience the dramatic coastline that creates this terroir.

   Drive Highway 1 from Jenner north toward Fort Ross. The dramatic Pacific coastline shows why this is called "extreme" Sonoma Coast. Notice how the vineyard ridges sit above the fog line - elevation is everything here. Stop at Fort Ross State Historic Park for views.

   Log Memory
2. 2 Visit Fort Ross State Historic Park History · Price: low

   The Russian settlement that gave the area its name.

   Fort Ross was a Russian settlement from 1812-1841 (before California statehood). The reconstructed fort overlooks the Pacific. This is the historical anchor of the wine region. Entry ~$8. Walk the grounds and understand why Russians chose this dramatic location.

   Log Memory
3. 3 Taste Wine from 3+ Fort Ross-Seaview Producers Wine · Price: high

   Compare different interpretations of the grand cru terroir.

   Visit Hirsch, then find additional Fort Ross-Seaview producers in Healdsburg tasting rooms (Flowers, Wild Hog, etc.). Compare 3+ wines from the AVA. Notice the common thread - tension, mineral, maritime influence - that defines this grand cru district.

   Log Memory

Insider tips

• The AVA was established in 2012 - one of California's newest "grand cru" districts

• 27,500 acres, but only a fraction is planted - the terrain is too extreme

• The key distinction: above the fog line at higher elevations

• Fort Ross (the Russian settlement) operated 1812-1841 - before California statehood