HipMaps and Alexander Valley Winegrowers (AVWG) have collaborated to bring AVWG's 40-year legacy to life through a custom-designed HipMap and interactive app experience! A Community Built on Family and Tradition Located in northeastern Sonoma County just north of Healdsburg, California, the Alexander Valley is home to 33 wineries and 77 winegrowers, many of them family operations with generations of history in the valley. It's a community where tradition, collaboration, and world-class winemaking go hand in hand. The Alexander Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area) is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and HipMaps provides a modern tool that helps visitors truly experience and understand this magnificent valley. The AVWG HipMap showcases the valley's diverse terrain, from vineyards on the valley floor along the beautiful Russian River to those nestled in the Mayacama Mountains. The interactive app lets visitors see their real-time location on the custom-branded map, learn a

More Than 220,000 Acres in California are Enrolled in FFF Program  NAPA, Calif. (November 25, 2024) – Thirty-two winegrape growers and wineries from Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties have been recognized with the Founders’ Award from the Fish Friendly Farming Certification program for achieving and maintaining certification for more than 20 years. In 1999, the Fish Friendly Farming Certification program was created to protect and enhance the Russian River watershed in Sonoma County. Soon, it was expanded with a specific program tailored for Napa County and other regions. Today, more than 220,000 acres located in thirteen counties in California are enrolled in the innovative program that improves water quality and wildlife habitat. “The Fish Friendly Farming certification has become very popular among winegrowers as a sustainable certification program because it is highly effective in improving water quality and restoring fish and wildlife habitat,&rd

Growers Enjoy Near Perfect Growing Season SANTA ROSA, Calif. (October 31, 2024) – The 2024 winegrape harvest has just completed in Sonoma County and both growers and vineyard employees are raving about what may be one the best vintages in the past 50 years. According to Karissa Kruse, president and CEO of the Sonoma County Winegrowers, “the best word to describe the 2024 Sonoma County harvest is smooth!” Added Kruse, “The tonnage varied by grape variety and AVA, but the quality was outstanding across the region. As the vineyards turn dormant, most farmers are hosting celebratory lunches and parties for their vineyard employees and crews and relaxing a bit before pruning season and another cycle begins.” The start in early to mid-August for most grape growers was considered a return to normal, after a late start in 2023. The season was blessed with beautiful weather and little to no pressure to pick until the fruit was showing its best flavors and acid

Afternoon Brief: Russian River Valley Winegrowers Announces $250,000 Value-Added Producer Grant Award

This is the first grant award from the USDA that Russian River Valley Winegrowers has received in its 30-year history as an association...

A Later and Prolonged Harvest Led to Exceptional Quality and Quantity  SANTA ROSA, Calif. (November 20, 2023) – August 24th marked the beginning of another record-breaking harvest in Sonoma County and winegrowers and their vineyard employees finally gathered recently in a local vineyard to discuss the year and the outstanding quality of the harvest. Their comments, both in English and Spanish, are provided below and the harvest roundtable can be viewed here. The year started with a winter and spring filled with above-average rainfall and below-average temperatures that got the growing season off to a slow start, delaying harvest well past the early-August “norm” of the past few drought-impacted years.  A mild spring and summer allowed for ample hang time, enabling the fruit to develop with stunning quality, and a few late-summer heat spikes are thought to have “made the vintage” according to Steve Sangiacomo, Partner at Sangia

In 1983, the Sonoma County wine growing regions of Carneros, Chalk Hill, Dry Creek Valley, Knights Valley, and Russian River Valley/Green Valley all received designation as official American Viticultural Areas. 40 years later, we’d like to celebrate this significant anniversary. The Sonoma County Wine Library Association invites you to hear the details about these distinctive AVAs during a panel discussion with reps from each region (featured below). Karissa Kruse, President of the Sonoma County Winegrowers organization will be our moderator. We’ll start the event with a tasting featuring the wines from each AVA You can bid on wine lots featuring the AVA wines and winery experiences The event will be held in the attractive setting of Balletto Vineyards Reserve Room An appetizer platter will be offered This will be our final event of 2023, so we hope to see you for this fantastic afternoon! Sunday, November 12, 3:00 to 5:00 PM $35 for members, $50 for non-memb