I recently have had some spectacular Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Mendocino Ridge. While in Anderson Valley for the recent Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival, I spent an afternoon with winemaker Jason Drew of Drew Family Cellars whose vineyard and winery are located in Elk in the Mendocino Ridge appellation. We toured two of the region’s vineyards, Valenti and Signal Ridge, and this took a few hours as many of the vineyards in this appellation are spread out and difficult to reach. As we drove around, Jason filled me in on the geography, the vineyards and the potential of this emerging region for fine wine.
Mendocino Ridge was approved as an American Viticultural Area in 1997, yet it has some of the oldest producing vineyards in Mendocino County. The first modern plantings were established by Italian immigrants and date to the late 1800s. Field blends of red varieties, primarily Zinfandel, were planted, and Zinfandels produced from old vines in this region have been legendary. In 1988, Kendall-Jackson proclaimed that the Mendocino Ridge was one of the world’s greatest regions for Zinfandel. Today, Zinfandel is still prized from this AVA, but the region now holds considerable promise as California’s newest frontier for premium Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
The Mendocino Ridge AVA is a non contiguous trio of ridges that is defined by vineyards at least 1,200 feet or more in elevation, and within 10 miles of the Pacific Ocean. It is California’s first and only non contiguous AVA. Because of the hilly terrain of the AVA, lower elevations are not included. The ridges are above and surrounded by coastal fog, fostering the name “Islands in the Sky.” This catchy name is trademarked by Dan Dooling, owner of Mariah Vineyards, a producer of Mendocino Ridge Zinfandel and Syrah, and one of the winegrowers along with Steve Alden of Perli Vineyard to successfully achieve appellation status for the region.
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