Photo by Tom Arena
The West Sonoma Coast is a wonderland of cool-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and small pockets of Syrah—wines of great intensity and concentration yet fresh and balanced in alcohol; difficult to grow but exquisite to drink. And in May of this year, it became recognized as its own American Viticultural Area (AVA).
Why it took so long to define a region so distinct that no one who drinks wine could deny its uniqueness is anybody’s guess: Politics? Effort? Lack of vision? Maybe bureaucracy, because every other piece—people, sense of place and persistence—has long been present.
