I keep hearing references to Sonoma’s Petaluma Gap and the wines that are coming from this Sonoma winemaking region. It’s not a defined AVA but the Sonoma wine industry adopted the name to help define this geographically distinct area located near the town of Petaluma in Sonoma County. The gap is known for its wind and fog (it’s literally a wind tunnel) and there are some excellent Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays coming from the area.
Recently I had the pleasure of tasting the 2007 Pinot Noir and 2007 Chardonnay from Pfendler Vineyards. Pfendler Vineyards is owned by Kimberly Pfendler and the fruit for the wine comes from vineyards planted by Kimberly’s late husband in the Petaluma Gap area in 1992. Winemaker Greg Bjornstad takes a very minimalist approach in the winery, hand sorting the grapes for each wine and allowing native yeasts to begin the fermentation process.
The result is extraordinary wines that seem to reflect well the unique characteristics of the Petaluma Gap. The 2007 Pinot Noir has lush flavors of cherry pie and plum and the 2007 Chardonnay has lots of bright green apple flavor and nice well-balanced acidity. Both of these wines would make great pairings for Thanksgiving dinner.
Learn more about Pfendler Wines at http://www.pfendlervineyards.com/.
Learn more about the Petaluma Gap at http://www.petalumagap.com/.
Written by Linzi
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