2018 Peay Vineyards Estate Vin Blanc

Peay Vineyards is in Cloverdale on the West Sonoma Coast. It was founded in the mid 1990s by brothers Nick and Andy Peay. The brothers wanted to make Burgundian wines and eventually bought property on a hilltop above a river gorge four miles from the Pacific Ocean. They run it together with winemaker Vanessa Wong, who is married to Nick. Wong previously was a winemaker at Peter Michael Winery and worked at Chateau Lafite-Rothschild and Domaine Jean Gros in Vosne-Romanee. Peay makes wines only from their estate vineyard. They are best known for Pinot Noir but also makes Syrah, Chardonnay, Viognier and Roussanne/Marsanne.

Sonoma County is not an AVA, but it is a commonly used informal designation for wines made outside of more specific AVAs within Sonoma, which is a large wine producing region just west of Napa Valley. Though Sonoma is often overshadowed by its glamorous neighbor Napa Valley, it has a long history of wine production. The area specialized in jug wine until the mid-20th century, when Sonoma producers took a cue from Napa and started improving quality. Unlike Napa, where Cabernet Sauvignon is king, Sonoma specialized in Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel, though excellent Cabs are produced too. There are at present 16 AVAs within Sonoma County, and, like much of the West Coast of the United States, new AVAs are created in Sonoma County with regularity. Some Sonoma appellations, such as the Russian River Valley, are renowned for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.