N.V. Hartford Family Wines Hartford Court Seascape Vineyard Blanc de Blancs

Hartford Family Winery is in the Russian River region of Sonoma County. It was founded in 1993 by Don and Jennifer Hartford. Don is a lawyer and Jennifer is the daughter of Jess Jackson of Kendall-Jackson winery. Jeff Stewart is winemaker. Stewart worked for numerous California producers, including La Crema and Buena Vista Carneros, before joining Hartford. The estate focuses on single vineyard and limited bottlings of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and old vine Zinfandel. Robert M. Parker Jr. writes that Hartford wines “are thrilling, single-vineyard efforts that possess extraordinary character, personality, and pleasure-giving characteristics.”

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.