Introducing a New Positively #Petaluma Column: Petaluma Wine!

Photo: Guarachi Family Winery, From Sherrie Perkovich

PetalumaGap_AVA_Map_poster30x20_MAY2015The wine industry is growing in Petaluma.  As you may be aware (if you been reading our columns see #Petaluma Celebrates “The Birth of an AVA – Petaluma Gap”) that the Petaluma GAP Alliance is pursuing its own AVA. The Petaluma Historic Library and Museum in the recent past had a great display of Petaluma’s viticulture history that some believe dates back over 150 years.  If you live here it is hard not to notice over the past several decades that our landscape is changing from hills of dried grass to beautiful green grape vines.  Petalumans often boast that our city is the “gateway” to the wine country.  We want to give more depth to our rich history and growing industry, so that people visiting the wine country don’t just think of Petaluma as a “gateway”.  A gateway serves as an entrance or a means of access to the wine country.  We would rather like to think of it as – just the “wine country” and a great place to stop and not just a place to drive through to get access to the wine sojourn barrel with wine glassescountry. We decided to create this column dedicated to Petaluma Wine!. We will cover wines made from Petaluma grapes, wineries, tasting rooms, wine makers, owners/families, industry trends, Petaluma GAP, history, and vineyards in the Petaluma (GAP) region as seen in the map. Positively Petaluma will focus on getting the word out to put our wine industry “on the map” by creating content that people from outside our area will find when searching for information on the local wineries but at the same time great for locals to learn more about what’s going on in Petaluma. Hopefully over time more restaurants in Petaluma will offer wines made here, and people will want to visit and stay at Hotel Petaluma and do tastings here and perhaps tours with Pure Luxury Transportation.  More people here and far will come to know our local community wines and share them with friends and come to learn to love and purchase wines made right here.

Stay tuned for more on Petaluma Wine!  We have some very exciting new contributors (wine experts) writing columns in the very near future.  In the next few months we will be also be giving it dedicated space on all social media as well as a new website for those who just want to follow the Petaluma wine industry.

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#Petaluma Celebrates “The Birth of an AVA – Petaluma Gap”

Recently the Petaluma Historical Museum and Library had a fantastic display of our city’s viticulture history.  Kaye Chandler did a great job in capturing the display on video (which can be found on the next page of this article).  Over the years our town’s rolling hills have evolved into what now is starting to look like the Sonoma or Napa Valley.  After reviewing Kaye’s film you realize that Petaluma families have been making wine since the mid 1900s (some sources say for over 150 years).

Keller Estate & Petaluma River, Photo by Wayne Dunbar

While we have a rich history in viticulture, 2015 marks the birth of a new American Viticulture Area (AVA), The Petaluma GAP. An AVA is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Trade Bureau and United States Department of Treasury. The geographic features that distinguish the Petaluma GAP is the wind and the fog. The “GAP” refers to the wind gap named after a coastal mountain opening that stretches east from the Pacific through the town of Petaluma and then roars south to San Pablo Bay which makes this AVA ideal for growing certain grapes (Pinot, Chardonnay & Syrah).  The AVA designation allows the wine makers to label their bottles indicating the grapes in the wine came from this region.

On Friday, January 30 from 6-8PM located at the Healdsburg Public Library the “The Birth of an AVA – Petaluma GAP” event will be hosted by the Wine Library Associates of Sonoma County and the Petaluma GAP Winegrowers Alliance.  This is a great opportunity to have some wine and learn about the region.  Tickets are $35 per person but only $25 for Wine Library and Alliance members.  You can reserve tickets by calling (707) 433-1660 or purchasing tickets on Eventbrite.

CLICK PAGE 2 TO SEE KAYE CHANDLERS VIDEO AND THE PETALUMA GAP MAP