The Nature of the Land The Nature of the Land
Frei Brothers Reserve wines come from one of the most diverse wine producing regions in California: Sonoma County. Here, mountains, valleys, rivers and extinct volcanoes define the region, whose 13 appellations vary widely in climate and soil. We select the best grapes from the best vineyard blocks in three celebrated Sonoma appellations - Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley and Russian River Valley - to make wines that reflect the pure nature of the land.
In northeast Sonoma, the Alexander Valley appellation is sheltered from Pacific breezes by a range of hills, lending warmer growing conditions to this appellation's alluvial soils. The nightly cooling influence of the nearby Russian River allows the grapes to develop a balanced acidity.
In the Dry Creek Valley appellation, well-draining red clay loam soil dots the hills and benchlands, while coarse gravel and sandy loam soil span the valley floor. Dry Creek days are long and sunny, but nights are characterized by ocean fog, giving the grapes ample time to mature and develop intense flavors.
Mountains along the Pacific coast shelter Sonoma's inland areas from ocean winds, but gaps in the landscape allow cooling influences to meander through the Russian River Valley appellation. Morning and evening fog roll across the Russian River, blanketing the region’s sandstone, alluvial, loam and clay soils with coil air.
