RODNEY STRONG

Rodney Strong Vineyards is a pioneering Sonoma County winery founded in 1959 by Rodney D. Strong, committed to sustainability — solar energy, water conservation, and certified sustainable farming. The portfolio spans Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Reserve, Old Vines Zinfandel, Chalk Hill Chardonnay, and Malbec Reserve.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What makes the Alexander Valley a good appellation for Cabernet Sauvignon?

The Alexander Valley AVA in northern Sonoma County produces Cabernet Sauvignon with a distinctly different character from Napa Valley’s Oakville or Rutherford benchmarks. The valley’s warmer daytime temperatures and significant diurnal temperature variation — warm days that fully ripen the fruit, cool nights that preserve acidity and aromatic complexity — produce Cabernet that is generally riper and more immediately accessible than Napa’s most structured expressions, while retaining enough acidity and tannin for meaningful aging. The benchmarks from the Alexander Valley tend toward ripe dark fruit (blackberry, cassis), chocolate, and plush tannin rather than the more restrained cedar, graphite, and minerality of the Napa benchmarks. For Rodney Strong specifically, the Alexander Valley Cabernet is the flagship expression and has been produced since the early years of the winery — it is among the more consistent multi-decade records of Alexander Valley Cabernet in Sonoma County.

What is the Russian River Valley and why does Rodney Strong produce Pinot Noir there rather than in the Alexander Valley?

The Russian River Valley AVA is a distinct cool-climate sub-appellation of Sonoma County fed by Pacific fog that pushes inland through the Petaluma Gap, dramatically cooling the valley relative to the surrounding warmer areas. The fog and cool temperatures slow ripening dramatically — producing conditions that are hostile to Cabernet Sauvignon (which needs heat to fully ripen) but ideal for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which thrive in cool climates where the growing season is long and gradual. Rodney Strong established vineyard holdings in both AVAs because the two varieties require different conditions: the Alexander Valley’s warmth is necessary for Cabernet, while the Russian River’s fog and cool temperatures are what makes the Pinot Noir Reserve possible. The Russian River Valley is one of the premier New World Pinot Noir appellations alongside Burgundy, Central Otago, and Willamette Valley.