Rockpile Terrain (Back to overview)
Rockpile terrain consists of a narrow ridge that is planted with about 150 acres of vineyards. At 79 acres, Zinfandel accounts for over half of these vines.
The Effect of Soil on Rockpile Vineyards
Located about 5 to 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean in Northwestern Sonoma County, Rockpile is an aptly named AVA. The soils in the region are rocky, acidic and well-drained. While the soils of nearby valleys have significant amounts of sand and silt, there is barely a trace of this in Rockpile. The region’s topsoil is scarce and is rarely over a foot deep.
Much of the ground is red from oxidized iron. Additionally, there are shale and sandstone deposits peppered throughout the AVA. Underneath these rocky, oxidized soils is a layer of clay.
In addition to Rockpile Zinfandel, 34 acres of Cab thrive in the region’s sunny climate and rocky soils. The remaining 34 acres of vines are mainly split between Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Syrah with a few scattered anomalies. Largely because of its unique geology, AVA status was granted on April 29th, 2002.
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