The Petaluma Gap is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Sonoma County, Northern California, USA. Recognized in 2017, it spans across 200,000 acres stretching from the city of Petaluma itself, west to the Pacific Ocean, and encompasses around 80 winegrowers and nine wineries.
The Petaluma Gap is named as such due to the unique geographical feature of a wind gap in the coastal hills that allows the cool, damp marine fog from the Pacific to flow inland, directly affecting the regional climate. This results in a longer growing season with more moderate temperatures, providing an ideal condition for cultivating wine grape varieties, especially cool-climate ones like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
The wind that flows through the gap reaches it peak speed in the late afternoon, causing the grapevines to close their stomata (leaf pores), which conserves water and leads to more concentrated fruit.
Wines from the Petaluma Gap are known for their bright acidity, complex flavors, and balance. They often exhibit characteristic notes of blue and black fruits in red wines and minerality in white wines. These particular characteristics have earned the region widespread recognition and numerous awards for its premium quality wines.
