California: Wine from ‘the Gap’

California is a “vast patchwork of wine zones,” some still relatively new, said Ray Isle in Food & Wine. Among the best of the up-and-comers is the Petaluma Gap, a stretch of Sonoma where a “wind tunnel between the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay” creates a cool climate ideal for pinot noirs, chardonnays, and syrahs.

2007 Keller Estate La Cruz Vineyard Pinot Noir ($44). Keller was the first winery in the region, and it now produces “top-quality” pinot noir grapes for bottlings “like this crisp, raspberry-inflected red.”

2008 Cline Cool Climate Syrah ($16). The Gap’s chilly winds result in a “taut, peppery” syrah.

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2008 Gallo Family Vineyards Two Rock Chardonnay ($28). This wine is a “perfect example of the region’s potential for producing sleek, nuanced chardonnays.”