Sonoma County wine

In the early 1800s, two competing groups of different nationalities were settling in Sonoma County: Russian explorers based at Fort Ross on the coast and Spanish settlers moving north from San Francisco. Around 1834 General Mariano Vallejo, military Governor of Mexican California, was sent to take control of the territory above San Francisco and block further expansion by the Russians. He founded the town of Sonoma, and was granted Rancho Petaluma by Governor José Figueroa. Generous land grants made by Vallejo in this connection greatly expedited the settlement of Sonoma County in the areas of Santa Rosa, Healdsburg, and Kenwood. One of these grants, a portion of Santa Rosa township encompassing a relatively small area southeast of the city of Santa Rosa, was known as "Yulupa." The boundaries of the Yulupa land grant coincide very closely with, and entirely contain, the area now known as Bennett Valley. Viticulture in the Sonoma area is thought to be the first in what is today the North Coast AVA. Vitis vinefera vines may have been planted as early as 1817 according to historian Charles L Sullivan. These vines were planted by the Russians in the Fort Ross vicinity where vines were reported to be bearing fruit in 1823. Padre Jose Altimira planted several thousand grape vines at Mission San Francisco Solano in what is now the city of Sonoma, in southern Sonoma County. Cuttings from the Sonoma mission vineyards were carried throughout northern California to start new vineyards. By the time of the Bear Flag Revolt in Sonoma and the subsequent annexation of California by the United States in 1854, viticulture was an established part of agriculture in the region. The vineyards of General Vallejo were producing an annual income of $20,000 at that time. The grapes planted would not be considered premium varieties today. In 1855, a Hungarian named Agoston Haraszthy arrived in Sonoma Valley. Upon his arrival, he purchased the Salvador Vallejo vineyard, which he then renamed it Buena Vista. Commissioned in 1861 by the California legislature to study viticulture in Europe, he returned with more than 100,000 cuttings of premium grape varieties. Many of the immigrants to the area were Northern Italian or from other wine-growing regions of Europe. After the Civil War and before Prohibition, wineries such as Bundschu, Foppiano, Korbel, Simi, Gundlach, Quitzow and Sebastiani were established that still exist. In the 1920s there were 256 wineries in Sonoma County, with more than in production. Most of the western Sonoma County wine industry did not survive phylloxera outbreaks and Prohibition. At the Repeal of Prohibition in 1933, fewer than 50 wineries in Sonoma County survived. Lemoral Winery near Occidental, built in 1903, was in operation until the 1960's. Even as late as the 1960s, only were vineyards. But wine consumption in America began to grow, and by 1999 Sonoma County had over of vineyards owned by more than 750 growers and 180 bonded wineries. Of the 250 wineries existing in 2007, over half are less than 20 years old. During the 2019 Kincade Fire, some wineries and vineyards experienced a week of intense heat, smoke and evacuation-caused neglect of newly fermenting wine. == Winemaking ==

In 2004, growers harvested 165,783 tons (150,396 tonnes) of wine grapes worth US$310 million. In 2006 the Sonoma County grape harvest amounted to 216,000 tons, worth $430 million. About 73% of Sonoma County's agricultural production is growing wine grapes— of vineyards, with over 1100 growers. The most common varieties planted are Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot noir, though the area is also known for its Merlot and Zinfandel. == Appellations ==

Sonoma County's large number (19) of American Viticulture Areas (AVAs) reflect the wide variety of climate and soil conditions in the County, the large production in the County, and the prominence of Sonoma County in the wine market. The difference in climate and soil (terroir), means that cooler climate grapes grow well in certain regions and in others warm climate grapes are more suitable. The large production of the County means that each AVA is significant in its own right. The prominence of the California wine industry and Sonoma County in particular has established worldwide recognition of their wine regions. At the same time, many consumers have been confused by the many different AVAs within Sonoma County. The growers voted in 2006 to form a Sonoma County Winegrape Commission, representing more than 1,800 growers. The Commission seeks to raise recognition for Sonoma County and encourages all wine from the county to bear the mark "Sonoma County" on it. Alexander Valley The Alexander Valley AVA is one of the most densely planted of all of Sonoma County's AVAs. Located along the Russian River, the boundary of this appellation extends north of Healdsburg up to Mendocino County north of Cloverdale. Viticulture has existed in the area since the 1850s but the wine industry has only fairly recently experienced success beginning in the 1960s with Simi Winery. Significant purchases of vineyard land by E & J Gallo Winery in 1988 and Kendall-Jackson in 1996 also raised the profile of the Alexander Valley. The profile of Alexander Valley wines has historically centered around the approachability and richness of the wines with Cabernet Sauvignon being noted for characteristic chocolate notes and warm mouthfeel. After Cabernet, Chardonnay is one of the leading variety plantings followed by Sauvignon blanc and Zinfandel. Chalk Hill The Chalk Hill AVA is a sub-appellation of the Russian River Valley located near the town of Windsor along the foothills at the southern end of Alexander Valley and along the Santa Rosa plain. Green Valley of Russian River Valley Green Valley of Russian River Valley AVA was formerly known as the Sonoma County Green Valley AVA. Located at the southwestern corner of the Russian River Valley AVA, its close proximity to the Pacific Ocean makes it one of the coolest appellations within Sonoma County. The climate in the Green Valley is even cooler than other parts of the Russian River Valley, and favors the cultivation of cool climate grape varieties. Seeking to connect the region with the more commercially successful Russian River Valley name, the appellation formally changed its name on April 23, 2007. Knights Valley Knights Valley AVA occupies the boundaries between the southern end of the Alexander Valley AVA and the northern end of Napa Valley. Some of the earliest vineyards in the area was owned by Beringer Vineyards. The area is known for its Cabernet Sauvignon. Northern Sonoma The Northern Sonoma AVA is an all encompassing appellation that covers all of Sonoma County with the exception of the Sonoma Valley and some areas of the Petaluma River watershed. The AVA was proposed by E & J Gallo to accommodate wines made from a blend of grapes from scattered vineyards in Sonoma County. Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak The Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak AVA is one of the highest elevation grape-growing regions in California. The AVA, which rises from 1,600 feet at its lowest point to 3,000 feet at the mountain's peak, has grapes growing primarily at 1,800 feet and higher. The very high elevation of the mountain affects fog cover, hours of daylight, daytime and nighttime temperatures, rainfall, and wind — virtually every climatic element influencing wine grape production. Rockpile The Rockpile AVA is situated at the northwest point of the Dry Creek Valley AVA, past Healdsburg. The area was first planted by Italian immigrants at the turn of the 20th century. Many of today's vineyards were formerly occupied by a reservoir created by the Warm Springs Dam on the Russian River. The area is known for its fruity, ripe Zinfandels. Sonoma Coast The Sonoma Coast AVA contains more than , mostly along the coastline of the Pacific Ocean. It extends from San Pablo Bay to the border with Mendocino County. The appellation is known for its cool climate and high rainfall relative to other parts of Sonoma County. Pinot noir grapes grow especially well in this region, where they benefit from slightly cooler day temperatures. Sonoma Mountain The Sonoma Mountain AVA, in the Sonoma Mountains, includes the town of Glen Ellen and is bordered on the west by the Sonoma Valley AVA. The area is known for the diverse micro-climates that occur within the crevices and folds of the hillside terrain and as such is home to production for a wide range of varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Sauvignon blanc, Sémillon, and Zinfandel. Sonoma Valley The Sonoma Valley AVA is known for its unique terroir with Sonoma Mountain protecting the area from the wet and cool influence of the nearby Pacific Ocean. The Sonoma Mountains to the west help protect the valley from excessive rainfall. The cool air that does affect the region comes northward from San Pablo Bay through the Carneros region and southward from the Santa Rosa plain. Sonoma Valley has played a significant role in the history of California wine. West Sonoma Coast The county's newest appellation was created to distinguish the Pacific coastal areas of Sonoma County from the oversized Sonoma Coast AVA. As areas closer to the Pacific Ocean are more traditionally referred to as "Sonoma Coast" (in other words, coastal Sonoma County), residents and growers have found the Sonoma Coast AVA generating confusion between the area traditionally known as the Sonoma Coast, the interior of the county, and areas of Sonoma County adjacent to San Pablo Bay. Its topography is characterized by the steep, rugged mountains and ridgelines that form the Coastal Ranges where the summits can exceed . The high elevations of the Coastal Ranges provide areas for vineyards that are above the fog layer. == Notable wineries ==