Sonoma Valley Wineries
Home of the First Premium Winery in California
This picturesque wine region stretches out for seventeen miles from north to south. The valley is about eight miles at its widest point. The Mayacmas and Sonoma Mountain ranges tower high above the valley floor which adds to this wine region's beauty.
Many wineries line up along Hwy 12 and Hwy 121, making it easy to navigate. More than 60 wineries call Sonoma Valley home. Many are small to medium sized family wineries.
Sonoma Valley is the site of the first premium California winery, Buena Vista. Its founder, Agoston Haraszthy, is considered the father of the California wine industry. Buena Vista continues to produce wine today and is a must see when visiting this region.
History of Sonoma Valley Wineries and Wine Region
Missionaries from Mexico planted the first vines in Sonoma in the late 1700s. However, it was not until the mid 1800s when commercial wine production started in the region.
Hungarian born Haraszthy grew up in a wealthy family and, even at this time, was curious about wine production. No one is sure why, but Haraszthy immigrated to the US in 1840.
He eventually made his way to California and then north to Sonoma. He purchased land in Sonoma Valley and started the state's first premier winery in 1857.
The wine industry thrived in this region for many years. This changed in the 1880s with the infestation of phylloxera. It was not only an issue at Sonoma Valley wineries, but in many regions throughout the world.
The bug destroyed almost all of vines in the region. The wine industry slowed down significantly. Many left the region abandoning their buildings and properties. After a few years, much of the region was in disrepair.
A revival started in the 1890s. Locals replanted the vines and fixed several of the buildings. The revival lasted until Prohibition in 1919.
At this time, all Sonoma Valley wineries were forced to stop wine production. Sebastiani Winery was the only one that remained open. The state allowed them to continue to produce wine for medicinal purposes.
Wineries began to reopen with the repeal of Prohibition in 1933. This revival was short, as the beginning of World War II pulled many of the wine producers away from their wineries.
Another revival of the region began once solders returned from war. This was the start of the modern day wine industry in the region.
The larger Sonoma Valley area became an AVA in 1981. At the southern end, Carneros became an official AVA in 1983. Sonoma Mountain split in 1985. The newest AVA within the larger Sonoma Valley region, Bennett Valley, became an AVA in 2003.
Sonoma Valley Wineries and Red Wines
On the southern end of Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley wineries are just a 40 minute drive from San Francisco. It is the closest wine region to the bay area.
Sonoma Valley is the original and largest AVA in this region. The other three AVAs sit fully inside the larger Sonoma Valley AVA. All three have unique characteristics which create the need for the sub-region AVAs.
Just north of the Carneros growing region, you find the small, quaint town of Sonoma. Glen Ellen and Kenwood are the two other towns located within the Sonoma Valley wine region.
Slightly more red grows at Sonoma Valley wineries than white does. The landscape here is highly varied, which is why you will find around 25 different varieties at Sonoma Valley wineries.
Pinot Noir wine is the most planted red with 21% of the total plantings in the region. Most of this grows in Carneros in the cooler, southern side of the region.
Merlot wine is second with 12% of total plantings. Eleven percent of vines are for Cabernet Sauvignon wine.
Other reds found in the region include Zinfandel, Syrah and Cabernet Franc. You can also find small sections of Gamay, Sangiovese, Barbera, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Nebbiolo.
Some of my favorites in this region for red wines include Landmark Vineyards, Gundlach Bundschu, B.R. Cohn, Sebastiani and Buena Vista. Other award winning favorites include Valley of the Moon and St. Francis Winery and Vineyards. Some of you may also recognize Ravenswood, a larger and more widely distributed brand in this region.
Sonoma Mountain AVA
Its unique location and soil are the reasons it became its own AVA in 1985. Cabernet Sauvignon is king in this region. Other reds grown in this region are Pinot Noir and Zinfandel.
Benzinger, Laurel Glen and Coturri are the three official wineries in this region. There are also a handful of small vineyards such as Ivy Glen Vineyard, that only produce one or two wines with limited distribution.
Although you will only find three wineries in the region, a number of other Sonoma County and Sonoma Valley wineries source their grapes from Sonoma Mountain. Ravenswood Winery, Kistler Vineyards and Rocky Hill are just a few of the other lucky wineries that produce wines with grapes from Sonoma Mountain vineyards.
Carneros Wineries and Red Wine in Sonoma
Carneros is a very well known region in the southern end of Sonoma Valley. It straddles the southern side of both Sonoma County and Napa County.
Weather in this region is cooler than many of the other regions in Northern California. Cool winds and late afternoon fog from the San Pablo Bay roll in over the vineyards during summer months. Temperatures stay moderate and create the perfect setting for cool climate varietal wines.
The number one red in this region is Pinot Noir. These vines soak in the cool air and allow it to ripen to its potential. Carneros wineries are also known for their award winning sparkling wine, made from both red and white grapes.
Only twenty one wineries produce wine in this region. Some of my favorites on the Sonoma side of this region include Schug and Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards. Some of my favorites in this region on the Napa side include Artesa, Domaine Carneros and Etude.
Bennett Valley Sonoma County
On the northern side of the Sonoma Valley AVA, this region is just to the south and east of the town of Santa Rosa. Its AVA boundaries also overlap slightly with the Sonoma Mountain AVA.
Just over 35 vineyards grow wine on 650 acres in Bennett Valley Sonoma County. Matanzas Creek, Flanagan Family Vineyards and Sable Ridge Winery are the only three wineries in the AVA. In addition to these three wineries, some of the wine growers also produce small amounts of wine.
The most popular reds grown in this region are Merlot and Pinot Noir. Other reds include Grenache, Cabernet Franc and some Cabernet Sauvignon.
More Sonoma County Information You Might Enjoy
In addition to Sonoma Valley wineries, here are some other great wineries and wine region in Sonoma County.
- Alexander Valley Wineries and Wine Region: Cabernet Sauvignon is the key red wine in Alexander Valley. Discover the big and bold reds from this northern Sonoma County wine region.
- Dry Creek Valley Wineries and Wine Region: Another northern Sonoma County wine region is Dry Creek Valley. This region is famous for its Zinfandel wine, although Cabernet Sauvignon vines also thrive in this region. Learn more about this region including its history, red wines and some of its best wineries.
- Russian River Valley Winery Recommendations: Sitting close to the Pacific Ocean is the Russian River Valley region. Fog and cooler temperatures make this region perfect for Pinot Noir wine. Find more information on this popular northern California wine region and recommendations for some of its best Pinot Noir wines.
- Rockpile Zinfandel Wine Region: Some of the best Zinfandel wines come from grapes grown in this region. Rockpile is not as recognizable as the others since there are no wineries in this region. A handful of Dry Creek Valley wineries are lucky enough to source grapes from this high elevation region. Uncover information on how you can get your hands of some of the award winning Zinfandel grown in this region.
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