At the north of the San Francisco Bay Area, Sonoma County is one of the most recognizable wine countries in the New World. Yet it is difficult to pin down an identity for Sonoma wine. Is it the lean and pristine Pinot Noir and Chardonnay of the Sonoma Coast, grown within a stone’s throw of the Pacific Ocean? Or is it their satisfying and singular counterparts found in the Russian River Valley? Or perhaps Sonoma should be best known for its treasured centenarian Zinfandel vineyards, found in patches across the county, or for its structured, savory Cabernet Sauvignon and velvety Merlot.
Of course, Sonoma is all of this and more, and its diversity continues growing as young producers experiment with new varieties and expand the region’s stylistic spectrum. Still, Sonoma can be confusing. The county’s 18 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) intersect to create a labyrinthine system that is rarely intuitive. Sonoma’s top grape varieties yield wildly divergent results in the hands of winemakers across its 1,800-square-mile expanse. In many regards, Sonoma fits inside one county the entire breadth of the California wine industry.
This guide will explore Sonoma County as well as the other wine-focused counties of the North Coast: Mendocino County, Lake County, and Solano County. (Napa County is addressed in a separate expert guide.) Despite their proximity, these counties likewise vary in climate and terroir, and their exciting potential is only just being realized.
It is believed that Sonoma County has been inhabited for at least 10,000 years. Three primary Native American tribes were present in the area prior to European arrival: the Coast Miwok, the Wappo, and the Kashaya Pomo. The Miwok
Hey, Sydney! Thanks! The guide is updated!
The section on Lake County references Benmore Valley AVA as being on the County's eastern border but I believe it may be the western.
Thanks Rebecca! The guide is updated.
Under Northern Sonoma, pretty sure 'Sonoma Valley AVA' needs to be changed to Sonoma County?
"Proposed by E. & J. Gallo and authorized in 1990, the appellation allows for wines blended across the north part of the county to feature a more specific place on their labels than the broader Sonoma Valley AVA."
Thanks, Rasmus! The guide is updated.
Small correction needed as Petaluma Gap is no longer the newest Ava after the approval of West Sonoma Coast AVA
Damn, this was awesome.
Compendium is correct but the guide needs an update: “Today, Sonoma has 18 AVAs (a handful shared with neighboring counties), the most recent being the Petaluma Gap, established in 2017. Several more are in development, with a West Sonoma Coast AVA likely to be approved soon.”
Glancing at the borders on the TTB's AVA explorer, I'd wager that the borders of the Mendocino AVA printed on page 304 of the 8th edition of the World Atlas of Wine are not correct. Although the Eagle Peak Mendocino County AVA lies within Mendocino County, it is not, according to the TTB site, within the boundaries of the Mendocino AVA which abut it to the east. I'm a huge fan of this tool that the TTB has put together, as it not only gives an opportunity to visualize where AVAs lie in relation to one another, but the Overlapping AVAs tab does a beautiful job summarizing which AVAs a given AVA might lie within, overlap, or contain.
According to the 8th latest edition of The World Atlas of Wine, Eagle Peak AVA is within the borders of Mendocino County AVA.