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Free Traveling Guides » States » California » Wine Country
Sonoma Valley
Sonoma Valley is the home to California’s famous wine industry and it is just 45 minutes (30 miles) north of San Francisco nestled between Mayacamas and Sonoma mountain ranges. Sonoma Valley is spread across 17 miles (27 km) and this includes 13,000 acres (53 sq. km.) of parkland.
Sonoma Valley has over 250 wineries, nearly 76 miles of coastline, beautiful beaches, the famous Russian River, unparalleled majestic of the Redwoods, 21 golf courses, 40 spas, museums, galleries, botanical garden and much more.
It is believed that the name Sonoma may have been derived from the word “Noma”, a Mayakmah word for town. However, people still prefer to believe the romantic version of how the valley got its name. Legend has it that the name Sonoma was derived from the indigenous word for many moons and this notion still survives. Ancient travelers claimed that the moon rose and set many times each night over the eastern Mayacamas Hills and visitors even today gaze at the moon to see whether this claim is indeed a fact!
The European settlers came to Sonoma Valley in the early part of the 19th century. During this period, Sonoma Valley became the home to the last and the northern most mission built in California by Father Junipero Serra of the Franciscan order. However, it was under the independent Mexican government and the leader of the outpost General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo that the Mission San Francisco Solano de Sonoma, which established under the Mexican rule, got converted to Mexican village. The general built a town square and military barracks. Today this is the city of Sonoma in the heart of Sonoma Valley.
Even today when visitors visit Sonoma Valley they take time to visit the city of Sonoma and they are taken back in time with the adobe buildings that surround the Sonoma Plaza, the largest town square of its kind in California, and they are awed by the 800-acre ranch of author Jack London which is now a state historic park. The original site of Bear Flag raising is still quite an attraction and the monument is on the northeast corner of the Sonoma Plaza.
Some of the vineyards in Sonoma Valley were planted as early as 1824. Sonoma Valley is quite popular with visitors who want to sample and taste local wines which can be done in more 40 premium wineries and tasting rooms. The best part about Sonoma Valley is the beauty which is still maintained even though it is one of the most popular tourist destinations of California.
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