Win a Walk Through Sonoma
Come vote in the People's Voice Wine Awards for a chance to wine a Sonoma County wine country adventure!
Read more »Sonoma County Wine
Wine-making in Sonoma, California began in 1812 when Russian colonists planted grapes at Fort Ross, along the coast. Then Father Jose Altimura led Spanish Franciscans to plant Mission grapes at Mission San Francisco Solano for ceremonial purposes in the 1820s, with these cuttings traveling further into California. For the next thirty years or so, wines using the Mission grape became a burgeoning industry, through the Bear Flag Revolt and annexation of the state of California in 1854.
By this time, General Mariano Vallejo was going great guns (pardon the pun) with his own vineyard producing Mission grapes. Until he met a Hungarian businessman named Agoston Haraszthy, who bought it and replanted it with fine European vitis vinifera, renaming the vineyard Buena Vista. Haraszthy is credited with the first hillside plantings after the European tradition, as well as employing Chinese laborers to dig caves for cool temperature cellaring, and introducing the first Zinfandel cuttings Read more »
Popular wines made in Sonoma County under $20
Sonoma County
Find local availability for these wines:Submit
-
Sauvignon Republic Sauvignon Blanc Russian River
Snoothrank:
Starting at $14.99 -
Quivira Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley Anderson Ranch
Snoothrank: Starting at $16.00 -
Eric Kent Wine Cellars Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Starting at $38.99 -
Angeline Winery Pinot Noir Russian River Valley
Snoothrank: Starting at $13.99 -
Baron Herzog Zinfandel Lodi Kosher
Starting at $13.99 -
Clos Pegase Chardonnay Carneros
Snoothrank: Starting at $48.18
Varietals Produced in Sonoma County View all
-
Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is widely grown in California -- at over 15,000 acres, it’s now the third most planted variety -- and...
-
Cabernet Sauvignon
“King of the Red Wine Grapes.” The colonizer of the vineyards, pushing native wine grapes into its shadows. The Caber...
-
Merlot
The Occitanian word “merlot” translates to “young blackbird.” An accurate description for this popular, early-budding...
-
Pinot Noir
“With so voluptuous a perfume, so sweet an edge, they make the blood run hot,” Joel Fleischman, wine columnist at Van...
-
Chardonnay
British wine writer and critic, Jancis Robinson, once noted that throughout the 80’s and 90’s in the United States, C...
-
Zinfandel
Parentage of the grape: Crljenak to Austria to America. In the 1970s, claims surfaced that the Italian Primitivo is l...
Subregions of Sonoma County
-
Alexander Valley
Alexander Valley, part of Sonoma County in California, is named for pioneer Cyrus Alexander. A ...
-
Dry Creek Valley
The Carneros AVA straddles between both Napa and Sonoma Valleys, with distinct climates. The Na...
-
Knights Valley
Knights Valley is a wine region in Northern Sonoma in the North Coast of California. It’s named...
-
Russian River Valley
The Russian River Valley is the most southerly AVA within Northern Sonoma. It is named for the ...
-
Sonoma Coast
The Sonoma Coast AVA is an extensive part of Sonoma County, California. It stretches betwe...
-
Bennett Valley
Just when you’ve finally figured out the criss-cross of Sonoma County’s 12 sub-appellations here ...
-
Chalk Hill
The Chalk Hill AVA is located within the Russian River Valley district of Northern Sonoma,...
-
Sonoma Mountain
Sonoma Mountain is a subregion of Sonoma Valley in California. The region has different microcl...
Popular Wineries in Sonoma County View all
-
Kunde Family Estate
Family owned and operated for five generations, Kunde Family Estate produces ultra-premium, estat...
-
Smothers Brothers
The Smothers Remick Ridge Vineyards are the best kept secret in Sonoma Valley. Grapes grown to pe...
-
Dumol Wine Company
Our 25 acre biodynamically farmed Estate Vineyard is located on an undulating eastfacing slope of...
-
Martin Family Vineyards - Truett Hurst
The Martin Family Vineyards and Winery was born from our commitment to family and our love of fin...
-
Moon Mountain
Moon Mountain Vineyard is located high on the Sonoma Valley side of Mount Veeder, at nearly the 2...
-
Murphy-Goode Winery
At Murphy-Goode, winemaking isn’t just a family busness; it’s a family tradition – one that’s end...
People getting updates on Sonoma County Wines
Susan Bobbitt
RyanGoldschlager
Fee Z
Sunset L
Luciano L
Peach Blossom
Vine Master Fanucchi
bricoleuse
marivilen
nicholasdemarest
JSBinATL
AngloScot
Page 1 of 1,000
Sonoma County on Snooth-
Jun 2, 2010
This Saturday June 5th 2010 is Single Night in the Russian River Valley at C Donatello Winery. 6:30 - 10:00pm Single Vineyard tastings from the following wineries: Acorn Winery Ancient Oak Cellars Balletto Vineyards Benovia Winery D&L Carinalli Dutton-Goldfield Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery Foppiano Vineyards Foppoli Wines Graton Ridge Cell...
Comment by 324443
-
Jun 1, 2010
Planning to head to Sonoma Valley over Labor Day Weekend? It is Sonoma Wine Country Weekend! County wide event with lots of activities going on. Get more information here: www.sonomawinecountryweekend.com
Comment by 36106
-
May 6, 2010
If you didn't see this Snooth posting and planning a trip to Sonoma, check this out: http://www.snooth.com/wine-tours/sonoma/
Comment by 36106
-
May 2013
Marimar Estate Pinot Noir la Masia 2009
Snoothrank:
Nice Pinot, food balance, surprising. Read More
-
May 2013
Copain Pinot Noir Anderson Valley Tous Ensemble 2010
Snoothrank:
This wine is Burgundian in style. The nose is floral. The wine is medium bodied. It has good, bright acidity and nice structure. The taste is of red fruit. It is balanced and smooth. Read More
-
May 2013
Chateau Montelena Chardonnay Napa Valley 2010
Snoothrank:
Subtle nose of peach and citrus. Vibrant acid on the palate giving it a nice freshness. Citrus driven flavors with nice minerality and is juicy, yet crisp. 88 pts.5/9/13 at winery Read More
-
May 2013
I beg to differ with GregT on the rose and wine people not overlapping. I ... same. (Sorry, OT, but Sonoma County apples never held a candle to NY and MA apples.)It's not the mildew but the insect pests, I bet, that the roses serve as a bellwether for. That and the pollinator attraction are reason enough for planting them around vineyards.Fi... Read More
-
-
May 2013
Hall T-Bar Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Snoothrank:
Toffee and blackberry aromas. Woody black currant and tar. On the palate, dark tobacco leaf, black plum, black currant, cassis and graphite minerality. Herbal notes. Very dry. 88 pts.5/9/13 at winery Read More
-
May 2013
Walt Wines Pinot Noir la Brisa Sonoma County 2011
Snoothrank:
Nice earth elements on a bright fruit nose. Cedar and cinnamon. Bright red fruit on the palate but still has hints of blueberry. Light pepper and spice. Good.89 pts.5/9/13 at winery Read More
-
-
May 2013
Give it some thought, Greg. OT drives around Sonoma County, does not deal with airports, meets great people in the industry and tastes wine, gets invited to awesome events and tastes wine. I would trade with him, but I think he would find retirement much too stressful. Read More
-
May 2013
Bouchaine Pinot Noir Bacchus Collection Rockin' H Vineyard 2011
Snoothrank:
Nose has a nice grilled rosemary note. Savory, roasted herbs on the nose. Some eucalyptus. Savory palate of cherry and raspberry fruit with hints of black cherry. Herbal notes. Nice.88 pts.5/8/13 Read More
-
May 28, 2010
If you didn't see this Snooth posting and planning a trip to Sonoma, check this out: http://www.snooth.com/wine-tours/sonoma/
Comment by 36106
-
May 20, 2010
The Russian River valley was my wife an my introduction to Sonoma during our 20th anniversary trip to the area. We fell in love with the geography and the vibrant Cabernets (not really a Pinot Noir lover). If one is planning on a wine vacation to either Napa or Sonoma, I would without a doubt pick Sonoma. Watching the fog come in from the Pac...
Comment by 197388
-
Feb 11, 2010
First trip to California hoping to get some advice on wineres that are "must see", in the Somoma region. We are going in June and only have about 4 days. I would love any feed back on anything else i.e restaraunts lodging. L
Comment by 325474
-
Jan 3, 2010
The 18th Winter Wineland is soon coming to Russian River Valley and Dry Creek Valley. January 16 & 17, 2010 11:00-4:00 both days 120 Wineries - 50 Lodgings Advance Online Ticket Prices Are: $40 Weekend, $30 Sunday Only, $10 for Designated Drivers At the door prices will be $50 Weekend, $40 Sunday Only, $10 for Designated Drivers Find out...
Comment by 36106
-
Dec 8, 2009
Roessler Visit … As I had mentioned a while back I am making some wine this year and this means for a short period of time I need to be in Sonoma a lot. I need to be there to see what is going on, do punch downs and take readings on the wine. Harvest is a busy time but if you are only doing work on one ton of grapes there isn’t a lot to do. ...
Comment by 36106
-
Oct 13, 2009
Hey HondaJohn - great job curating this page. Keep it up!
Comment by 6331
-
Oct 11, 2009
Mantazas Creek Visit … One of the things that continues to amaze me is the just the sheer number of wineries that there are in Northern California. I’ve been to a lot of them but there are so many more that I have not been to. That’s why, when I had the opportunity to, I dropped in to Mantazas Creek Winery in Bennett Valley. Mantanzas Cre...
Comment by 36106
Recipe Downloader
-
England Layered Rice Pudding
View Recipe -
Middle East Rice Tabbouleh
View Recipe -
Spain Easy Paella
View Recipe
RiceSelect
Best Wine Deals
-
$24.9924%off
Wither Hills Pinot Noir Wairau Valley 2008 -
$22.9923%off
S.A. Prüm Riesling Spätlese Graacher Himmelreich 2009
Sonoma County Wine Top Lists
Community Activity
-
Castello di Verrazzano Chianti Classico (1962)Reviewed
08:15AM 5/19/13 -
Castello di Verrazzano Chianti Classico (2008)Reviewed
08:14AM 5/19/13 -
Franzia Chillable Box (2005)Wishlisted
07:58AM 5/19/13 -
Franzia Sunset Blush (NV)Wishlisted
07:55AM 5/19/13 -
Bouchard Aine et Fils Pommard Pinot Noir France (2009)Cellared
07:03AM 5/19/13 -
Penfolds Kalimna Bin 28 Shiraz (2009)Wishlisted
07:01AM 5/19/13 -
201 Premiere Penfolds Shiraz Mourvèdre 'Bin 2' (2011)Wishlisted
07:00AM 5/19/13 -
Le Chateau Noir Shiraz ViognierScanned
06:27AM 5/19/13 -
Bodegas Y Viñedos Maurodos Toro Prima (2007)Wishlisted
06:05AM 5/19/13 -
Mar de Frades Albariño Rías Baixas (2009)Wishlisted
06:05AM 5/19/13
Recent Forum PostsView all
-
Whatcha drinking tonight- part 2 (for Zuf)
Tonight some nice pinot from rrv...
-
Lodi wines and additional wines for upcoming tasting
I am planning on joining in on the upcoming Lodi virtual tasting. I...
-
Roses and Winery's
While traveling through Napa Valley last month I noticed that all the...
-
Live from Piedmont
It's just me, no virtual tasting, or live video feed but I am in...
Stay Connected
Get our free newsletter
SubmitSnooth Newsletters