About Sonoma
Valley...
Location
Take a hot air ballon ride and see the beautiful Sonoma
Valley |
The Sonoma Valley is approximately eighteen
miles long, extending from San Pablo Bay in the south to the town of Kenwood in
the north. The City of Sonoma lies at the southern end of the valley
approximately forty-five miles north of the city of San Francisco (Commute
times to San Francisco vary between fifty minutes to ninety minutes depending
upon traffic conditions).
The Valley is bordered on the Sonoma
Mountain Range (elev. 2,295 feet) to the west and the Mayacamas Mountain Range
(elev. 2,730) to the east. Between these gentle, rolling slopes lies a scenic,
fertile valley floor which is home to diverse agriculture and residential
development.
Climate
The Valley enjoys a long growing season and
a pleasant Mediterranean climate. Humidity averages 60% days and 90% nights in
winter, and 40% days and 70% nights in Summer. Summer days average 80o while
winter days average 45o. Average annual rainfall is twenty-nine
inches.
History
Sonoma City Hall |
While known as being one of the best wine
growing regions of the world, Sonoma Valley possesses a rich, historic
heritage. Centuries before Europeans first visited the area, the area was
inhabited by the Pomo and Miwok Native American tribes. Spanish Padre Junipero
Serra founded a mission--San Francisco Solano de Sonoma--in 1823, that mission
being the last and most northern of what was then known as Alta California. A
decade later Military representatives of the Mexican Government established a
military garrison to discourage expansion of the, then Russian settlements to
the north. In 1846 this Mexican military occupation was overthrown by a rag-tag
band of 30 settlers in what became known as The Bear Flag Revolt. This curious
event created the short-lived California Republic, and provided the precursor
of our present day state flag. Twenty-five days later, on July 9, 1846 the Bear
Flag was lowered and the Stars & Stripes were raised over Sonoma’s
Plaza at which point Sonoma Valley became part of America’s newest
territory. This history is economically important in that Sonoma’s
historic roots provide an alternative motivation for the areas thriving tourism
businesses and related services.
Economy
While the influence of the wine industry,
and its related tourism is important to area, Sonoma Valley is home to a
growing, diverse array of service, medical, and technology businesses. Taxable
sales within the City of Sonoma exceed $120,000,000 annually. While the
population of Sonoma Valley is estimated to be between 35,000 to 40,000, our
community is visited by nearly two million tourists annually. This population
of area residents and visitors is served by over 1,200 businesses. Area
residents are a short commute from the larger Cities of Napa and Fairfield to
the east, San Francisco and Oakland to the south, San Rafael and Petaluma to
the west, and Santa Rosa (Sonoma County Seat) to the North. Sonoma’s
central location between these cities has yet to be fully exploited by
companies seeking a central solution to their North Bay operations.
While known for the small-town, slow paced
rural lifestyle, the area is populated with a diverse, well educated, talented
citizenry who are active in community affairs, support one-another
economically, and volunteer their talents in a variety of community based
projects and non-profit organizations. The interaction of the members of these
various groups leads to the business networking relationships which grow our
local economy. When the economic analysis is expanded to Sonoma County Market
as a whole, the population exceeds 425,000; number of households exceed
170,000; median household income exceeds $42,000; with taxable sales in excess
of $4,000,000,000.00
The wider North Bay region of Marin, Sonoma,
Napa, and Solano Counties, is expected to show continued growth. Businesses
expand or relocate to our area due to rising economic pressures placed on San
Francisco and South Bay/Silicon Valley due to higher commercial land values,
traffic congestion, higher housing costs at all levels, and lower quality of
life issues.
Agriculture/Viticulture/Winemaking
Vineyards are lovely in the spring... and
all year round too. |
Sonoma Valley is known the world over as a
premium wine growing region--grapes are everywhere. Wineries, vineyards, and
the related industries they support (e.g. warehousing, bottling,
marketing/brokering) comprise the largest sector of the local economy. In 1994,
an estimated 13,000 of the Valley’s 108,000 acres were planted to
vineyards. Each year additional acreage is added as local dairy/grazing land is
converted. Likewise, Sonoma has a growing population or "ranchette", or hobby
vineyards throughout our rural residential areas. This expanding multi-million
dollar industry is supported by ongoing educational programs and research at
the University of California-Davis, Sonoma State University, and Santa Rosa
City College. A vast array of businesses exist to support this growing industry
including specialized rootstock nurseries, bottling facilities, warehousing
facilities, advertising, marketing, printing, and promotional firms,
distribution, trucking, the list goes on and on... The reason for this growth
is simple. The blending of science, nature, technology, and business savvy has
created superior beverage products with world-wide appeal.
Recreation Opportunities
The Sonoma Valley Lifestyle, is just about
any thing you want it to be. Do you need Big City Culture? A forty-five minute
drive north to Santa Rosa or South to San Francisco or Marin, will provide the
best of Broadway, the opera, the SF Symphony, comedy, jazz, and related
night-life.
Closer to home you’ll find local
productions of similar events at a variety of area venues or equal
entertainment value. If you like the "outdoors", you will enjoy the cycling,
hiking and horse trails of Jack London State Park, Sugarloaf Ridge State Park,
Annadel Park. Fishing opportunities abound at Lake Sonoma, Lake Berryessa, the
upper and lower Sacramento River, San Francisco Bay, and Pacific Coastlines.
Winter sports are a few hours away at the many resorts near Lake Tahoe. Tomales
Bay and Bodega Bay offer some of the finest beaches on the California
coastline. World class golf resorts are provided at The Sonoma Mission Inn Golf
Course plus Silverado & Chardonnay Country Clubs in Napa.
If your into sailing or boating, you’ll
find San Francisco Bay to be both beautiful and challenging. If fine dining is
your idea of recreation, you’ll enjoy a host of fabulous restaurants
serving cuisine from haute to ordinaries. For simplicity, visit historic Sonoma
Plaza, shop the wonderful stores for your perfect picnic lunch, take the
locally grown wine, cheese, breads, and gourmet treats you’ll find to a
picnic table, relax and watch the show. The interplay of families, tourists,
kids, pets, and the local ducks & chickens residing on the Plaza is not to
be missed.
- NUMBER1EXPERTS™ 
