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.