SONOMA COUNTY, CALIF. — Sonoma Wine Country offers more than fermented grape juice. It beckons the adventurous, the curious, and the lovers of the laid-back Northern California lifestyle.

Sonoma County, located 30 miles from San Francisco, provides a genuine, independent, and adventurous wine country experience, featuring more than 370 wineries, 100-plus organic farms, and 55 miles of stunning Pacific coast. With a mild Mediterranean climate, there is no bad time to visit Sonoma County.

For a free visitors guide or information on hotels, wineries, events, spas, attractions, and dining in Sonoma County, visit www.sonomacounty.com or call +001-707-522-5800.


Official tourism information:

Sonoma County Tourism
+001-707-522-5800
www.sonomacounty.com


Location and Area:

Part of the San Francisco Bay Area, in Northern California's celebrated wine country, less than 30 miles north of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge; bordered by Marin, Napa, Lake and Mendocino Counties and the Pacific Ocean and the San Pablo Bay.

Size: 1,500 square miles/2,414 square kilometers

More than 55 miles/89 kilometers of coastline along the Pacific Ocean and the San Pablo Bay.

Three Rivers – Russian, Petaluma and Gualala

Population:  491,829 (2012 estimate)

Air Service: Alaska Airlines to and from Los Angeles, Portland, Ore., San Diego, and Seattle at the Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport (STS) in Santa Rosa. www.sonomacounty.com

Less than a two-hour drive from three international airports: San Francisco,: Oakland and Sacramento. Served by shuttles from San Francisco and Oakland.

Regions: Coasts & Sea Villages (Annapolis, Bodega, Bodega Bay, Fort Ross, Gualala, Jenner, Stewarts Point, The Sea Ranch, Timber Cove) — Famous sea villages hug the wild Pacific Coast and offer remarkable views, whale watching, fresh seafood and seaside wine tasting.

Rivers & Redwoods (Cazadero, Duncans Mills, Guerneville, Monte Rio, Rio Nido, Russian River Valley) — Defined by the slow, meandering Russian River and majestic redwood trees, the area is full of history, outdoor activities, local color, and unique festivals.

Valleys & Vineyards —  West, Central and East (Graton, Forestville, Freestone, Occidental, Sebastopol, Valley Ford; Asti, Cloverdale, Cotati, Fulton,  Geyserville, Healdsburg, Penngrove, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, Windsor; Boyes Hot Springs, Glen Ellen, Kenwood, Schellville, Sonoma) — Sonoma County's vineyard-lined valleys offer a wide expanse of wineries,  spas, restaurants, museums, galleries - all with easy access to the area's towns and villages.

Climate: Mild, Mediterranean climate year-round. The summer months have warm days and cool nights, ideal for producing some of the world's finest grapes and wines.

Average high /low in July is 82 F (28 C) / 52 F (11 C)
Average high/low in January is 50 F (10 C) / 40 F (4 C)

Lodging: More than 8,300 rooms and 2,700 recreational spaces available for overnight guests.

Full service: 2,478
Limited service: 3,844
Bed & breakfast rooms: 546
Vacation rentals: 1,495
Campground and RV spaces: 2,769

Dining: 500-plus restaurants featuring cuisine from every region of the world, and ranging from casual to five-star. Chefs of Wine Country cuisine use freshly-harvested, locally-grown produce.  

Spas: 40 spas — Natural thermal springs and the only Japanese-style cedar enzyme bath in the United States.

Wineries: More than 370 wineries, most open for tours and tasting without appointment. Sonoma County wineries are famous for their excellent wines and relaxed, welcoming ambiance. Also, many tasting rooms are free or apply nominal tasting costs to the purchase of wine.

Other Activities:

22 golf courses open to the public

Bike tours

Horseback riding along vineyards, through the forest and parks, and along the Pacific coast

Attractions:

120 small farms open to the public; 12 farm markets

Culinary schools and classes.

Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve

Sonoma Raceway with NASCAR, IndyCar, motorcycle and drag racing

Safari West Wildlife Preserve

River Rock Casino in Alexander Valley

The Pacific Coast Air Museum

Green Music Center

Wells Fargo Center for the Arts

Charles M. Schulz Museum of Peanuts characters

27 California State Historical Landmarks

11 California State Parks; 50 regional parks; 20 coastal beaches

The Russian River; Lake Sonoma

Wine Facts:

15 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs, or appellations) in Sonoma County. AVAs are regions with unique soils and climates that allow certain grape varieties to grow particularly well. Sonoma County is the most diverse premium winegrape growing region in the United States.

Sonoma County produces more than 72 varieties of winegrapes, but seven varieties comprise nearly 94 percent of the tons crushed:

•    Chardonnay
•    Sauvignon Blanc
•    Cabernet Sauvignon
•    Merlot
•    Pinot Noir
•    Zinfandel
•    Syrah

59,219 acres of bearing and non-bearing acres of grapes; 1,800 grape growers

267,062 tons of grapes harvested per year, at an average price of $2,183 per ton

Sonoma County grape value is $582,942,100


1 acres of grapes averages:
3 tons of grapes, or 6,000 pounds
8 barrels of wine; each barrel holds 7,680 ounces
480 gallons of wine
2,400 bottles of wine (25.6 ounces per bottle)
12,000 glasses of wine (5 ounces per glass)

1 barrel of wine contains
750 pounds of grapes
60 gallons of wine
25 cases of wine
300 bottles of wine
1,500 glasses of wine

1 case of wine contains
30 pounds of grapes (480 ounces)
307 ounces of wine
12 bottles of wine
60 glasses of wine

1 bottle of wine contains
2.4 pounds of grapes (39 ounces)
630 grapes
25.6 ounces of wine (750 ml)
5 glasses of wine (5 ounces per glass)

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