This page is to help those who are unfamiliar with the Sonoma Wine Country wineries to get oriented.

Unlike Napa Valley to the east, Sonoma County can easily be divided into five different wine regions to make the maps and information a bit more manageable. Each region is surprisingly distinct. While all are fog cooled on summer mornings some regions are hotter and dryer. Typical of California, the soils vary widely throughout the region and even in the same vineyard. This wild mix of various soils and climates gives winemakers almost unlimited options for making great wines. For wine tasters Sonoma County is unparalleled excitement.

Sonoma County Wine Regions:

• Alexander Valley's hot climate hosts exciting Cabernet Sauvignon. This is the least visited of the Sonoma County wine regions and a great place to escape crowds.
• Dry Creek Valley, also hot, is most known for hearty Zinfandels. It is also one of the most beautiful wine regions in California.

• Russian River Valley is fog cooled and perfect for Pinot Noir. This region is convenient to the travel services in Santa Rosa, Healdsburg, and a variety of quaint little towns. Healdsburg has over 30 tasting rooms and a beautiful central plaza surrounded by shops and restaurants.
• Carneros is bathed in cool San Francisco Bay fog and breezes, perfect for whites, especially Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The eastern third of this region is in Napa County but most of the wineries are in Sonoma County. Who cares, heh? The town of Sonoma is historic with an old mission and the beginning of the California revolt against Mexico. Sonoma has a wooded central plaza surrounded by shops and restaurants with a few tasting rooms.
• Sonoma Valley, well, they can grow just about any varietal there and end up with great wine. This narrow valley is convenient to Santa Rosa and Sonoma with both large and beautiful wineries such as Ledson and Chateau St. Jean to small wineries and a couple of small towns. Very pleasant to explore.