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Sonoma Valley

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	Topics Sonoma Valley Topic Home Sonoma Valley is the birthplace of the CaliforniaCalifornia California is a state spanning the southern half of the west coast of the contiguous United States.... wineFacts About Wine Wine is an alcoholic beverage produced by the fermentation of the juice of fruits, usually grapes.... industry and often called The Valley of the Moon. Sonoma Valley is home to some of the earliest vineyards and wineries in the state, some of which survived the phylloxeraPhylloxera Grape Phylloxera is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America.... epidemic of the 1870s and the impact of ProhibitionProhibition Prohibition is any of several periods during which the manufacture, transportation, import, export, and sale of alcoholic be... . Its wineries are generally well prepared for receiving tourists, and Sonoma Valley offers a wide range of year round festivals and events, including the prestigious Sonoma Valley Film FestivalSonoma Valley Film Festival The Sonoma Valley Film Festival traditionally takes place in April in Sonoma, California and is hosted by the Sonoma Valley ... . Today, this small valley's wines are protected by the US federal government's Sonoma ValleySonoma Valley AVA The Sonoma Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area in Sonoma County, California, USA which centers on the Sonoma Valley ... and Carneros AVAs (or American Viticultural AreaAmerican Viticultural Area Overview An American Viticultural Area is a delimited grape-growing region distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries de... s). History Once a valley of the coastal MiwokMiwok Miwok refers to a group of Native Americans who lived in what is now Northern California.... , PomoPomo Pomo may refer to:Pomo people, indigenous peoples of Northern California... and WintunWintun Wintun* is the name generally given to a group of related Native American tribes who lived in Northern California, including ... peoples, called the Valley of the MoonThe Valley of the Moon *The Valley of the Moon* is a novel by American writer Jack London as well as an old mythic and romantic name for the wine... in their legends, the valley was selected by the Franciscan order of SpainSpain Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a European parliamentary monarchy.... as the site to build the Mission San Francisco SolanoMission San Francisco Solano La Mison de San Francisco Solano de Sonoma was founded on July 4, 1823 by Father Jos Altamira, the twenty-first and ... , the northernmost mission in their chain of twenty-one missionMission (Christian) A Christian mission has been widely defined, since the Lausanne Congress of 1974, as that which is designed "to form a viabl... s built in Alta CaliforniaAlta California Alta California was formed in 1804 when the province of California, then a part of the Spanish colony of New Spain, was div... . Established in 1823 and named to honor St. Francisco SolanoFrancisco Solano Francisco Solano may refer to:Father Francisco Solano, a Spanish Franciscan missionary and Saint, see Francis Solanus... , Mission Solano was the sole California mission established under the rule of a newly-independent MexicoMexico The United Mexican States, generally known as Mexico* is a country located in North America, bordered at the north by t... . Within two generations of the Spaniards' arrival, however, the indigenous societies of the region were dispossessed of their land and decimated by diseases to which Europeans were resistant. Soon after the Sonoma mission was built, it was secularized by the Mexican government, and, under the orders of Lieutenant, later General Mariano Guadalupe VallejoMariano Guadalupe Vallejo Don Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo was a Californian military commander, politician, and rancher.... , el Pueblo de Sonoma (the town of SonomaSonoma, California Sonoma is a historically significant town in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA.... ) was laid out in the standard form of a Mexican town, centered around the historic plaza, which is still the town's focal point. The raising of the first California Bear FlagFacts About California Republic California Republic\|-\| align=center colspan=2 \|... and Vallejo's arrest in 1846 by a band of Americans claiming to act on the orders of Col. John C. FremontJohn C. Frémont John Charles Frmont, born John Charles Fremon, was an American military officer, explorer, the first candidate of the ... was the initial act that founded the Bear Flag RepublicCalifornia Republic California Republic\|-\| align=center colspan=2 \|... . Vallejo later transferred his allegiance with US statehood (1850), and with his amassed land holdings guided the development of the town and dispensed large ranches throughout the valley. California's first wineries were established here, including Buena Vista Winery (1857) and Gundlach Bundschu (1858). The other communities in the valley, such as KenwoodKenwood, California Kenwood, California is a town along State Route 12 in Sonoma County.... , Glen EllenGlen Ellen, California Glen Ellen is a census-designated place in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA.... , Schellville and Boyes Hot SpringsBoyes Hot Springs, California Boyes Hot Springs is a census-designated place in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California, United States.... , were founded later in the 19th century, some as resorts centered on the geothermic hot springs that still well up from deep within the earth. Boyes Hot Springs and Agua Caliente were popular health retreats for tourists from San FranciscoSan Francisco, California The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth-largest city in California and the fourteenth-largest in the United State... and points beyond until the middle of the 20th century. Today the Sonoma Mission Inn in Boyes Hot Springs remains as a main destination resort, and the wineries, the historic sites, and the area's natural beauty are the main tourist attractions. The Valley of the Moon (legend) The phrase Valley of the Moon was first recorded in an 1850 report by General Mariano Guadalupe VallejoMariano Guadalupe Vallejo Don Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo was a Californian military commander, politician, and rancher.... to the California Legislature. According to Jack LondonJack London Jack London, probably born John Griffith Chaney was an American author who wrote The Call of the Wild and over fi... , the Native American word Sonoma means Valley of the Moon. Actually there are several other possible translations for Sonoma (see Sonoma County, CaliforniaSonoma County, California Sonoma County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S.... ). According to the MiwokMiwok Miwok refers to a group of Native Americans who lived in what is now Northern California.... tribes that lived in the valley, and the PomoPomo people * Pomo mythology* Eastern Pomo language... , it meant "valley of the moon" or "many moons". White settlers may have accidentally translated the words "many moons" into "valley of moons". Miwok legends say that the moon seemingly rose from this valley, or was "nestled" in the valley, or may have even sprung up multiple times in one night. Geology The Sonoma Valley is part of the Coast Range Physiographic provence. Basement rocks that make up the valley at great depth are the Great Valley Sequence shale, sandstone and conglomerate deposited in a continental slope- to abysal plain environment via turbidite flows. The Cretaceous Great Valley Sequence overlies and contacts the Franciscan Complex along the Coast Range Thrust. The Jurassic-Cretaceous Franciscan Complex (includes crumpled, uplifted terraneTerrane A terrane in paleogeography is an accretion that has collided with a continental nucleus, or "craton" but can be recognized ... s that have resulted from the subductionFacts About Subduction In geology, a subduction zone is an area on Earth where two tectonic plates meet and move towards one another, with one slid... of the former oceanic Farallon PlateFarallon Plate The Farallon Plate was an ancient, wholly oceanic tectonic plate, which began subducting under the west coast of the North A... under the North American continent). During late Miocene-Pliocene time (~10 to ~4 million years) the area was attended by volcanism (Late Miocene Tolay Volcanics and Late Miocene - Pliocene Sonoma Volcanics) which are interbedded with the late Miocene-Pliocene Petaluma Formation. The (~9 to 4 million year old) Petaluma Formation was a fresh-watwer river system flowing from east to west and through the volcanics. At that time, volcanic lava flows and river sands and gravels were actively deposited together, hence "interbedded lavas and gravels". The volcanoes may have been similar to island arcIsland arc An island arc is a type of archipelago formed by plate tectonics as one oceanic tectonic plate subducts under another and pr... s. The Petaluma Formation is found in outcrop from Sears Point to Santa Rosa (through Sonoma Mountain) and as far west as Cotati where it interfingers with a marine sandstone called the Wilson Grove Formation. Gravels in the Petaluma Formation did not come from rocks located in Napa, but have been sourced to mountains east of San Jose, California. This does not mean rivers flowed from San Jose to Sonoma, but dilate your mind and envision Sonoma County west of the mountains located east of San Jose. Strike-slip movement along the Hayward-Sonoma Valley-Carneros fault system has dislocated Sonoma County north and away from the mountains in San Jose where the basin formed! The valley is drained by Sonoma CreekSonoma Creek Sonoma Creek is a stream in Northern California.... , whose headwaters rise in Sugarloaf Mountain State Park and discharge is into the San Pablo BaySan Pablo Bay San Pablo Bay is a shallow tidal estuary that forms the northern extension of San Francisco Bay in northern California in th... at the Napa Sonoma MarshNapa Sonoma Marsh Overview The Napa Sonoma Marsh is a wetland at the northern edge of San Pablo Bay, which is a northern arm of the San Francisco Bay i... . Some of the principal tributaries to Sonoma Creek are Yulupa CreekYulupa Creek name = Yulupa Creek\| native_name =\| other_name =... , Graham CreekGraham Creek name = Graham Creek\| native_name =\| other_name =... , Calabazas CreekCalabazas Creek Calabazas Creek is a stream in the Sonoma Valley, California, USA that rises in the southern Mayacamas Mountains and empties... , Bear CreekBear Creek Bear Creek may refer to the following:... , Schell Creek and Carriger Creek. Hydrogeology In the spring of 2006, the United States Geological Survey in conjunction with the Sonoma County Water Agency completed a comprehensive basin-wide groundwater study to characterize groundwater resources in the Sonoma Valley. The report can be obtained on the USGS publications website. Currently, a Basin Advisory Panel, comprised of stakeholders from agriculture, environmental groups, domestic well owners, municipalities and government is working to develop a groundwater management plan to protect groundwater resources in the valley. Points of interest Quarryhill Botanic GardenQuarryhill Botanic Garden The Quarryhill Botanical Garden 61 acres is a research botanical garden housing one of the largest collections of temperate ... Mission San Francisco SolanoMission San Francisco Solano La Mison de San Francisco Solano de Sonoma was founded on July 4, 1823 by Father Jos Altamira, the twenty-first and ... Jack London State Historic ParkJack London State Historic Park Overview \| nhl = yes \| image = LondonCottage.jpg... Sonoma State Historic ParkSonoma State Historic Park Sonoma State Historic Park is a state park located in the center of Sonoma, California.... Sonoma CreekSonoma Creek Sonoma Creek is a stream in Northern California.... Wine Country 'The Sonoma Plaza' (The Town Square) and on the Official National Registry of Historic Sites Blue Wing Inn of 1840, where such notable guests, according to local tradition, included John C. FrémontJohn C. Frémont John Charles Frmont, born John Charles Fremon, was an American military officer, explorer, the first candidate of the ... , U. S. Grant, Governor Pío PicoPío Pico P?o de Jesus Pico was the last Mexican Governor of Alta California. ... , Kit CarsonKit Carson Kit Carson , born Christopher Houston Carson, was an American frontiersman.... , Fighting Joe HookerJoe Hooker Joe Hooker can refer to:* Joseph Hooker - a career U.S.... , William T. Sherman, Phil Sheridan, and members of the Bear Flag Party. General Mariano Guadalupe VallejoMariano Guadalupe Vallejo Don Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo was a Californian military commander, politician, and rancher.... Home: Official residence of the last Spanish Governor. Presidio of SonomaPresidio of Sonoma El Presidio de Sonoma, or Sonoma Barracks, was a military outpost established in 1836 by Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo in wh... adobe: Toscono Hotel Mission San Francisco SolanoMission San Francisco Solano Overview La Mison de San Francisco Solano de Sonoma was founded on July 4, 1823 by Father Jos Altamira, the twenty-first and ... , California's last Spanish Mission Swiss Hotel - Adobe structure and original home of Vallejo's brother, located on 'The Square' (see link below) Sebastiani Theatre - A historical theatre built in 1933 by August Sebastiani as a movie house. Train Town Depot Park See also Sonoma Valley Film FestivalFacts About Sonoma Valley Film Festival The Sonoma Valley Film Festival traditionally takes place in April in Sonoma, California and is hosted by the Sonoma Valley ... Infineon RacewayInfineon Raceway Infineon Raceway, formerly Sears Point Raceway, is a road course and drag strip in the hills of northern California, ... The Valley of the Moon (novel) External links