Exploring the Rich History of Sonoma: A Journey Through Time

The charming wine-tasting region of Sonoma in Northern California is not only a lovely place to spend time but has a history that is interesting as well. My sister and I spent the day in its historic downtown to learn about its intriguing past.

Francisco Solano Mission

Find things to do and where to stay in Sonoma, here.

Historic Sonoma Plaza was laid out adjacent to the Francisco Solano Mission in 1835 by the town’s founder Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo. The mission is small compared to some of the others in California but each is unique and has its own story.

It was constructed in 1823 by Padre Altimira and was the last mission built in Alta, California. It was also the only one built after Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821. The Mexican government used it as an outpost because they believed the Russians were pushing to the south. Thankfully, they never got that far.

It was only in operation for 11 years. Once the Mexican Secularization Act was put into law in 1833, all of the missions closed and became privatized.

Its architecture is simple and not as ornate as the others. Illustrations of the California missions that were inked by Henry Chapman Ford in 1875 can be seen inside. He captured them in extreme decay and disrepair. It was an important collection because it drew attention to their decline and encouraged its restoration for posterity.

Most of the California missions were restored during the early 20^th century.

More mission stories

I’ve always been fascinated by the California missions and wrote a post about my visit to Mission San Juan Capistrano and the Los Rios Historic District. I have also written about the beginning of the California wine industry, which started at Missions San Fernando and San Gabriel in Los Angeles.

Author Maggie Espinosa walked over 800 miles to all of the California Missions. She writes about all of them in her fascinating book, “On a Mission.”

Other historic sites in old Sonoma

Sonoma Plaza is surrounded by cafes, shops, and old buildings. A row of barracks that were built in 1836, stands beside the mission. It was used by the army, under the command of General Vallejo, to protect the area from the Russian invasion that never happened.

Among the old buildings in historic Sonoma are The Blue Wing Inn (1849), which was one of the first hotels in the area and was used by miners of the Gold Rush. The Toscano Hotel (the 1850s) was first used as a general store and lending library and was turned into a workingman’s hotel and bar in 1886.

Make sure to stop at the Sonoma Visitor’s Bureau

In the center of Sonoma Plaza is the City Hall building built in 1846, and alongside it is the Sonoma Valley Visitor’s Bureau. It is worth a visit as we were given stickers for a 2-for-1 wine tasting that we took advantage of later that day. We also got directions to the Vallejo Estate.

The Vallejo Estate

General Vallejo commanded the troops in Sonoma but also oversaw the secularization of the mission. The town of Vallejo, near San Francisco Bay, is named after him. You can take an ferry ride from Vallejo to the San Francisco wharf.

The Vallejo Estate is a short distance from Sonoma Plaza which you can walk to along the bike path. My sister and I did a self-tour of General Vallejo’s Victorian-style home, which, to me, was too adorable for a General.

Lunch before wine-ing down

We stopped for some delicious tacos at the La Casa Restaurant which has been in operation since 1967 and is across the street from the mission. I always believe old restaurants are still there for a reason and it’s because they are good.

The Buena Vista Winery

You can’t visit Sonoma without doing some wine tasting so we drove over to the Buena Vista Winery which is one of the oldest wineries in California.

It was founded by Hungarian Count Agoston Haraszthy de Mokesa in 1857. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1840 and settled in Wisconsin where he attempted to grow grapes. The weather there was too harsh and his grapes failed.

He moved to San Diego in 1849 where he became renowned as the town’s sheriff but still couldn’t get his grapes to grow so he moved to San Francisco. He didn’t have any luck there because it was too foggy. He finally bought property in 1857 where the winery is today and his grapes thrived.

Buena Vista Winery has a collection of red wine called “Legendary Badge,” which has Sheriff’s badges on its bottles in Haraszthy’s honor.

The development of fine wine in California

The Count went on a tour of Europe in 1861 to study winemaking methods to improve the quality of his wines. He returned to Sonoma with over 300 varietals and thousands of grapevines. He established the Buena Vista Viniculture Society two years later to expand and modernize the area’s fledgling wine industry.

There’s a collection of Vinicultural Society wines at Buena Vista named after the organization. They are only available at the winery or to wine club members.

The Count was later forced out of the wine business by his investors and left for Nicaragua where he met his fate when he fell off a tree branch into alligator-infested waters.

Buena Vista Winery continued to produce excellent wines and in 1873 officially became California’s first premium winery. Over the years, it has received numerous winemaking awards.

Wine production halted during Prohibition and the winery laid dormant for years. It was purchased by the Bartholomew family in 1943 and its first Post-Prohibition wine was released in 1949 with great success.

The Boisset Collection bought the winery in 2011. They own a collection of premium vineyards including Amberhill, DeLoach Vineyards, Raymond Vineyards, Legend Vineyard Exclusives (owned by singer John Legend), and others with roots in Burgundy, France. They’ve made significant improvements to the wine and the winery since they took it over.

If you’re ever in Sonoma, make sure to stop off for a wine tasting at Buena Vista Winery. It is also an excellent location for outdoor weddings.