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A Little About Sonoma
The name Sonoma, and it's nickname" Valley of the Moon," is
traditionally said to be derived from an indigenous word for "many
moons". According to the native Miwok, when they walked at night through
the valley between the Maycamas and Sonoma Mountains, the moon rose
seven times-thus the name Sonoma, or many moons. Dubbed the "Valley of
the Moon" by Jack London, a romantic but off-key translation popularized
by his semi-autobiographical 1913 novel Valley of the Moon and
subsequent 1914 film, the narrow 17 mile Sonoma Valley is as rich in
history as it is in natural beauty and agricultural wealth. Often called
"The cradle of California history," Sonoma has been ruled by many
flags-English, Russian, Spanish, Mexican, and of course, the U. S. Stars
and Stripes-and much colonial fervor. But no other ruling power
was quite as colorful as the Bear Flaggers, a seedy band of several
dozen American freelance land grabbers.
For its first hundred years as part of the United
States, the Sonoma Valley remained a quiet rustic area. Despite
Vallejo's efforts, it the town of Sonoma lost its place as the
county seat, and the Gold Rush took the flow of business and trade
to San Francisco. The valley developed a flourishing wine industry
that has survived two great blows, the phylloxera epidemic of the
1870s and the legal impact of Prohibition. After World War II Sonoma
Valley began to grow, but it has remained isolated enough to keep
its original beauty. Today it remains a vigorous center of the
California wine industry as well as a growing tourist destination.
The land is still the primary focus, and these days it's grabbed up most
frequently for vineyards and wineries. In addition to excellent wines,
estate-made olive oils, tapenades, and exotic mustards are other
culinary claims to fame. From the historic town of Sonoma, fine wine
estates, fruit and nut orchards, and livestock and poultry farms scatter
out in all directions. |
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