Nestled in the quiet – and beautiful – Bennett Valley AVA of Sonoma County, Matanzas Creek is known primarily for its sauvignon blanc and merlot. The winery, launched in 1977, farms ...

all contributing to the area’s standing in the wine world. The establishment of Sonoma’s AVA system began in the early 1980s ...

but it was Italians who put Sonoma on the world wine map. They planted grapes like Barbera, Carignane, Zinfandel and, later, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet and Merlot, and earned acclaim for ...