The week’s news from the valley’s vineyards and farms — the associations, the growers, and the water that keeps it all going.
Around the valley's vineyards
- AYA’s Excellent Wine Program (Aug 12), Sonoma County Winegrowers — The Graton Resort & Casino's new 27,000-square-foot rooftop restaurant, AYA, run by Chef Roy Ellamar and Jennifer Murphy-Ellamar, offers a deep Sonoma County wine list overseen by sommelier Francis
- A Sicilian White in Sonoma County (Aug 5), Sonoma County Winegrowers — Hanna Winery has planted California's first Grillo vines on Dry Creek Mountain Vineyard, releasing a 37-case 2025 vintage of the Sicilian white variety.
- Grand Tasting 9.26.26 (Aug 4), Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers — The Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers will hold a Grand Tasting on September 26, 2026, at the historic Sonoma Barracks, featuring wines from more than 50 wineries.
- Flowers and Farmers at the Sonoma County Fair (Jul 29), Sonoma County Winegrowers — The Sonoma County Fair runs August 7–16, opening with the $50 Floral Fandango preview at the Hall of Flowers on August 6 and Farmers Day on August 9.
- Sonoma Valley Harvest Dinner 9.25.26 (Jul 27), Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers — The Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers will hold their Harvest Dinner on Friday, September 25th at 5:30 pm outside Sonoma City Hall, with food by the girl & the fig.
- 5K Fun Run & Vintage Vines 1 Miler (Jul 27), Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers — A 5K Fun Run at 8:00 am and the new Vintage Vines 1 Miler at 9:00 am, both featuring a costume contest, open Sonoma Valley's Daytime Festival on September 26th.
- Sonoma County Begins One of Its Earliest Winegrape Harvests in Years (Jul 24), Sonoma County Winegrowers — Sonoma County's 2026 winegrape harvest has begun in what may be the region's earliest start ever, with a smaller crop expected to yield exceptionally concentrated wines.
- Semillon in Sonoma County (Jul 22), Sonoma County Winegrowers — Semillon, a white Bordeaux grape brought to Sonoma County by Agoston Haraszthy in 1862, survives in Monte Rosso's 1886 vines and modern bottlings from Lambert Bridge to Peter Michael.
Water & drought
Sonoma County is free of drought this week — 100% of the county is out of drought and abnormal-dryness categories, per the U.S. Drought Monitor (week ending 2026-08-03).
Lake Sonoma, the valley’s largest reservoir, held about 244,114 acre-feet of water as of 2026-8-12 .
From the wider wine world
- Alaskan Brewing Co. Commemorates 40 Years with Limited Edition 40 Pack (Aug 12), Wine Industry Advisor
- AYA’s Excellent Wine Program (Aug 12), Wine Industry Advisor
- Ste. Michelle Wine Estates Expands ESTIVAL with New Chenin Blanc (Aug 12), Wine Industry Advisor
- Afternoon Brief, August 12 (Aug 12), Wine Industry Advisor
- The Cinematic Tuscan Castle Producing Wine in Napa Valley (Aug 12), Wine Industry Advisor
Sources: the valley’s wine associations, the U.S. Drought Monitor, and California water data. Headlines link to the original source; we summarize, we don’t reprint.