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
- Farming Since 1853: The Cameron Ranch Story (Aug 19), Sonoma County Winegrowers — The Cameron family has farmed 480 acres west of Fulton since Alonzo Meacham bought them in 1853, now tending Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and prized 70-year-old French Colombard along River Road.
- Pour + Explore Rosé to Zinfandel September 18 (Aug 17), Sonoma County Vintners — St. Francis Winery & Vineyards hosts Pour + Explore: Rosé + Zinfandel on Friday, September 18, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM, with tickets at $75 per person.
- 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.
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 2026-08-10).
Lake Sonoma, the valley’s largest reservoir, held about 242,365 acre-feet of water as of 2026-8-19 .
From the wider wine world
- Strategic Beverage Services Acquires BevZero’s U.S. Operations, Becomes Largest Dealcoholization Service Provider in the United States (Aug 19), Wine Industry Advisor
- Family Owned and Built to Stand Apart (Aug 19), Wine Industry Advisor
- Afternoon Brief, August 19 (Aug 19), Wine Industry Advisor
- It’s one of California’s most prestigious wineries. But it’s not as traditional as you think (Aug 19), Wine Industry Advisor
- Senators Take Aim At Invasive Pest Threatening Wine Industry (Aug 19), 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.