Sonoma is a small town with an outsized place in California history. The Plaza at its centre is the largest of its kind in the state, and the buildings around it have watched the region change from mission outpost to wine country.
The mission years
Mission San Francisco Solano, founded in 1823, was the last and northernmost of the California missions. Its adobe walls still stand on the northeast corner of the Plaza.
The Bear Flag Revolt
In 1846 a group of settlers raised a hand-made flag over the Plaza and declared a short-lived California Republic. The flag lasted less than a month, but the bear on it is still on the state flag today.
Wine country
Commercial winemaking took hold here in the mid-1800s, and the valley has been shaped by it ever since. Riding these roads is the easiest way to see how the town, the vineyards, and the hills fit together.
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