Explore land, wine of Sonoma County

  Today if you travel to Sonoma County in California, you will see many vineyards and wineries. The history of the county tells us that this was not always the case.

Now the county acts as a magnet for those who are interested in wine. From people who make their living growing grapes, to those that make their living producing wines, to those that make their living bottling and selling wines, to those that are interested in purchasing the wines that have been produced, the county is a major gathering point for oenophiles. People come from all over the world to be involved in what Sonoma County has to offer today.

The county seems to have been a magnet for people who have desired to trade for a long time. There is evidence the area was settled more than 7,000 years ago by tribes who were agriculturally and commercially active.

The Pomo Indians named the area Sonoma, which translates to "Valley of the Moon." The era of the Indian-ruled Sonoma ended with the arrival of European explorers. The Spanish had a great influence in the area, and the city of Sonoma was settled as the northern-most of the 21 Californian missions. The Mexican government ruled the land for a time, and quite a bit of the acreage was given as land grants to Mexican soldiers for good service.

The Russians were aware this area was a fantastic place for lumber and furs and brought Aleuts with them to help trap and cut trees. The Russian River Valley was named after these settlers.

There is a new history in the Russian River Valley that is evolving everyday. The Russians agreed to a treaty under pressure from the Mexican government that prohibited them from trapping in the area in 1838. At this time, a man named William Grant was born in Scotland.

Grant became involved in making Scotch whisky. Today, the company William Grant and Sons has a portfolio of well-respected spirits including Glenfiddich, Single Malt Scotch, Clan McGregor Scotch, Hendrick's Gin and more.

In the early 21st century, the company decided to get involved in the wine-making industry in California. In 2001, a production facility was acquired in the Rutherford area of Napa and was named Bennett Family. (The name comes from the Bennett side of the Grant family).

The company has made just a few wines to date. Cabernet and chardonnay are the only two wines that have been produced. The cabernet is a Napa product and the chardonnay is created from grapes harvested in the Russian River Valley in Sonoma.

The 2006 Bennett Family Chardonnay ($20-$25) offers traits that are more French than Californian. Subdued and elegant aromas go from grapefruit to tropical fruit to cream as the wine warms. Look for peach, citrus, vanilla and cream in the mouth.

Since this winery has only produced six or seven wines since its inception in 2001, you may not be familiar with the label or winery. The fact they produced less than 7,000 cases of this wine will make it a bit hard to find. This is a nice wine to experience when you are looking for something new and different. It might be a bit hard to find, but better wine stores will have it in stock.

Settlers came to Sonoma from all over. The city of Los Guilicos was settled in the 1800s under the rule of the Mexican government. In the latter part of the 19th century, the Sonoma Land and Improvement Co. bought all of the land in the area of this city and renamed it Rohrerville after one of the owners of the company. The settlers of the area didn't like either of the names and claimed they were too hard to pronounce. By town vote, they changed the name of the community to Kenwood. One story about why the name was chosen comes from the fact that the settlers of the area came from Kenwood, Ill.

For a clean, crisp, easy drinking summer porch wine, try a bottle of the 2006 Kenwood Vineyards Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc ($10-$15). More than 130,000 cases of this wine were produced, which should make it a lot easier to find than the Bennett.

Look for grass, lemon and melon when the wine is cold. The traits tend to fight with each other while the wine is poured cold into the glass. However, with time in the glass, the wine mellows to a delicious and harmonious libation.

When it is your turn to take a vacation this year consider doing what many generations of people from all over the world have done and become a Sonoma explorer. Explore the land, the people, the art, the wineries. If you can't travel there, explore the wines of Sonoma from your own home.