Sonoma History and Wine Law

Question 1

What year did Russian immigrants establish Fort Ross

Answer 1

1812

Question 2

who is Igor Chernykh?

Answer 2

Planted the first vineyard in the Russian River Valley in 1836

Sold Fort Ross in 1841 and moved back to Alaska

Question 3

To whom was Rancho Sotoyome granted (california land grant from Mexican government to American Pioneers)

Answer 3

Cyrus Alexander

First to plant grapes in Alexander Valley

Question 4

What year was California declared a republic

Answer 4

1846

William B Ide arrested Vallejo at his Sonoma home and declared independent Bear Flag Republic

Question 5

Haraszthys plantings at Buena Vista made it the second largest vineyard in California by this year

Answer 5

1858

Question 6

What did Haraszthy do in 1862 to improve quality in Sonoma (Buena Vista) wines?

Answer 6

Went to Europe and brought back 100,000 vine cuttings, including Pinot noir and Sauvignon Blanc.

Question 7

Oldest winery in operation in California

Answer 7

Buena Vista, owned by Jean Charles Boisset

Question 8

What year was Gundlach Bundschu established

Answer 8

1858

Question 9

What year was Belle Mount vineyard established in Bennett Valley, by Issac DeTurk?

Answer 9

1862

Question 10

Who brought Zinfandel to Dry Creek Valley?

Answer 10

George Bloch
1869

Question 11

Italian families that arrived in sonoma during the second half of the 19th century

Answer 11

Martinelli
Rafanelli
Pedroncelli
Foppiano

Question 12

What year was the Italian Swiss Colony founded in Asti (Sonoma’s far North)

Answer 12

1881

Question 13

In 1910, this was the world’s largest wine producer

Answer 13

Italian Swiss Colony
Annual capacity of more than 14 million gallons

Question 14

Where was Phylloxera first identified in California?

Answer 14

1873 Buena Vista Winery

Question 15

What year was the 18th Amendment ratified, causing Prohibition

Answer 15

1919, taking effect 1920

Question 16

What year was the 21st Amendment passed, repealing Prohibition

Answer 16

1933

Question 17

What is the Volstead Act

Answer 17

The law enforcing prohibition

Loopholes Allowed each household to ferment 200 gallons of wine at home each year
Plus Cooking and sacramental wine

Question 18

Who developed Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines in the 1950s on Moon Mountain for Hanzell

Answer 18

Ambassador James Zellerbach

Question 19

This vineyard, dating back to 1953, remains the oldest continually producing vineyard in North America for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

Answer 19

Hanzell’s Ambassador block

Question 20

These two men were instrumental in planting Pinot Noir North into the Russian River Valley in the 1960s and 1970s

Answer 20

Joseph Swan
Joe Rochioli Jr

Question 21

This man organized the Judgement of Paris in 1976

Answer 21

Stephen Spurrier

Question 22

Who is Michael Bohan

Answer 22

First to plant Burgundy varieties in 1972 at Fort Ross

Question 23

This man established Wild Hog vineyard in 1977 in what is now Fort Ross Seaview

Answer 23

Daniel Schoenfeld

Question 24

When did David Hirsch establish his estate in today Fort Ross Seaview

Answer 24

1980

Question 25

What year did David Stare found Dry Creek Vineyard, championing Sauvignon Blanc

Answer 25

1972

Question 26

Producers of Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon pioneering in the 60s and 70s

Answer 26

Rodney Strong
Robert Young
Tom Jordan

Question 27

Early Producers of Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Answer 27

Beringer
Peter Michael

Question 28

First AVA in Sonoma

Answer 28

Sonoma Valley 1981

Question 29

Helen Turleys Pinot Noir and Chardonnay brand in Sonoma

Answer 29

Marcassin

Question 30

What year was Kendall Jackson Vintner’s Reserve first released

Answer 30

1983, with the 1982 vintage

Intentionally off dry, with unfermented Gewurztraminer must

Question 31

What is “In Pursuit of Balance”
IPOB

Answer 31

Launched by Rajat Parr and Jasmine Hirsch in 2011

focus on Pinot Noir, grew to include Chardonnay

Question 32

Members of IPOB

Answer 32

Cobb, Hanzell, Littorai, Failla, Ceritas, Red Car, Hirsch. People criticized them for being underripe

Question 33

When did IPOB (In Pursuit of Balance) dissolve?

Answer 33

2016

Question 34

Who owns Merrry Edwards

Answer 34

Maisons Marques & Domaines

Question 35

Who owns William Selyem

Answer 35

Burgundy’s Domaine Faiveley

Question 36

Who owns Kosta Brown

Answer 36

Duckhorn

Question 37

this % of wine in California comes from Sonoma County

Answer 37

6%

Question 38

Who administers the AVA system in California

Answer 38

Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau

Question 39

How many AVAs are in Sonoma

Answer 39

19

all bounded by geographic boundaries, not viticultural ones

Question 40

What year was the West Sonoma Coast AVA established

Answer 40

2022

Question 41

The North Coast AVA encompasses Sonoma County, along with these County AVAs

Answer 41

Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Solano, Marin

Question 42

A wine from Green Valley AVA could be labeled under these different Sonoma AVAs

Answer 42

Green Valley
Russian River Valley
Sonoma Coast
Northern Sonoma
North Coast

Question 43

As of this year, all Sonoma wines must adhere to conjuntive labeling, where each bottle must list Sonoma County in addition to a specific AVA

Answer 43

2011

(Napa has been doing so since 1989)

Question 44

Sonoma County Winegrowers is known more formally as this

Answer 44

Sonoma County Winegrape Commission

Question 45

To be sonoma county sustainable, a vineyard must be certified by one of four bodies:

Answer 45

Fish Friendly Farming
California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (Certified Sustainable)
Lodi Rules
Sustainability in Practice (SIP)

(by 2019, 99% of Sonoma achieved this milestone)

Question 46

How is Sonoma County Sustainable Wine identified?

Answer 46

Logo that says: “Sustainably Farmed Grapes”

Question 47

Requirements for Sonoma County Sustainable Wines

Answer 47

85% must come from Sonoma County and 85% from a vineyard certified by any of the four organizations:

Fish Friendly Farming
California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (Certified Sustainable)
Lodi Rules
Sustainability in Practice (SIP)