Sonoma County, where California's state flag first flew, is also the birthplace of Northern California's wine industry. This vintage postcard journey reveals some of that rich history in its trek through Sonoma County's fertile plains and sun-drenched hillsides, from the vintner's cradle in the town of Sonoma, to its northernmost frontier near Cloverdale. Stops along the route include Glen Ellen and the Valley of the Moon, the Russian River valleys, and such industry giants as Italian-Swiss Colony and the California Wine Association. Once boasting the world's largest vineyard, wine tank, and grape arbor, Sonoma County has long bested its more famous neighbor in number of wineries and grape acreage.
Author Gail Unzelman has collected California wine history for over 30 years and coauthored History of the Sonoma Viticultural District in 1998 and The California Wine Association 1894–1920 in 2000. Recalling the pioneers of today's booming wine industry, this postcard history features the work of famous advertising photographers and was produced for the benefit of the Wine Library Associates of Sonoma County, who support the Sonoma County Wine Library, Healdsburg.