249 Orchard Ave

Sonoma is a small city in California's North Bay region that has shaped the state's wine industry since the 1800s. Sitting at the center of the Sonoma Valley wine appellation, it traces its roots to 1823 and the founding of Mission San Francisco Solano, the northernmost California mission. That history is still visible today around Sonoma Plaza, an eight-acre public square anchored by 19th-century adobe buildings, tasting rooms, art galleries, and local shops. Buena Vista Winery, established here in the 1850s, is widely recognized as California's oldest winery. The surrounding valley holds more than 13,000 acres of state and regional parkland, giving the city a strongly outdoor-oriented character. The annual Sonoma International Film Festival draws filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts from well beyond the region each spring. The rental market reflects the city's scale and setting, with bungalows, garden-style apartment communities, and hillside homes available throughout the area.