Harvest season in Sonoma County is a busy time for everyone. For visitors, it’s a chance to see the grape harvest in action and to taste new wines. For wineries, harvest season means days picking, sorting, and fermenting the grapes.

In a county chockful of wineries and winemakers, it takes a certain something to stand out from the crowd. The next generation of Sonoma County winemakers are setting themselves apart by following their own winemaking philosophies, and making stylistic choices that are innovative and interesting, resulting in some truly great wines.

From its ancient beginnings, Sonoma County has been an important part of global wine history. It has been claimed by several nations, including Russia, Spain, and Mexico, and the county was also (briefly) the capital of a short lived independent California state.

Wine has been a focus of world filmmakers since the early days of cinema. After all: wine, popcorn, and a good movie makes for a Saturday night in (or Tuesday, for that matter). Although the perennial Sideways is great, and definitely worth a few repeat viewings, there is a whole library of films and documentaries about wine that explore why we love it so much.