Sonoma in a minute

The grapes: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on the cool side, Zinfandel and Cabernet in the warm valleys

What it tastes like: Pinot is red-fruited and silky; Chardonnay ripe but fresh; the Zinfandels bold and spicy.

Good to know

Sonoma is bigger and cooler than Napa, with a dozen districts. Fog from the Pacific decides which grapes grow where.

On the label

Grape on the front, with a district such as Russian River Valley or Sonoma Coast.

What the land costs

The dearest vineyards here are in Russian River and Sonoma Coast: $100,000–$150,000 an acre (2025). Zone by zone

The business side

Sonoma County has nearly 60,000 acres of vines across a dozen appellations, from the warm Dry Creek and Alexander valleys to the cold Sonoma Coast. Its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the state’s most admired, and its land costs far less than Napa’s: brokers put planted vineyard at US$70,000–215,000 an acre, with Russian River Chardonnay around $100,000, Pinot Noir $125,000 and the best Sonoma Coast sites $150,000 and above.

Economics in brief

Vintroux, the leading wine-country broker, reports Sonoma planted vineyards at US$70,000–215,000 an acre and plantable land at $30,000–110,000, against $300,000–500,000 an acre for prime Napa Cabernet ground. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes sell for less than Napa Cabernet but far more than most of California, and the cool, foggy sites that suit them are the ones in demand. Wildfire and the cost of labour and water are the risks every buyer prices in.

Facts and figures

Vineyard land, planted

US$70,000–215,000 an acre; Russian River and Sonoma Coast $100,000–150,000+Vintroux

Vineyard area

≈ 59,000 acresSonoma County Winegrowers

The numbers behind the region: land, grapes, yields and costs

Compare regions

Input	Range	Unit	Year	Source
Land — what a hectare of vineyard sells for
Vineyard land, Russian River and Sonoma Coast (planted)Sonoma County planted vineyard $70,000–215,000 an acre; Russian River Chardonnay about…	100,000–150,000	USD/acre	2025	Vintroux

Where the inputs come from

Vintroux, Napa and Sonoma County real estate: vineyard values and wine grape prices, 2025

Sources

Napa and Sonoma County real estate: market elements, vineyard values, and wine grape prices, Vintroux, 2025. Retrieved 6 October 2026.
What is a vineyard really worth? It depends., Vintroux, 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2026.

Last reviewed: October 2026Report an error on this page