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United States · 38 vintages on record

Sonoma

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25 of 38 verified

10Warm years
12Cool years
6Frost
4Smoke
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ColdCoolAverageWarmHotVery dryDryNormalWetVery wet197419911997200320082013201820231974 · Warm A cool spring gave way to a hot late summer, built for long aging. Not yet verified1980 · Cool A cool, restrained vintage that produced elegant, age-worthy wines. Not yet verified1985 · Average A cool spring and warm, dry summer gave the vintage textbook balance. Not yet verified1987 · Warm A prolonged drought concentrated fruit into rich, structured wines. Not yet verified1990 · Warm A drought year with a late-May rain event cut yields and intensified flavor. Not yet verified1991 · Cool A cool, extended season with a July heat spike made elegant, structured wines. Not yet verified1992 · Cool A cool, drought-affected year produced opulent, well-balanced wines. Not yet verified1994 · Cool A cool, extended growing season produced wines of elegance and freshness. Not yet verified1995 · Warm Winter floods and a June hailstorm gave way to a rescuing Indian Summer. Not yet verified1996 · Warm Spring berry shatter and summer heat spikes made a concentrated sleeper year. Not yet verified1997 · Average A warm, early season produced ripe, generous, fruit-forward wines. Not yet verified1998 · Cold A cold, wet El Nino year with mildew pressure made surprisingly age-worthy wines. Not yet verified1999 · Average A cool season with long hang time and low yields made concentrated wines. Not yet verified2001 · Warm April frost, early summer heat and a late-September storm; smaller crops, top Zinfandel. Verified2005 · Cool Record May-June rain cut Pinot Noir set; a cool, damp summer kept rot pressure high. Verified2006 · Cool Cool, soggy spring, July heat and October rain; a B- year per Wine Spectator. Verified2007 · Average Dry winter, even summer, early two-part harvest and a small crop of concentrated fruit. Verified2008 · Average Frost, drought and wildfire smoke, then an early harvest of smaller crops. Verified2009 · Average (thin record) Mild, even California season; Sonoma Pinot and Chardonnay picked before October rain. Verified2010 · Cool A cold spring, foggy summer and late-August heat cut crops; sorting decided quality. Verified2011 · Cool A cool, late, short Sonoma crop with fall rain and rot, but fresh, lower-alcohol wines. Verified2012 · Average A long, moderate season with no heat waves and a crop 60 percent bigger than 2011. Verified2013 · Average A long, moderate, early season with clean fruit and a large, above-average crop. Verified2014 · Average An early, moderately warm drought year with a harvest that started July 30. Verified2015 · Warm A fourth drought year, rough flowering and a warm summer brought an early, small crop. Verified2016 · Average An early start and a cool, foggy August gave Sonoma a steady, uneventful harvest. Verified2017 · Warm Wet winter, a hot August, a Labor Day heat spike, then the October fires. Verified2018 · Cool A cool start and moderate summer gave Sonoma a long, relaxed season and a normal crop. Verified2020 · Average Near-perfect until a mid-August lightning storm; whites got in early, reds bore the smoke. Verified2021 · Average A dry, even, fire-free drought year that gave Sonoma a small, concentrated crop. Verified2022 · Warm A dry, record-early Sonoma year: frost and a Labor Day heatwave gave dense wines. Verified2023 · Cool A wet, cool start and mild summer gave a late, long harvest with plenty of fresh fruit. Verified2024 · Warm A smooth, fast, rain-free harvest with outstanding quality across Sonoma. Verified2025 · Cool A wet winter and cool summer gave fresh, lower-alcohol wines. Verified1985 · Dry A cool spring and warm, dry summer gave the vintage textbook balance. Not yet verified1987 · Very dry A prolonged drought concentrated fruit into rich, structured wines. Not yet verified1990 · Dry A drought year with a late-May rain event cut yields and intensified flavor. Not yet verified1991 · Normal A cool, extended season with a July heat spike made elegant, structured wines. Not yet verified1992 · Dry A cool, drought-affected year produced opulent, well-balanced wines. Not yet verified1994 · Dry A cool, extended growing season produced wines of elegance and freshness. Not yet verified1995 · Wet Winter floods and a June hailstorm gave way to a rescuing Indian Summer. Not yet verified1996 · Dry Spring berry shatter and summer heat spikes made a concentrated sleeper year. Not yet verified1997 · Dry A warm, early season produced ripe, generous, fruit-forward wines. Not yet verified1998 · Very wet A cold, wet El Nino year with mildew pressure made surprisingly age-worthy wines. Not yet verified1999 · Very dry A cool season with long hang time and low yields made concentrated wines. Not yet verified2005 · Wet Record May-June rain cut Pinot Noir set; a cool, damp summer kept rot pressure high. Verified2006 · Wet Cool, soggy spring, July heat and October rain; a B- year per Wine Spectator. Verified2007 · Dry Dry winter, even summer, early two-part harvest and a small crop of concentrated fruit. Verified2008 · Very dry Frost, drought and wildfire smoke, then an early harvest of smaller crops. Verified2010 · Wet A cold spring, foggy summer and late-August heat cut crops; sorting decided quality. Verified2012 · Dry A long, moderate season with no heat waves and a crop 60 percent bigger than 2011. Verified2013 · Dry A long, moderate, early season with clean fruit and a large, above-average crop. Verified2014 · Dry An early, moderately warm drought year with a harvest that started July 30. Verified2015 · Dry A fourth drought year, rough flowering and a warm summer brought an early, small crop. Verified2016 · Normal An early start and a cool, foggy August gave Sonoma a steady, uneventful harvest. Verified2017 · Wet Wet winter, a hot August, a Labor Day heat spike, then the October fires. Verified2021 · Very dry A dry, even, fire-free drought year that gave Sonoma a small, concentrated crop. Verified2022 · Very dry A dry, record-early Sonoma year: frost and a Labor Day heatwave gave dense wines. Verified2023 · Wet A wet, cool start and mild summer gave a late, long harvest with plenty of fresh fruit. Verified2025 · Wet A wet winter and cool summer gave fresh, lower-alcohol wines. Verified

Dashed: each vintage. Solid: five-year running average of season temperature.

Temperature here is relative to Sonoma's own normal, not an absolute scale across regions. Every value comes from that year's own vintage report; a missing value means the report did not describe that part of the season, not that nothing happened.

Verified reports were rebuilt from the regional body's own vintage reports and independent trade coverage, with every claim traced to a fetched source.