#SonomaStrong

Responding to a call for reports from the wine country, color spotter Darrell Sano left before 7 a.m. on Saturday to get to Sonoma early. As, he’d planned a long day in the wine country.

On his drive, he monitored the weather as a band of rain was passing over. Darrell described driving into “a sleepy town” (Sonoma) at about 8 a.m. to find “Rain had lacquered the sidewalks with a gentle sheen.”

He walked Sonoma’s Town Square past Mission Sonoma to Buena Vista Winery, the oldest premium winery in California. Darrell recalled having watched helicopter footage of firefighters saving this historic building.

“That’s where I met Fred the “Sheriff of Buena Vista, who, in addition to telling stories of the winery’s history, told me that all of the fire companies surrounding Sonoma’s central square are Volunteer Fire Departments. Those volunteers joined thousands of other firefighters to battle the blaze. Click images to enlarge.

To Darrell’s amazement, “the hill behind BV was black, charred.” Yet, “Fred who has worked at Buena Vista for 17 years seemed unfazed by it all.”

Darrell described Sheriff Fred as “Resilient, #SonomaStrong. He epitomized the spirit in this valley.”

Darrell continued along Castle Road to the Bartholomew Foundation Park and Winery.  Its vines stood unscathed before “blackened, charred hillsides.”

Similar to what I found in Napa Valley, Darrell passed “hundreds of hand-written signs, everywhere I drove, expressing thanks to first responders, firefighters, police, state police, PG&E, etc. Remarkable. But maybe not so, after all, we are all strong here in California, #SonomaStrong.

Sonoma – Near Peak (50-75%) – GO NOW!