A number of Sonoma County newspapers have been digitized and are great resources for research.  Some of the newspapers are available to access anywhere, for others you must be inside one of the library branches to access the databases.  Newspapers are invaluable for accounts that we don’t necessarily have records of in our library collections.  Here’s an example, a search in Newspapers.com of “Haraszthy” (last name of the founder of Buena Vista Winery, of course) brings up this interesting clipping about the early wine industry in Sonoma Valley.  From The Sonoma County Journal, published Friday, February 3^rd, 1860:

“Vine Planting in Sonoma.—A resident of Sonoma has furnished the Alta with the following list of the number of acres of vineyards planted in the Sonoma Valley this season: Colonel A. Haraszthy, 100; C. H. S. Williams, 100; E. Dresel, 40; Mr. Swett, 40; Steward & Davis, 30; Mr. Craig, 30; Attila Haraszthy and Gaza Haraszthy, 30; N. Carriger, 25; Mr. Csormitanyi, 20; M. G. Vallejo, 20; Krohn & Williams, 15; George Watrons, 15; Col. Hay, 10; Dr. Hill, 10; Mr. Neib, 10; Mr. Spence, 5; Mr. Brockman, Sr., 5; L. Ader, 5; Total, 510.  To this list may be added about a hundred acres more planted in small lots of two or three acres each, so that the total extent of vineyard planted in Sonoma Valley this year, if the above be correct, will be about 600 acres.”