Napa, Sonoma, Napa, Sonoma....?

The various place names of Napa, Napa Valley, Napa County, Sonoma, Sonoma Valley, and Sonoma County can be confusing for first-time visitors. It's further complicated when geographically-challenged writers and journalists mistakenly place Sonoma County wineries and attractions in Napa County locations, and vice versa. This type of imprecise reporting happens more than it should, and it appeared again in a TripAdvisor survey. More than 1,000 survey respondents who said they plan to visit a U.S. vineyard this year ranked Napa Valley at No. 1 and "Sonoma" at No. 2. Now, "Sonoma" could refer to the city of Sonoma or even the Sonoma Valley. On a map, Napa County and Sonoma County are side by side. Each county has a small city of the same name, Napa and Sonoma. "Napa Valley" generally refers to the concentrated wine-growing region that runs the length of Napa County and includes the city of Napa. "Sonoma Valley" is a large wine region in eastern Sonoma County that also encompasses the city of Sonoma. Once you visit, it all becomes perfectly clear.