Make Sonoma Late Again: The After Hours

SONOMA VALLEY, CA — A stack of trucker hats stamped “Make Sonoma Late Again” has popped up here and there on bar shelves around the square in Sonoma, a tongue-in-cheek jab that lands because it rings true.

California law allows alcohol service until 2 a.m., yet Sonoma’s conditions pull last call much earlier. Like the rest of the county, a layered system quietly does the job of shutting down nightlife before the night gets going and usually well before 2 a.m.

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Use permits often cap operations around 10 p.m. Wine-tasting rooms — a backbone of the local economy — typically close by that hour. Even when a business could technically stay open, noise rules tighten the vise.

Local standards effectively treat 10 p.m. as a turning point. After that, stricter nighttime noise limits apply, measured at property lines. A few activities can run longer.

A local bartender said wine-country tourism is an early business because visitors who spend the weekend tasting and eating are ready for a good night's rest in their hotel room by 10 p.m. instead of getting ready for a late-night clubbing session.

Whatever the cause, the result is a city that closes early by design and by habit. Retail shops often shut by early evening. Restaurants and bars stretch a bit later, but seldom beyond 10 or 11 p.m. Late-night venues are scarce.

That gap between what’s technically legal and what’s practically possible is what the hats poke at.

Typical of other wine bars in town, Enoteca Della Santina, above, just off the Sonoma Square next to the trattoria, closes weeknights 10 p.m. and Saturdays at 11 p.m. 'Make Sonoma Late Again' suggests longer hours.

The City of Sonoma permit office could not be reached immediately. This story will be updated as more information is available.

The After Hours is a recurring column, written by Patch Editor Angela Woodall, where she will share her opinions on all things that happen after hours. The opinions expressed are her own.

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