The Petaluma Gap is a geographical region in Sonoma County, California which extends in a band from the Pacific Ocean to San Pablo Bay.
The Petaluma Gap affects wind patterns (and thus microclimates and air quality) in the San Francisco Bay Area.
[2] During the 1990s, the Sonoma County wine industry adopted the term Petaluma Gap to help differentiate its products.
In February 2015, the PGWA submitted a petition to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) to establish the Petaluma Gap as a formally recognized American Viticultural Area (AVA).
On December 7, 2017, the 202,476 acres (316 sq mi) region was designated as Petaluma Gap AVA with an effective date of January 8, 2018.