Apple unveils macOS Sonoma, the latest version of its operating system, inspired by Wine Country

Apple’s newest macOS vintage has been uncorked — and its inspiration hails from Sonoma County.

macOS Sonoma, the latest iteration of the tech giant’s operating system, was the fruity toast of the tech giant’s Worldwide Developers Conference when it was unveiled Monday in Cupertino among a slate of new products and features.

Apple’s marketing team, told to travel “far and wide” and “leave no stone unturned” in the quest for the software’s new name, embarked upon a wine-soaked odyssey that led to Monday’s unveiling, Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, said during the event’s keynote address.

“That search consisted of piling into their micro bus, punching in the words ‘awesome vineyard’ into Maps and bee-lining straight to one of the most famous wine regions in the world,” Federighi said in the keynote.

Sonoma, he said, is “a place celebrated by the team — perhaps a bit too much — and beloved by millions.”

The Press Democrat has reached out to Apple for comment.

“macOS is the heart of the Mac, and with Sonoma, we’re making it even more delightful and productive to use,” Federighi said.

In addition to its namesake, macOS Sonoma will feature a slow-motion video that soars over green Sonoma vineyards as an option for a screensaver.

The new OS also will include ways to personalize with widgets, bring significant updates to Safari and video conferencing, an optimized gaming experience, along with other enhancements in functionality and design.

“We think users are going to love macOS Sonoma and the new ways it enables them to personalize with widgets and stunning new screen savers, see new levels of gaming performance, and gain powerful productivity for video conferencing and browsing with Safari,” Federighi said.

The “Peanuts” gang will also share some of the Sonoma spotlight through new Apple Watch faces debuting this fall.

At least two new watch faces will memorialize the beloved characters created by Santa Rosa’s own Charles Schulz. One shared by the company Monday shows Snoopy and his pal Woodstock gazing up at a starry night sky; another is of Snoopy spreading his arms wide while Woodstock sits on the clock’s minute hand.

Sonoma County Tourism CEO Claudia Vecchio said Monday it was a wonderful surprise to see Apple incorporate Sonoma into its products.

“We couldn’t think of a more iconic partnership than between a global leader in technology and the global leader in wine and visitor experiences,” she said. “We’re hopeful this will turn into a great opportunity for further collaborations.”

The Cupertino-based company started branding its software using California landmarks with the public release of OS X 10.9 Mavericks in October 2013 and has since included various well-known Golden State locales, such as Big Sur, Yosemite, El Capitan, Mojave, and, its current version, Ventura.

macOS Sonoma will released to the public this fall, according to Apple.

While Sonoma reveled in the recognition, Monday’s announcement was sour grapes for at least one wine enthusiast who preferred the honor instead go to Sonoma’s neighbor.

“Look, there’s nothing wrong with Sonoma, but if you’re going to name an OS after the best vineyards in the world... what’s up with that Apple?” TechCrunch reporter Haje Jan Kamps wrote in an article.

Sorry, Napa. 💅

You can reach Staff Writer Sara Edwards at 707-521-5487 or sara.edwards@pressdemocrat. com. On Twitter @sedwards380.