EXHIBIT 99.1

                                  Certification

            Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

            (Subsections (a) and (b) of Section 1350, Chapter 63 of
                          Title 18, United States Code)

Pursuant to section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (18 U.S.C.  1350), the
undersigned officer of SonomaWest Holdings,  Inc., a California corporation (the
"Company"), does hereby certify that:

The Quarterly  Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended  December 31, 2002 (the
"Form 10-Q") of the Company  fully  complies  with the  requirements  of section
13(a) or 15(d), as applicable,  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934 and that
the  information  contained  in the Form 10-Q fairly  presents,  in all material
respects,  the  financial  condition  and results of  operations of the Company.


Dated: February 13, 2003


                                /s/  Roger S. Mertz
                                ------------------------------------------
                                Roger S. Mertz
                                Chairman of the Board