Seghesio Family Vineyards encompasses more than 300 acres of sustainably farmed vineyards grown in Sonoma County’s Alexander, Russian River and Dry Creek Valleys. Many of the vineyards from which we source our fruit, including our estate vineyards, are comprised of head-trained old vine plantings that must be farmed and harvested by hand, making Zinfandel a more labor-intensive variety than many others used in winemaking.
We are deeply committed to the stewardship and preservation of old vines, which we define as a minimum 50-years-old. Seghesio Family Vineyards farms a number of the original founding blocks of Zinfandel planted at our Home Ranch Vineyard in 1895. We also maintain the oldest blocks of Sangiovese in North America in our Chianti Station Vineyard. These Sangiovese vines represent an heirloom clone that has otherwise gone extinct and cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
Our commitment to farming and cultivating old vine vineyards stems from our belief in the capacity of these vines to make truly extraordinary wines with incredible concentration, complexity, and intrigue. Though their yields may be low, the quality of the old vine fruit we farm provides reliable and excellent quality fruit that elevates the profile of many of our signature Zinfandels.
Acknowledging our responsibility to the next five generations and beyond, we have ensured that a commitment to sustainability informs every aspect of our farming practices. From considering how we use the earth’s resources to how we treat our fellow employees, we are continually working to minimize our impact on the land and ecosystems that nurture our vineyards and sustain our business.
Vineyard
Our founders planted the first Zinfandel vines at our Home Ranch Vineyard in Alexander Valley in 1895. It’s hard to imagine they could have foreseen that, 125 years later, we would be producing one of our most treasured wines from those very same vines. With only 8-16 inches of topsoil and clay soils with varying underlying layers of basalt, sandstone, and volcanic rock, vines have a difficult time surviving – yielding fruit of great intensity and complexity. Alexander Valley is characterized by warm days tempered by cooling afternoon breezes.
Planting Date: 1895
Total Acreage: 130 acres (60% Zinfandel, 20% Sangiovese, 15% Petite Sirah, 5% Barbera)
Vineyard
Our Rattlesnake Hill Estate Vineyard represents the culmination of a 7-year project in which we selected and propagated our favorite Sangiovese clones from the original Chianti Station Vineyard block. By selecting from specific vines based on the fruit they produce, we were able to propagate the smallest berry clones on Rattlesnake Hill. These vines struggled to survive in the thin topsoil of this terraced rocky hillside, producing concentrated fruit with intense flavors and structure.
Planting Date: 1995
Total Acreage Rattlesnake Hill: 30 acres (65% Sangiovese, 35% Zinfandel)
Vineyard
Planted in 1926, Montafi Ranch Vineyard is a rare gem on the eastern bench of the Santa Rosa plains in northern Russian River Valley, where most of the old vine Zinfandel vineyards have been uprooted and replanted with other varieties.
We are now the guardians of these ancient Zinfandel vines, planted in a traditional field-blend with Alicante Bouschet and other traditional mixed black varieties. Small clusters and low yields from these deep-rooted, head trained vines exemplify character and complexity.
Planting Date: 1926
Total Acreage: 21 acres (99% Zinfandel, 1% Alicante Bouschet)
Vineyard
Chianti Station Vineyard is named after a small railway station that once operated nearby and served as a vital hub for the Sonoma wine industry in the early 20th century. Planted in 1910, our Chianti Station Vineyard is a home to the oldest Sangiovese vines in North America, composed of a selection of heirloom clones not found anywhere else in the world. These ancient Sangiovese vines are planted along with small quantities of Canaiolo Nero, Malvasia, and Trebbiano in the style of a traditional Tuscan field blend.
Planting Date: 1910
Total Acreage: 1.5 acres (Sangiovese field blend interplanted with Canaiolo Nero, Malvasia and Trebbiano)
Vineyard
When the Seghesio Family purchased this site in 1961, it was a cattle ranch. Our Keyhole Ranch vineyard has truly been a testing ground and a testament to the trial-and-error mentality and long-term vision it takes to be successful in the wine industry. Located in northern Russian River Valley, this vineyard’s microclimate is tempered by cool coastal breezes and frequent summer-morning fog that combine to create an ideal climate for growing Vermentino and other white wine varieties. The soils are composed of gravel and clay loams. We also farm a number of blocks of Zinfandel, which thrive in the cooler climate of the Russian River to make wines with a more complex, savory and earthy flavor profile.
Planting Date: 2008
Total Acreage: 72 acres (primarily Vermentino and Zinfandel)
Vineyard
Planted in 1972, Chen’s Vineyard is graced with mornings shrouded in fog during the summer month that help with even ripening and the development of elegant structure and complex flavors. This Dry Creek Valley ranch’s diverse soils consist primarily of a gravelly loam called Cortina, though there are a few blocks composed of sandy soils that we affectionately refer to as the “Sand Point”. These blocks yield wine with exceptional aromatics, fresh acidity, bright fruit, and intensely complex phenolics.
Planting Date: 1972
Total Acreage: 45 acres (100% Zinfandel)
Vineyard
One of Sonoma County’s most cherished vineyards, Pagani Ranch is comprised of ancient 100+ year old vines planted along a rolling east-facing slope in Sonoma Valley and tended by fourth-generation Pagani family members. The oldest vines at Pagani Ranch were planted in the 1880s though the majority of the vineyard blocks were established through 1922. The gnarly head-trained and dry-farmed old vine Zinfandel blocks are interspersed with Alicante Bouschet and planted in narrow rows better suited to horses than tractors. Most of the farming is done by hand and the resulting wines reflect the meticulous care taken in the vineyard.
Planting Date: 1895
Vineyard
High above Dry Creek Valley, the Rockpile AVA is a wild and rugged source for some of Sonoma County’s brawniest Zinfandel wines. The Zinfandel vines planted along the mountain ridgetops of the Rockpile AVA struggle to thrive in the shallow, iron-rich, red rocky soils of the region. These vines produce low yields of small, highly-concentrated grapes that make rich, muscular, and mineral-driven wines. With only 160 acres of vineyards planted, Rockpile Zinfandel is highly-sought-after both for its intensity and its scarcity.
Planting Date: 1992
Total Acreage: 160 Acres
Vineyard
Planted in 1926, these vineyard blocks are some of the oldest in the Dry Creek Valley and farmed by fourth-generation Saini family members. The Seghesio and Saini families have a long and rich history of working together over four generations. Our Saini Farms Zinfandel is sourced mainly from old vine blocks planted on the Dry Creek bench, which is composed of gravelly clay loam with a striking red color and exceptional drainage that stresses the vines, encouraging concentration and structure in the resulting wine.
Planting Date: 1926
Vineyard
Todd Brothers Ranch was planted in 1958 in the hills above Geyserville. Thick, head-trained vines wind up a steep slope of shallow, red volcanic soil that limits yields and increases concentration in the small berries that these vines struggle to produce. The refined intensity and opulent structure are hallmarks of this extraordinary vineyard, farmed today by third- and fourth-generation Todd family members. Gnarled Old Vine Zinfandel vines grow along a remarkably steep slope of bright red, rocky soil producing small, intensely concentrated berries.
Planting Date: 1958
Sustainability is not static – it is living work. Its core definition states that in accomplishing our goals, we do not compromise the natural resources future generations will require to meet their own goals. While Seghesio first formally adopted sustainable farming in 2003, we have always held a deep respect for the land that is inspired by our gratitude for our home and our community in Sonoma County. Sustainability is a primary objective in every aspect of our operation– our farming practices, how responsibly we use the earth’s resources and how we treat our fellow employees. In our continuing efforts toward a higher platform of sustainability, we work to minimize our impact on the land and ecosystems upon which our survival depends.
Sustainability encompasses every aspect of our farming practices, from how we use the earth’s resources and how we treat our fellow employees. We are continually working to minimize our impact on the land and ecosystems that nurture our vineyards and sustain our business.
Each year we recruit skilled vineyard workers from Mexico, help them acquire temporary work visas through the U.S. Government’s h2a program, then safely and legally transport them to Sonoma County to live and work with us for nine months, after which they return home.
Early in the season, excess shoots and leaves are precisely removed to increase natural airflow and provide optimum sunlight to the grapes. This labor-intensive work must be done by hand and serves to reduce pests and the need for sprays.
Pesticide usage is reduced naturally with the introduction of predator habitats and cover crops help reduce dust, foster beneficial micro-organisms that provide nutrition to the vines, and promote biodiversity in the vineyard.
Purity is at the heart of our winemaking and our farming practices; we recently conducted an analysis of our Sonoma County Zinfandel and are proud to list the ingredients for this, our largest production wine, as Grapes 99.97%, tartaric acid 0.02%, Sulfites 0.01%.