The Chenoweth tour featured a ride on an ATV buggy.
A visit to Chenoweth Wines is like stepping back into Sonoma County history. The family has been on this land for more than 170 years—seven generations (so far). “We are, at the moment, the second-longest continuing farming family in Sonoma County,” says proprietor Amy Chenoweth, who runs the family businesses with her husband Charlie.
The entry to the property is strewn with tractors and heavy equipment, as the tasting room shares space with both a vineyard management company and heavy equipment construction company. But drive past these apparatuses and you’ll arrive at the Wine Shack, a small structure nestled under old-growth trees, which was built using mostly reclaimed materials from across the ranch. The silence of the forest and dappled sunlight peeking through redwood treetops makes it feel intimate and serene.
For the tour, we hop into our seats on a Polaris ranger ATV and Chenoweth, who is also the family winemaker, grinds gears up the rugged hillside. We follow old logging roads, rough and rutted, ducking as errant branches swipe at the vehicle, and she tells us stories of the family: “We’re really lucky because, with almost every generation of Chenoweth, there’s been someone keeping diaries, so we can really track all the family movements and stories.”
Top of the world
Our first stop is the Home Ranch Vineyard, which sits at 500 feet elevation.
“Charlie and I started the vineyard management company 26 years ago,” says Amy. “Our Home Ranch vineyard was the first vineyard we installed as that company. You’ll see it named on other wineries’ labels as ‘Chenoweth Ranch.’” It’s 8 acres planted 100% to multiple clones of pinot noir. The 2019 vintage is full of flavor with vanilla, strawberry rhubarb, spice and chewy tannins.
It feels like true top-of-the world stuff, until Chenoweth points to our next destination, the appropriately named Treehouse Vineyard. Back in the buggy we go. Is it off-roading if we’re technically following a worn track?
Red dirt road
As we climb, Chenoweth points out the change in soils from “typical for Sonoma County” brown with a clay element to iron-rich red volcanic. Treehouse is 12 miles (“as the crow flies”) to the Pacific Ocean, so coastal breezes and rolling fog temper the growing season. These differences change the wine, she says, in ways both magical and practical.
We sample the 2019 Treehouse Pinot Noir, which has aromas of dark berries and a bright natural acidity. The palate has an Earl Grey flavor (tea, orange, spice) with strong tannins and a long finish.
A sweeping view of the county, from Rohnert Park to Geyserville, is breathtaking.
Shacking up
Back at the Wine Shack, it’s time for a few more tastings, starting with the 2019 Bootlegger’s Hill Chardonnay. The nose is lean with more hints of minerality than fruit, and the juicy acidity gives hints of lemon grass.
The Sonoma County Rosé of Grenache is bright and floral, with notes of white flowers and white tea. It’s smooth and clean from start to finish.
Because production is so small—only 750 total cases annually—it can be hard to allot wines for all the outreach events Amy schedules (including multiple consumer wine and food festivals throughout the year). “The wine club gets first priority, but whatever is left is open for anyone to purchase,” says Chenoweth.
“I want everybody to have the opportunity to have it. We’re really proud of ourselves. The fact that we’re able to keep farming this land after 170 years. I want to share that with as many people as possible.”
Did you know?
You may not be familiar with the Chenoweth name, but you’re more than likely familiar with their fruit. Sonoma County heavy hitters such as Kosta Browne, Patz & Hall, CHEV and Cirq produce vineyard designate pinot noirs and chardonnays from Treehouse, Home Ranch and Bootlegger’s Hill—all part of the Chenoweth property.
Chenoweth Wines
5550 Harrison Grade Road
Sebastopol, CA 95472
Tastings
UTV Tasting and Vineyard Tour
Our exhilarating open air tours are the most fun you’ll have in Sonoma County!
Hop into a UTV and get a 360-degree view of the scenic Chenoweth property. Taste the wines made from the property vineyards. 60 to 90 minutes. $150 per person. By appointment, April 1 to Oct. 31.
Wine Shack Tasting
Savor a tasting of three of Chenoweth’s special wines in the warm ambiance of the intimate wine shack. These tastings highlight a variety of distinctive wines, with each session guided by a member of the Chenoweth family. 60 to 90 minutes. $65 per person. By appointment.
