Dehlinger Winery

Tom Dehlinger established his winery in 1975 on a former apple ranch along Vine Hill Road in Sebastopol, making Dehlinger one of the earliest estates to stake a claim on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in what would become the Russian River Valley AVA. That designation did not arrive until 1983, meaning Dehlinger was farming cool-climate Burgundian varieties in the region a full eight years before any official recognition existed. Tom initially planted 14 acres and built the estate's iconic octagonal house with his architect brother during that same decade. Over the following decades, the estate grew to 80 contiguous acres, a remarkable footprint for a single family operation in Sonoma's increasingly fractured land market.

• Founded 1975 on a former apple orchard; one of the first Pinot Noir and Chardonnay producers in the Russian River Valley
• Planted 8 years before the Russian River Valley AVA was officially designated in 1983
• The octagonal estate house was built by Tom Dehlinger and his architect brother in the 1970s
• Initial planting was 14 acres; the estate has since grown to 80 contiguous acres on Vine Hill Road

Tom and Carole Dehlinger remain the founders of record, but day-to-day leadership has transitioned to their daughters Carmen and Eva. Carmen joined in 2008 to oversee sales and marketing, while Eva joined in 2007 following studies at Stanford and then graduate training in viticulture and terroir at the University of Burgundy in Dijon, complemented by a UC Davis winemaking certificate. Eva now serves as Director of Winemaking and Operations, supported by Associate Winemaker Matt Standing, who joined in 2015. The 2025 harvest marks the winery's 50th anniversary, a milestone the family is celebrating with events including a curated AmaWaterways Burgundy river cruise in April 2026 led by Director of Hospitality Greg Johnson.

• Carmen Dehlinger joined 2008 as general manager; Eva Dehlinger joined 2007 as winemaker and director of operations
• Eva trained at the University of Burgundy in Dijon and completed a UC Davis winemaking certificate
• Associate Winemaker Matt Standing joined the team in 2015
• Winery celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025, with a Burgundy river cruise planned for April 2026

The Dehlinger estate vineyard covers approximately 45 planted acres divided across three distinct soil profiles: 15 acres of Goldridge sandy loam, 25 acres of Altamont clay-loam, and 5 acres of transitional hybrid soils. Goldridge soils produce wines with brighter aromatics and red fruit character, while the heavier Altamont soils deliver darker fruit and greater structural weight, a contrast the winery has bottled as separate designations since the mid-1990s. In 2017, Dehlinger acquired Garbro Ranch, adding 35 acres to the portfolio with 25 planted to Chardonnay and 10 to Pinot Noir, all in Goldridge soils. The Garbro Ranch Pinot Noir vines were grafted from Swan clone cuttings sourced from Dehlinger's own vineyard in 1989, creating a direct viticultural lineage between the two sites.

• Estate vineyard: 15 acres Goldridge sandy loam, 25 acres Altamont clay-loam, 5 acres hybrid transitional soils
• Goldridge yields brighter aromatics and red fruit; Altamont produces darker fruit and more structural wines
• Garbro Ranch acquired 2017: 25 acres Chardonnay and 10 acres Pinot Noir, all in Goldridge soils
• Garbro Ranch Pinot Noir vines grafted from Swan clone cuttings originating at Dehlinger vineyard in 1989

Dehlinger's philosophy centers on translating specific soil blocks into distinct wines, a goal that shapes every decision from canopy management to barrel selection. All wines are estate-grown and hand-harvested, with production limited to roughly 7,000 cases per year. Pinot Noir clones are deliberately varied, encompassing Pommard, Swan, Martini, Clone 943, Calera, and Mount Eden, allowing Eva Dehlinger to blend for complexity or bottle individual blocks separately. The flagship single-block Octagon Pinot Noir represents the estate's longest-running site-specific bottling. Beyond Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Dehlinger produces Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon in a cool-climate style that reflects the maritime influence of the Russian River Valley fog corridor.

• All wines are estate-grown, hand-harvested, and barrel-aged; annual production is approximately 7,000 cases
• Pinot Noir clones include Pommard, Swan, Martini, Clone 943, Calera, and Mount Eden
• Octagon Pinot Noir is a historic single-block bottling; Goldridge and Altamont designations bottled separately since the mid-1990s
• Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon produced alongside Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in a cool-climate style

Few California estates can claim Dehlinger's combination of historical significance and consistent quality across five decades of uninterrupted family ownership on a single property. Tom Dehlinger's decision to plant Burgundian varieties on Vine Hill Road in 1975 helped demonstrate that the Russian River Valley's fog-cooled mornings and warm afternoons were ideally suited to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay long before the wider market agreed. The mid-1990s introduction of soil-differentiated bottlings predated the current industry enthusiasm for single-vineyard and block-specific wines by many years. The 2023 Goldridge Pinot Noir's scores of 95 from Wine Spectator and 95-plus Editors' Choice from Wine Enthusiast confirm that the second generation has maintained the estate's benchmarks while deepening its focus on terroir expression.

• One of the first estates in Russian River Valley, predating AVA designation by 8 years and helping define the region's identity
• Introduced soil-differentiated Goldridge and Altamont Pinot Noir bottlings in the mid-1990s, ahead of the broader single-vineyard trend
• Continuous family ownership and farming of the same Vine Hill Road property since 1975
• 2023 Goldridge Pinot Noir: 95 points Wine Spectator, 95-plus Editors' Choice Wine Enthusiast