Dutton-Goldfield Winery

Dutton-Goldfield Winery began in 1998 as a partnership between two Sonoma wine professionals on different but complementary tracks. Steve Dutton represented the fifth generation of his family farming in Sonoma County; the Dutton family had already built Dutton Ranch into one of the most respected sustainably-farmed grower operations in the Russian River Valley, supplying fruit to numerous top California producers. Dan Goldfield had trained in chemistry and completed the UC Davis winemaking program before working at La Crema and other Sonoma producers. The combination, a serious grower with deep generational roots and a winemaker with hands-on cool-climate experience, gave the project immediate access to outstanding fruit and a winemaker capable of translating it into bottle. The operation has been based in Sebastopol throughout, anchored to the Russian River Valley.

• Founded 1998 by Steve Dutton (fifth-generation Sonoma farmer, Dutton Ranch) and Dan Goldfield (UC Davis-trained winemaker, prior at La Crema)
• Combined a serious sustainably-farmed grower operation with experienced cool-climate winemaking
• Dutton Ranch was already one of the most respected Russian River Valley grower operations before the partnership
• Sebastopol-based throughout, with the Russian River Valley as the anchor appellation

Melissa Stackhouse joined Dutton-Goldfield in 2022, bringing leadership experience from La Crema, J Vineyards & Winery, and Constellation Brands. She worked alongside Dan Goldfield for three vintages before stepping into the head winemaker role in 2025. The transition was announced in March 2025 and took effect on February 28, with Goldfield stepping back from daily winemaking responsibilities after more than 26 years and taking the title of Winemaker Emeritus. The three-year overlap between Stackhouse joining and the formal handover is the distinguishing feature of the succession, providing continuity in stylistic identity and house technique. Steve Dutton continues as winegrower and partner, providing fruit-side continuity through the Dutton Ranch holdings.

• Melissa Stackhouse joined Dutton-Goldfield in 2022; she worked alongside Dan Goldfield for three vintages before assuming head winemaker role
• March 2025: Goldfield announced his step-back from daily operations after 26-plus years; took title of Winemaker Emeritus
• Stackhouse assumed full winemaking leadership in 2025 with three years of in-house continuity
• Steve Dutton continues as winegrower and partner; Dutton Ranch provides the fruit-side anchor through the transition

The fruit base for Dutton-Goldfield is built around the Dutton Ranch family of sustainably-farmed vineyards, primarily in the Russian River Valley and the Green Valley of Russian River Valley, with selective sourcing from cooler Sonoma Coast sites. Dutton Ranch is one of Sonoma's most extensive grower operations and supplies fruit to numerous top California producers in addition to Dutton-Goldfield's own bottlings. Specific named bottlings include the Dutton Ranch Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, the Dutton Ranch Russian River Valley Chardonnay, and a set of single-vineyard cuvées drawn from specific blocks within the broader Dutton Ranch holdings. The sustainability program emphasizes long-term land stewardship rather than purely organic certification, in keeping with the broader Sonoma County sustainable agriculture model.

• Fruit primarily sourced from the Dutton Ranch family of sustainably-farmed vineyards in Russian River Valley and Green Valley
• Dutton Ranch is one of Sonoma's most extensive grower operations and supplies fruit to numerous top producers
• Single-vineyard cuvées drawn from specific blocks within the Dutton Ranch holdings
• Sustainability program emphasizes long-term land stewardship under the Sonoma County sustainable agriculture model

The Dutton-Goldfield style emphasizes cool-climate restraint over weight or extraction, with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as the core focus. Pinot Noir bottlings typically use a portion of whole-cluster fermentation depending on vintage, with French oak aging at moderate new-oak proportions to preserve the cool-climate signature of Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast fruit. Chardonnay is built for balance: barrel-fermented with native yeast where appropriate, with bâtonnage carefully managed to add texture without sacrificing freshness. The smaller production of Syrah and Zinfandel completes a portfolio that demonstrates the breadth of cool-climate Sonoma rather than focusing on a single variety. The transition to Stackhouse's leadership in 2025 came with continuity built in: she had three vintages on site before assuming head winemaker.

• Pinot Noir: cool-climate restraint, portion of whole-cluster fermentation, moderate new-oak French oak aging
• Chardonnay: barrel-fermented, native yeast where appropriate, bâtonnage managed for texture without weight
• Smaller production of Syrah and Zinfandel rounds out the portfolio
• House style continuity preserved by Stackhouse's three-year onboarding before the 2025 handover

Dutton-Goldfield occupies a particular place in the Sonoma County Pinot Noir landscape: a winery that combines the deep generational roots of the Dutton family farming operation with serious cool-climate winemaking sensibility, producing Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast wines that demonstrate both quality and consistency. The 2025 leadership transition, with Dan Goldfield stepping back to Winemaker Emeritus and Melissa Stackhouse taking the head role after three vintages on site, represents one of the more orderly winemaker handoffs in modern Sonoma. The continued involvement of Steve Dutton and the broader Dutton Ranch grower operation provides exceptional fruit-side continuity. For students and enthusiasts of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, Dutton-Goldfield serves as a stable mid-tier benchmark anchored to one of the appellation's most established farming families.

• Combines Dutton family generational farming with serious cool-climate winemaking
• 2025 leadership transition was orderly: Stackhouse joined in 2022 and stepped up after three vintages; Steve Dutton provides fruit-side continuity
• Mid-tier Russian River Valley benchmark for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
• Sustainably-farmed Dutton Ranch fruit supplies numerous top California producers in addition to Dutton-Goldfield bottlings