Gundlach Bundschu Winery

Jacob Gundlach purchased 400 acres in Sonoma on March 12, 1858, and christened the property Rhinefarm. He then returned to Bavaria to marry his childhood sweetheart Eva, and the couple spent their honeymoon in Germany and France buying the rootstock he would plant on his return. In 1859 Gundlach and his partners Dresel, Kuchel and Lutgens planted the first 60,000 vines on the ranch, and the first full vintage followed in 1861. Charles Bundschu, who had immigrated to San Francisco from Mannheim, Germany in 1862, joined the winery in 1868 and married Jacob Gundlach's daughter Francisca in 1875. When phylloxera struck Sonoma in the 1870s, Gundlach and his partner Julius Dresel were among the first winegrowers in the county to graft European vines onto resistant native rootstock. The estate's own history timeline records, in its 1894 entry, that Jacob Gundlach died and that the winery was renamed Gundlach Bundschu Wine Company shortly afterward. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire destroyed one million gallons of wine and three family homes, and the family retreated to their country home on the vineyard to rebuild as a modest estate winery. Charles Bundschu died in 1910, and his sons Carl and Walter assumed joint control. Prohibition, ratified January 16, 1919, closed the winery and forced its liquidation, though Walter Bundschu held on to 130 acres of Rhinefarm.

• Jacob Gundlach purchased 400 acres and named the property Rhinefarm on March 12, 1858; the first 60,000 vines were planted in 1859 and the first full vintage followed in 1861
• Charles Bundschu joined the winery in 1868 and married founder Jacob Gundlach's daughter Francisca in 1875
• The 1906 earthquake and fire destroyed one million gallons of wine and three family homes
• Prohibition closed the winery in 1919; Walter Bundschu held on to 130 acres of Rhinefarm

It took half a century for the winery to reopen under its historic name. In 1969, fifth-generation Jim Bundschu convinced his father Towle to replant Rhinefarm, tearing out the aging vineyard and most of the pear trees planted after Prohibition. The 1973 harvest, when Jim crushed 20 tons of Zinfandel in a basket press, produced the winery's first wines in over 50 years, and Towle agreed the wine could once again carry the Gundlach Bundschu name. On July 3, 1976, the winery released its first three modern-era wines to the public: a 1973 Zinfandel, a 1975 Riesling and a 1975 Kleinberger. In 1997 the family purchased a portion of the old Dresel parcel, restoring Rhinefarm to a single contiguous estate vineyard. Sixth-generation Jeff Bundschu, raised on the family estate and working the vineyards by age 12, earned a degree in International Relations from USC, returned to Sonoma Valley in 1993, and co-founded The Wine Brats to introduce younger consumers to wine. He assumed the role of President and General Manager in 2000, was formally appointed President of Gundlach Bundschu Winery in 2001 at age 33, and by 2001 the winery had eliminated all non-estate wines to focus exclusively on Rhinefarm fruit. Jeff is today President and CEO of Bundschu Company. Sixth-generation Katie Bundschu, after years in university fundraising and donor relations, returned to the winery full time in April 2012; she carries the title Vice President, 6th generation winegrower, and in 2015 became the first female winemaker in her six-generation family when she launched her own label, Abbot's Passage Winery + Mercantile, which moved to a permanent home in Glen Ellen in 2020. Fifth-generation Jim Bundschu carries the title Vicar of Vineburg. Sixth-generation Rob Bundschu, who picked his first grapes on Rhinefarm around age six, carries the title Orchestrator of Happiness. In a report published December 18, 2024, the Sonoma County Winegrowers named the Bundschu family among the founding members of its Century Club, which recognizes local families that have farmed Sonoma County for at least 100 years; the Bundschus have been involved in Sonoma County farming since 1868.

• Jim Bundschu (fifth generation) replanted Rhinefarm starting in 1969 and revived winemaking with the 1973 harvest; the winery reopened to the public July 3, 1976
• Jeff Bundschu (sixth generation) became President in 2001 at age 33 and is today President and CEO of Bundschu Company
• Katie Bundschu (sixth generation, Vice President) returned full time in 2012 and became the first female winemaker in six generations of the family with her Abbot's Passage label, launched 2015
• Jim Bundschu carries the title Vicar of Vineburg; Rob Bundschu carries the title Orchestrator of Happiness
• The Bundschu family was named among the founding members of the Sonoma County Winegrowers' Century Club, per a December 18, 2024 report; the family has farmed in the county since 1868

Rhinefarm's estate vineyards, established in 1858, sit 35 miles north of San Francisco on the southwesterly slopes of the Mayacamas Mountain Range, at the southernmost point of Sonoma Valley, flanked by Carneros to the south and Napa Valley to the east, within the larger Sonoma Coast AVA. Below 150 feet elevation, the valley floor's Huichica clay-loam soils, shaped by ancient bay sediment, are planted primarily to Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer and Chardonnay. Above 150 feet, the terrain is dominated by Arrowhead Mountain, where rocky, shallow soils of rhyolitic volcanic ash and alluvial wash support hillside blocks planted predominantly to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with smaller plantings of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Syrah and Zinfandel. The estate's 320 acres are intensively and sustainably hand-farmed across 60 distinct blocks, with each block managed individually for soil, exposure, slope and vine age; ranch yields average two to four tons per acre.

• Rhinefarm sits at the southernmost point of Sonoma Valley, flanked by Carneros to the south and Napa Valley to the east, within the larger Sonoma Coast AVA
• Valley floor below 150 feet: Huichica clay-loam soils planted to Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer and Chardonnay
• Hillside blocks above 150 feet: volcanic ash and alluvial wash soils planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Syrah and Zinfandel
• 320 acres hand-farmed in 60 distinct blocks; ranch yields average two to four tons per acre

Gundlach Bundschu secured California Certified Organic Farmers certification for its crops in 2022, according to the Sonoma Index-Tribune, and became officially Regenerative Organic Certified as of September 2023, according to the winery's own sustainability page. The Sonoma Index-Tribune reported that the certifications for soil health and social welfare were achieved in October 2023, led by sustainability manager Meghan Murphy. Regenerative organic agriculture, overseen by the nonprofit Regenerative Organic Alliance, focuses on soil health, animal welfare and fairness for farmers and workers; the ROA states the certification serves as proof of a winery's commitment to protecting soil health and wildlife and treating farmworkers fairly. On Rhinefarm, organic practices include introducing beneficial predators such as owls, bluebirds, beetles and mites, and using cover crops to minimize pesticide and herbicide use. "Many certifications just tell you what you can and can't do, but ROC requires you to look closely at the biggest elements of your land, how they fully function together as one, and how one piece can't be successful without the other," said Meghan Murphy, Sustainability Manager. On the winery's own sustainability page, Director of Winemaking Joe Uhr said many of the estate's vines are over 50 years old and that caring for the surrounding land is important for future generations. Jeff Bundschu, President and CEO, said the certification "represents fundamentally what we've been trying to do here for the last 165 years," adding, "you can't have a family business for six generations and not function sustainably."

• CCOF organic certification for crops secured 2022; Regenerative Organic Certified as of September 2023 per the winery's own site
• Sonoma Index-Tribune reported the soil and social welfare certifications were achieved in October 2023 under sustainability manager Meghan Murphy
• Practices include beneficial-predator programs (owls, bluebirds, beetles, mites) and cover crops to reduce pesticide and herbicide use
• Jeff Bundschu, President and CEO: the ROC framework 'represents fundamentally what we've been trying to do here for the last 165 years'

Connor Bockman was announced as Winemaker on July 30, 2025, a role in which he oversees the production team and collaborates closely with Consulting Winemaker Keith Emerson. Bockman previously served as Winemaker at Donkey & Goat in Berkeley, and his background includes roles at RD Winery, Celia Welch Consulting, Covert Estate, Church Road Winery in New Zealand and Peter Michael Winery. He is a UC Davis Viticulture & Enology graduate with a WSET Level 4 Diploma with Distinction, and today leads winemaking across both Gundlach Bundschu and Abbot's Passage. Joe Uhr, who joined the estate as Assistant Winemaker in 2015, is Gundlach Bundschu's Director of Winemaking; he made the estate's 2020 Sonoma Coast Dry Gewürztraminer, which won a wine-of-the-week blind tasting, and has described the family's approach as caring for a single 320-acre estate across generations.

• Connor Bockman named Winemaker July 30, 2025; oversees production and collaborates with Consulting Winemaker Keith Emerson
• Bockman previously Winemaker at Donkey & Goat, Berkeley; UC Davis Viticulture & Enology graduate, WSET Level 4 Diploma with Distinction
• Joe Uhr, Director of Winemaking, joined as Assistant Winemaker in 2015 and made the estate's award-winning 2020 Dry Gewürztraminer

The estate wine range includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Mountain Cuvée, Tempranillo, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Rhinefarm Rosé and Tempranillo Rosé. Since 1981 the Bundschu family has crafted Vintage Reserve, a limited Cabernet Sauvignon bottling from the most elegant and expressive barrels of the vintage; the first Vintage Reserve, released that year, carried a unique art label by artist Chuck House, a tradition continued in later vintages. Heritage Selection is a set of three limited bottlings, drawn from a single block, row of vines or a few barrels of distinctive character; the program launched in 2010 with a Pinot Noir from some of the property's oldest vines, a Merlot, and a Chardonnay from rare old Chardonnay vines, and the 2010 Heritage Selection Merlot earned 96 points from Robert Parker of Wine Advocate, with the 2012 vintage earning 93 points. In a quest to make the best Cabernet Sauvignon in Sonoma County, Jeff Bundschu launched Bundschu Family Cabernet, which the winery describes as the pinnacle of its winemaking efforts. Gundlach Bundschu also produces a GUNBUN-branded Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon available through retailers. The winery was among the first in California to produce a varietal Merlot, in 1976.

• Estate range: Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Mountain Cuvée, Tempranillo, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Rhinefarm Rosé, Tempranillo Rosé
• Vintage Reserve: limited Cabernet Sauvignon bottling since 1981, first vintage carrying an art label by Chuck House
• Heritage Selection: three limited bottlings launched 2010; the 2010 Heritage Selection Merlot scored 96 points from Robert Parker of Wine Advocate
• Bundschu Family Cabernet: Jeff Bundschu's pursuit of Sonoma County's best Cabernet Sauvignon
• GUNBUN brand: Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon sold through retailers

Gundlach Bundschu operates under the umbrella of Bundschu Company, whose portfolio includes Gundlach Bundschu, Katie Bundschu's Abbot's Passage, GUNBUN, Towle Wine Company and the Huichica Music Festival. Bundschu Company launched Towle Wine Company on September 8, 2021, a custom crush and wine services business whose 19,000-square-foot facility sits on the same Glen Ellen property as Abbot's Passage (which opened in 2020); the operation is overseen by Towle Merritt, a sixth-generation Bundschu family member and Chief Operating Officer of Bundschu Company. Huichica Music Festival is held on the Gundlach Bundschu estate, described by the festival's own site as being at the winery, "the oldest family-owned winery in California"; as of the festival's official site, Huichica is currently on hiatus while organizers reconsider its format for the 2020s, though the winery continues a concert and event series in partnership with (((folkYEAH!))). Bundschu Company ended 2024 with wholesale shipment revenue up 17% over the prior year and its newer GUNBUN brand up 62% over the previous twelve months, according to Chief Revenue Officer Jessica Curotto, who also cited new retail placements with Del Frisco's Grill and Target.

• Bundschu Company brands: Gundlach Bundschu, Abbot's Passage, GUNBUN, Towle Wine Company, Huichica Music Festival
• Towle Wine Company launched September 8, 2021 in Glen Ellen, overseen by sixth-generation Towle Merritt
• Huichica Music Festival, held on the GB estate, is currently on hiatus per the festival's official site
• 2024: wholesale shipment revenue up 17%, GUNBUN brand up 62%, per Chief Revenue Officer Jessica Curotto

Primary sources (producer's own site, gunbun.com): home (https://www.gunbun.com/), history (https://www.gunbun.com/history/, including the embedded history timeline), rhinefarm (https://www.gunbun.com/rhinefarm/), about (https://www.gunbun.com/about/), sustainability (https://www.gunbun.com/sustainability/), Jeff Bundschu (https://www.gunbun.com/about-us/jeff-bundschu/), Connor Bockman (https://www.gunbun.com/about-us/connor-bockman/), Katie Bundschu (https://www.gunbun.com/about-us/katie-bundschu/), find our wines (https://www.gunbun.com/find-our-wines/), cast of characters (https://www.gunbun.com/cast-of-characters/). Secondary sources: Wine Industry Advisor (July 30, 2025 and December 17, 2024), the Sonoma Index-Tribune (January 24, 2024), Sonoma County Winegrowers (December 18, 2024), and the Huichica Music Festival's own site (huichica.com). Last verified 2026-09-14. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs. Spot something off? Submit a correction: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdM0MsYoQFCpXb4qbSPVM2TBRuC2624pOhrffs7IGhpfGCCQA/viewform