Joseph Swan Vineyards

Joseph Swan purchased a small 5-hectare farm on Laguna Road near Forestville in 1967, at a time when Russian River Valley was not yet recognized as a serious winegrowing district. He launched the winery commercially in 1969 and produced his first estate Pinot Noir in 1972, a move that placed him ahead of virtually every other California producer working with the grape. Swan earned a reputation for demonstrating that Pinot Noir could age gracefully in California when made with restraint and care, drawing on traditional Burgundian techniques at a moment when big, extracted reds dominated the California scene. His insistence on balance and site expression was genuinely countercultural for the era.

• Farm purchased in 1967; first commercial vintage released in 1969.
• First estate Pinot Noir produced in 1972, credited as the first modern-era Sonoma Russian River Pinot Noir.
• Original property planted to old-vine Zinfandel, giving the winery an early dual identity as both a Pinot Noir and Zinfandel specialist.
• Swan became widely recognized for proving Pinot Noir's aging potential through Burgundian-inspired winemaking.

Rod Berglund married Joseph Swan's daughter Lynn in 1986 and joined Swan at harvest in 1987, stepping into the winemaking role in 1988. When Swan passed away in 1989, Lynn and Rod formally took over the operation, ensuring continuity of philosophy and family ownership into the second generation. Rod holds the title of President and Winemaker as of 2022, while Lynn remains central to the winery's identity as Swan's direct heir. Joseph Swan's wife June, who co-founded the winery with him in 1969, retired from active involvement before her passing in January 2010. The winery remains a small, family-run operation with a tasting room open on weekends.

• Rod Berglund began working with Swan in 1987 and took over winemaking in 1988, one year before Swan's death.
• Lynn Swan Berglund and Rod Berglund have operated the winery together since 1989.
• Rod Berglund holds the title of President and Winemaker as of 2022.
• June Swan, who co-founded the winery with Joseph in 1969, retired before her passing in January 2010.

The Trenton Estate Vineyard on Laguna Road spans 11 acres and anchors the winery's identity, with approximately 85 percent planted to Pinot Noir, including what are considered the oldest Pinot Noir vines in the Russian River Valley. A small amount of original Chardonnay, Cabernet, and Syrah also grows on the estate. Beyond the home farm, the winery sources fruit from a curated network of vineyards including Saralee's Vineyard, Ritchie Vineyard, Trenton View Vineyard, Catie's Corner, DNA Vineyard, and Solas Vineyard. Estate fruit accounts for roughly 30 percent of total production, with the remainder drawn from these trusted external sites across Sonoma. Saralee's Vineyard supplies Gewurztraminer as well as Pinot Noir.

• Trenton Estate Vineyard is 11 acres and holds the oldest Pinot Noir vines in the Russian River Valley.
• Estate fruit represents approximately 30 percent of total production.
• External vineyard sources include Saralee's, Ritchie, Catie's Corner, DNA, Solas, and Trenton View vineyards.
• Saralee's Vineyard is used for Gewurztraminer as well as Pinot Noir, reflecting the winery's range beyond Burgundian varieties.

Joseph Swan built his reputation on balanced, restrained wines made using traditional Burgundian techniques, a philosophy that Rod Berglund has carried forward since taking over winemaking in 1988. The house style emphasizes finesse over power, with wines intended to age rather than impress on release. Swan's most lasting technical contribution is the Swan Pinot Noir clone, which he cultivated on the estate and which is now registered through UC Davis Foundation Plant Services, making it formally available for propagation across California. The winery produces single-vineyard Pinot Noirs that reflect distinct site characteristics, alongside the blended Cuvée de Trois, which accounts for 40 percent of production and is assembled from excess fruit across three vineyards. Chardonnay, old-vine Zinfandel, and occasional varieties such as Riesling and Gewurztraminer round out the range.

• Traditional Burgundian winemaking techniques have defined the house style since the Swan era.
• The Swan Pinot Noir clone developed on the estate is a registered clone through UC Davis Foundation Plant Services.
• Cuvée de Trois, launched in 1999, blends excess fruit from three vineyards and represents 40 percent of winery production.
• The range extends to old-vine Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, and Riesling alongside the core Pinot Noirs.

Joseph Swan Vineyards holds a foundational place in the history of Russian River Valley and California Pinot Noir. By growing and vinifying Pinot Noir on Laguna Road from 1972 onward, Swan demonstrated that the cool, fog-influenced pocket of Sonoma could produce wines of genuine Burgundian character and aging ability, at a time when California was still associated with big, extracted reds. The Swan clone, now distributed through UC Davis, means his genetic contribution to California viticulture extends far beyond the estate itself. Under the Berglunds, the winery continues to operate as a small family business rooted in the same values Swan established, making it one of the clearest through-lines from California's pioneering winemaking generation to the present.

• Credited as the first modern producer to both grow and make Pinot Noir in what is now the Russian River Valley AVA.
• The Swan Pinot Noir clone is registered through UC Davis and remains influential across California.
• Continuous family ownership and winemaking philosophy since 1969 provides rare historical continuity.
• Early advocacy for Zinfandel as a fine wine variety adds a second dimension to the winery's pioneering legacy.