Old Vine California

California's old-vine heritage traces to the late 19th-century vineyard expansion following the Gold Rush and Italian and Eastern European immigration to Sonoma, Mendocino, the Sierra Foothills, and Lodi. By the 1880s, California was producing over 30 million gallons of wine annually. Italian immigrants in Sonoma's Russian River Valley benchlands and the Mendocino Hopland area planted Zinfandel, Carignan, Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet, and mixed field-blend varietals on their family farms. The Sierra Foothills had become major Zinfandel producers, with El Dorado County peaking at roughly 8,000 of the region's 10,000 total vineyard acres by the 1880s. When Prohibition arrived in 1920 with the 18th Amendment and Volstead Act, California's commercial wine industry collapsed (700+ wineries reduced to fewer than 140 survivors by Repeal). However, the Volstead Act allowed each household to make 200 gallons of home wine annually, which kept grape demand alive. Vineyards in Amador County, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lodi survived by selling grapes to home winemakers in San Francisco, Sacramento, and beyond. The vineyards that survived this era and remain in production today represent the most continuous viticultural heritage in California.

• Late 19th-century vineyard expansion: Italian and Eastern European immigrants planted Sonoma's Russian River Valley benchlands, Mendocino's Hopland area, Sierra Foothills, Lodi
• California produced over 30 million gallons of wine annually by 1880s; El Dorado County peaked at 8,000 of 10,000 regional vineyard acres
• Volstead Act (1920) allowed 200 gallons per household of home winemaking; California vineyards survived by selling grapes to home winemakers nationwide
• Vineyards that survived 1920-1933 remain California's most continuous viticultural heritage; many old-vine plantings date to the 1880s and 1900s

The Historic Vineyard Society (HVS) was founded in 2011 by a group of California winemakers committed to documenting, preserving, and promoting the state's pre-Prohibition heritage vineyards. Co-founders include Morgan Twain-Peterson (Bedrock Wine Co., son of Joel Peterson of Ravenswood and a Master of Wine), Tegan Passalacqua (winemaker of Turley Wine Cellars and proprietor of Sandlands), Mike Officer (Carlisle Winery), and David Gates (Ridge Vineyards). HVS requires at least one-third of a vineyard's vines to be 50 years old or more to qualify for inclusion in the registry; this threshold allows old-block-within-vineyard counting that recognizes both fully-old and partially-replanted heritage sites. HVS maintains a public registry of recognized vineyards across California; as of 2024 the registry includes over 200 vineyards spanning Sonoma, Mendocino, Lodi, Sierra Foothills, Napa, and Contra Costa County. HVS also lobbies for AVA recognition of historic vineyard zones, advocates against vineyard removal for development, and educates winemakers on heritage variety identification and field-blend management.

• Historic Vineyard Society (HVS) founded 2011 by Morgan Twain-Peterson (Bedrock), Tegan Passalacqua (Turley), Mike Officer (Carlisle), David Gates (Ridge)
• HVS qualification: vineyard must have at least one-third of vines aged 50+ years; allows old-block-within-vineyard counting for partial-old sites
• Public registry includes 200+ California vineyards as of 2024 spanning Sonoma, Mendocino, Lodi, Sierra Foothills, Napa, Contra Costa
• HVS lobbies for AVA recognition of historic zones, advocates against vineyard removal for development, educates on heritage variety and field-blend management

California's most iconic heritage vineyards are clustered by region. In Sonoma Valley, Monte Rosso Vineyard (planted 1886 by Emmanuel Goldstein) retains some of its original 1880s vines and is worked today by Bedrock Wine Co., Carlisle, Louis M. Martini, and Turley. Bedrock Vineyard (also in Sonoma Valley, planted 1888 by William Tecumseh Sherman's son-in-law) is the namesake site of Bedrock Wine Co. The Russian River Valley Santa Rosa Plain contains a cluster including Papera (Zinfandel 1934), Saitone, Mancini, and Montafi (all planted 1900-1930s). In Mendocino, Testa Vineyard (Calpella, planted 1912 by Italian immigrant Antonio Testa) and Barra Vineyards (Redwood Valley, 1944) anchor the county's heritage identity. In Lodi, 23 HVS-registered vineyards include the 1886 Bechthold Cinsault (Lodi's oldest surviving vineyard, 100% Cinsault), Royal Tee (Zinfandel 1889), Marian's Vineyard at Mohr-Fry Ranch (Zinfandel 1901), and Lizzy James at Harney Lane (Zinfandel 1904). In the Sierra Foothills, Sobon Estate (Plymouth, founded 1856; California Historical Landmark No. 762) contains some of California's oldest continuously productive Zinfandel vines. Ridge Vineyards' Geyserville (Sonoma Alexander Valley, planted 1882) and Lytton Springs (Dry Creek Valley, planted 1901) are among the most celebrated old-vine field-blend sites in California.

• Sonoma Valley: Monte Rosso (1886, head-trained Zinfandel and Semillon); Bedrock Vineyard (1888, William Tecumseh Sherman's son-in-law)
• Russian River Valley Santa Rosa Plain: Papera (Zinfandel 1934), Saitone, Mancini, Montafi (1900-1930s heritage cluster)
• Lodi: 23 HVS-registered vineyards including 1886 Bechthold Cinsault, Royal Tee Zinfandel 1889, Marian's Vineyard 1901, Lizzy James 1904
• Sierra Foothills: Sobon Estate (1856, California Historical Landmark No. 762, some of California's oldest continuously productive Zinfandel)

The modern Old Vine California movement is shaped by a relatively small group of producers committed to heritage vineyards and old-vine field blends. Bedrock Wine Co., founded in 2007 by Morgan Twain-Peterson (now Master of Wine), produces single-vineyard old-vine Zinfandel and heritage field blends from Bedrock Vineyard, Monte Rosso, and other Sonoma + Sierra Foothills sites. Carlisle Winery, founded in 1998 by Mike Officer in Sonoma County, focuses on old-vine Russian River Valley Zinfandel and Dry Creek heritage Carignane + field blends. Turley Wine Cellars, founded in 1993 by Larry Turley in Napa Valley but predominantly working old-vine Zinfandel sites from Lodi, Sierra Foothills, and Sonoma, became one of the early commercial successes of heritage-vineyard winemaking. Ridge Vineyards (founded 1962 on Santa Cruz Mountains) extended its Monte Bello Cabernet program with the long-running Geyserville and Lytton Springs old-vine field blends. Other defining producers include Sandlands (Tegan Passalacqua's heritage-grape side project), Birichino (Santa Cruz, focused on heritage Mediterranean varieties), and Frey Vineyards (Redwood Valley, first certified organic winery in the US). The movement has elevated old-vine field-blend Zinfandel from bulk-wine source to one of California's most distinctive wine identities.

• Bedrock Wine Co. (Morgan Twain-Peterson MW, founded 2007): single-vineyard old-vine Zinfandel + heritage field blends from Bedrock Vineyard, Monte Rosso, etc.
• Carlisle Winery (Mike Officer, founded 1998): old-vine Russian River Valley Zinfandel + Dry Creek heritage Carignane field blends
• Turley Wine Cellars (Larry Turley, founded 1993): old-vine Zinfandel from Lodi, Sierra Foothills, Sonoma; early commercial success
• Ridge Vineyards (founded 1962): Geyserville (1882) + Lytton Springs (1901) long-running old-vine field-blend programs