Preston Farm and Winery

Lou and Susan Preston bought their original Dry Creek Valley property in 1973, a former prune orchard at 9282 West Dry Creek Road in Healdsburg. Lou had studied viticulture and enology at UC Davis for a year before the move and later earned a business degree separately. The first dedicated winery was established in 1975 in the property's historic prune dehydrator. The following year, in 1974, the Prestons acquired the adjacent Guadagni Ranch, which carried Zinfandel vines planted by the Guadagni family in 1895. From this foundation Lou Preston established himself among the earliest planters of Syrah in Sonoma County, putting in a trial block at the end of the 1970s, and became the second grower in Dry Creek Valley to plant Sauvignon Blanc, following his friend David Stare of Dry Creek Vineyard. Over the decades the property expanded into a diversified working farm, with olives, vegetables, grains, bread, and livestock joining grape growing as expressions of the Prestons' integrated approach to land stewardship.

• Property purchased in 1973 on a former prune orchard at 9282 West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg
• First winery established in 1975 in the property's historic prune dehydrator
• Adjacent Guadagni Ranch, with its 1895 Zinfandel vines, was acquired in 1974
• Lou Preston studied viticulture and enology at UC Davis for a year and later earned a separate business degree

Preston Farm and Winery remains in the hands of its founders, Lou and Susan Preston, making it a genuine first-generation family estate more than 50 years on. Production reduced dramatically over the years from a late-1980s peak around 30,000 cases to a current scale closer to 8,000 cases, reflecting a deliberate shift toward a smaller, more personal operation. Matt Norelli served as winemaker from 2001 until his retirement in 2017, a 16-year tenure that provided extended cellar continuity. Grayson Hartley joined as winemaker in 2018 and has placed regenerative viticulture at the center of his work, with a stated goal of producing Dry Creek Valley wines that transparently express terroir without pursuing over-ripeness or prominent oak.

• Lou and Susan Preston remain the owners; no generational ownership transition has occurred
• Production scaled down from a late-1980s peak around 30,000 cases to roughly 8,000 cases today
• Matt Norelli served as winemaker from 2001 to 2017 (a 16-year tenure)
• Grayson Hartley joined as winemaker in 2018, focused on regenerative viticulture and terroir transparency

The estate covers 125 acres with roughly 80 acres under vine across 13 grape varieties spanning Zinfandel, Rhone, and heritage cultivars. The most historically significant block is the old-vine Zinfandel on the adjacent Guadagni Ranch, with vines dating to 1895 plantings by the Guadagni family before the parcel was acquired by the Prestons in 1974. Alongside Zinfandel, the estate grows Carignane, Petite Sirah, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Grenache, Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne, and Grenache Blanc. The remaining acreage supports 1,500 organic olive trees across 10 varieties and a working organic farm producing vegetables through a CSA program, grains, artisan bread, and pastured livestock. Farming was CCOF certified organic in 2002; biodynamic practices were introduced under the guidance of Philippe Cordery around 2010.

• Roughly 80 acres of vines within a 125-acre estate, planted to 13 grape varieties
• Old-vine Zinfandel on the adjacent Guadagni Ranch, dating to 1895 plantings, was acquired with that parcel in 1974
• Rhone-focused varietal mix includes Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache, Cinsault, Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier, and Grenache Blanc
• 1,500 organic olive trees across 10 varieties; CCOF certified organic since 2002, biodynamic since around 2010 under Philippe Cordery

Preston's winemaking philosophy is an extension of its farming ethos: certified organic under CCOF, biodynamic in practice, and guided by minimal intervention in the cellar. Wild yeast fermentations are standard, allowing native microflora to shape each vintage. Winemaker Grayson Hartley has made regenerative viticulture central to his work, focusing on soil health as the foundation for wine quality. His expressed goal is to make wines that transparently communicate Dry Creek Valley terroir without relying on over-ripeness or prominent oak, a deliberate counterpoint to the richer, more extracted California style that dominated the region in earlier decades. Lou Preston also runs estate vehicles on vegetable oil, underscoring a sustainability commitment that extends well beyond the cellar.

• CCOF certified organic since 2002 and biodynamic since around 2010 under Philippe Cordery
• Wild yeast fermentations used as standard practice in the cellar
• Hartley's philosophy targets terroir transparency, avoiding over-ripeness and heavy oak
• Lou Preston runs estate vehicles on vegetable oil as part of broader sustainability practices

Preston Farm and Winery occupies a singular position in California wine history as both a Dry Creek Valley pioneer and a model for holistic, farm-centered viticulture. Lou Preston helped establish Dry Creek Valley's credibility with Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc decades before those varieties became fashionable in California, while the Guadagni Ranch old-vine Zinfandel blocks represent some of the most historically rooted fruit in the appellation. The decision to farm biodynamically, certify organically, and diversify the land into olives, bread, vegetables, and livestock long before such practices were commercially fashionable marks Preston as a genuine sustainability pioneer rather than a marketing exercise. For students of American wine, the estate illustrates how a single Dry Creek Valley producer can bridge heritage viticulture, Rhone varieties, and a progressive low-intervention winemaking ethos under one roof.

• Among the early Dry Creek Valley champions of Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc as serious varietals
• Old-vine Zinfandel dating to 1895 plantings on the adjacent Guadagni Ranch (acquired 1974) places the estate among California's most historically rooted producers
• CCOF certified organic since 2002 and biodynamic since around 2010, predating the mainstream sustainability marketing wave
• Diversified farm model integrating wine, olives, vegetables, bread, and livestock distinguishes Preston from single-focus wineries