Preston Farm and Winery

Lou and Susan Preston founded Preston Farm and Winery in 1973, converting a 125-acre former prune orchard along West Dry Creek Road in Healdsburg into one of Sonoma County's most distinctive organic estates. Lou Preston, trained at UC Davis in viticulture and enology, brought a scientific foundation to what became an increasingly holistic farming philosophy. The estate was at the forefront of varietal exploration in Dry Creek Valley: Lou was a pioneer of Syrah in the region and only the second grower to plant Sauvignon Blanc there. Over the decades the property evolved far beyond a single-focus winery into a diversified organic farm with olives, vegetables, artisan bread, and livestock, reflecting the Prestons' conviction that wine is inseparable from the land that produces it.

• Founded 1973 on a 125-acre former prune orchard at 9282 West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg
• Lou Preston trained at UC Davis in viticulture and enology
• Pioneer of Syrah in Dry Creek Valley; second grower in the region to plant Sauvignon Blanc
• Farm expanded to include olives, vegetables, bread baking, and livestock alongside grape growing

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 after its establishment. The winery celebrated its 50th harvest around 2023, a milestone that underscores the Prestons' enduring commitment to their land. Matthew Norelli served as winemaker for over two decades from 2000 to 2018, providing long continuity in cellar direction. Grayson Hartley took over in 2018 and has brought fresh momentum, participating in the 2024 Johnnie Winemaker in Residence program and appearing at events such as the Dry Creek Kitchen Three Valley Wine Dinner Series in August 2025. Hartley's stated mission is to produce Dry Creek Valley wines that transparently express terroir without pursuing over-ripeness or prominent oak influence.

• Lou and Susan Preston remain active owners; no generational transition has occurred
• Matthew Norelli served as winemaker for over 20 years (2000-2018)
• Grayson Hartley joined as winemaker in 2018, specializing in regenerative viticulture
• Estate celebrated its 50th harvest circa 2023

The estate vineyard covers 65 of the property's 125 acres, planted to 13 grape varieties spanning Zinfandel, Rhône, and heritage Italian-influenced cultivars. The most historically significant block contains 100-year-old Zinfandel vines dating to 1895 plantings, giving the winery access to genuine old-vine fruit in Dry Creek Valley. Alongside Zinfandel, the estate grows Carignane, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Grenache, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne, and Grenache Blanc. The remaining acreage supports 1,500 olive trees of 10 different varieties and a full working organic farm producing vegetables through a CSA subscription program running June to October. Biodynamic practices were introduced under the mentorship of Philippe Cordery, and all farming is CCOF certified organic.

• 65 acres of vines within a 125-acre estate, planted to 13 grape varieties
• Heritage Zinfandel blocks include vines dating to 1895 plantings (100-plus years old)
• Rhône varieties include Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Cinsault, Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier, and Grenache Blanc
• 1,500 organic olive trees of 10 varieties farmed alongside vines; biodynamic farming introduced 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's character. 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's 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 vineyard.

• CCOF certified organic and biodynamic certified across all estate farming
• 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 regional 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 estate's 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, and vegetables 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, Rhône Valley varieties, and a progressive, low-intervention winemaking ethos under one roof.

• One of Dry Creek Valley's earliest champions of Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc as serious varietals
• Old-vine Zinfandel dating to 1895 places the estate among California's most historically rooted producers
• Long-standing organic and biodynamic certification predates the sustainability marketing wave
• Diversified farm model integrating wine, olives, vegetables, and livestock sets Preston apart from single-focus wineries