Kunde Estate Winery & Vineyards - Sustainable Winegrowing
Sustainably Farmed Estate Grown Vineyards
First planted in 1879 by viticultural pioneers James Shaw and Captain John Drummond, with imported cuttings from Chateaux Margaux and Lafite Rothschild, our estate is comprised of 1,850 contiguous acres in the heart of the Sonoma Valley. 700 acres are planted to twenty different varieties of wine grapes. Our main ranches, Wildwood and Kinneybrook, stretch for two miles along scenic Sonoma Highway and extend 1,400 feet up from the valley floor, across the rolling hills, and into the Mayacamas Mountain range.
Featuring seven different microclimates within the vineyards, the estate consists of three distinct elevation ranges: valley floor, hillside and mountainside. These distinct elevations contain a mix of soil depths and types as well as sun exposures. Mountain and hillside vineyards are mainly dry farmed, and specific trellising and ground cover crops are utilized to enhance fruit characteristics. The soil base, known as “Red Hill” series, is volcanic red ash produced from lava flows that occurred more than five million years ago.
The valley floor soils consist of shallow gravely loams and “Red Hill” clay. Evening coastal fog and wind protection make these vineyards the coolest on the estate. The hillside vineyards are mainly “Red Hill” soils and influenced by fog and wind. And our mountainside vineyards are terraced with very shallow “Red Hill” soils. They lie above the fog and are prone to afternoon winds, making these vineyards the warmest climate on the estate.
Within these two ranches are several vineyard designations, each planted to a carefully selected varietal to enhance the unique flavor portrait produced by the terroir, the vines, and the distinct climate: Kinneybrook Chardonnay, Shaw Century Vines Zinfandel, C.S. Ridge Chardonnay, Wildwood Chardonnay, Drummond Cabernet Sauvignon, and Magnolia Lane Sauvignon Blanc. Our winemaking team has also crafted several distinctive wines produced exclusively for our i.n.k. Family Club members that note specific vineyard block designations.
We are stewards of the land, and we utilize all these diverse elements and influences of nature on the estate. In harmony with a host of sustainable agricultural practices, we bring the finest fruit into the winery, a philosophical approach to winegrowing that ensures that our family’s estate will retain its viability for generations to come, while putting the best we have to offer in each bottle of wine.
