For a winery that only makes about 16,000 cases each year, Bouchaine Vineyards has a lot going on. The Carneros winery makes an array of delicious, single-vineyard and single-clone Pinot Noirs, plus Chardonnay, aromatic white wines and more. With 20 different small-lot wines on the roster, this is definitely a something-for-every-palate situation. You’ll also find plenty to do at the winery, from lounging on the tasting room terrace to soaring with falcons.

The story

In the late 1800s, a pioneer named Boon Fly led a wagon train from his native Missouri to Carneros and planted the first grapes on the future Bouchaine Vineyards estate. By the time Gerret and Tatiana Copeland bought the property nearly 100 years later, the dilapidated winery buildings had seen better days. Used for two decades as a storage facility for Beringer Vineyards, the winery looked more like a slaughterhouse than a production facility for fine wines.

The Delaware-based couple had no experience planting vines or running a winery, but they did have a lifelong love of wine and plenty of resources. Gerret, a member of the du Pont family, had a successful career in finance while Tatiana focused on international business. Though Tatiana was born in Germany and grew up in Argentina, her Russian family heritage provided a pivotal connection to renowned Napa Valley winemaker André Tchelistcheff. He declared the site ideal for Pinot Noir, which was thrilling news to Gerret, who’d long dreamed of owning a Burgundy-style domaine.

In the decades to follow, the Copelands expanded Bouchaine — the name is a play on bouchon, the French word for cork — to 100 acres and renovated the old winery buildings. Among the estate’s 87 acres of sustainably farmed vineyards are 46 acres of Pinot Noir, plus Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Grigio, Riesling and Syrah.

The vibe

Just outside Bouchaine’s hilltop hospitality center is a message embedded in stone pavers that sets the tone for your visit: Wine Makes You Happy. Inside the glass-walled building, renovated in 2019 to include a 2,000-square-foot terrace, you’ll find an expansive, sunlit space with a u-shaped tasting bar. Sofas and armchairs encourage guests to relax on the terrace and drink in views of the winery, vineyards and the San Pablo Bay. A second outdoor tasting area, set below the terrace in the winery’s flower garden, is a casual, family-friendly spot for bring-your-own picnics.

On the palate

Winemaker Chris Kajani spent years making wine at Saintsbury before joining Bouchaine in 2015, so she knows her way around Pinot Noir. The 2022 Swan Clone Estate Pinot Noir ($70), one in a series of single-clone offerings, sits at the lighter end of the spectrum with delicate strawberry and cherry notes. For fans of crisp, aromatic whites, go for the 2023 Alsatian White Blend ($50), a floral, peachy melding of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer and Riesling. It’s not often you come across a stand-alone Pinot Meunier, so be sure to try the 2022 Estate Pinot Meunier ($72), with its savory-meets-berry profile.

Seated tastings range from $45 for the Garden Tasting to $75 for the Terrace Tasting. To explore how different winemaking vessels impact the wine in your glass, book the Vine to Vessel tasting ($120). You’ll step into the cellar to sample wines directly from large oak casks, concrete eggs, Acacia barrels, and both Italian and French clay amphorae.

Beyond the bottle

Bouchaine offers an array of interactive experiences, and one of the coolest is the Falconry in the Garden demonstration ($95). As part of its efforts to keep grape-eating birds at bay, a master falconer sends raptors into the vineyard to swoop in and scare the pests away. With a glass of wine in hand, visitors can meet the majestic falcons and watch them in action.

Bouchaine Vineyards, 1075 Buchli Station Road, Napa, 707-252-9065. Open daily, with reservations required for interactive experiences. bouchaine.com

Tina Caputo is a wine, food, and travel journalist who contributes to Sonoma magazine, SevenFifty Daily, Visit California, Northern California Public Media, KQED, and more. Follow her on Bluesky at @winebroad.bsky.social, view her website at tinacaputo.com, and email her story ideas at tina@caputocontent.com.

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At the moment, it helps to be a visionary when you’re touring William Henpenn’s certified organic 7-acre Umbel Roots Farm, off Highway 37 in the Carneros. After leasing the long-fallow land in late 2023, he’s been working to build the Eden of his dreams, with towering hoop greenhouses, rows of field vegetables, young fruit trees, and tall mounds of beautiful compost and biochar warming in the sun.

Feeding the soil is critical for Henpenn’s work as a top-level produce provider for heavy hitters like SingleThread in Healdsburg, Quince in San Francisco, Street Social in Petaluma and Press in Napa. Each season, Henpenn develops his farming plan to accommodate chefs’ special requests — tender, maroon-hued Teagan lettuce, or earthy-sweet Beauregarde purple snow peas from Row 7 Seed Company, the line of heirloom seeds from chef Dan Barber of Blue Hill at Stone Barns.

“Geeky chefs love these peas, because other kinds turn green when you cook them, but these stay purple. And bonus — your mouth turns purple, too,” he says, sticking out his tongue.

Such artisanal details power high-caliber menus, and Henpenn is always on the hunt for new or rare specialty ingredients he can grow. For example, chefs don’t just want artichokes, says Henpenn — they want crosnes, gnarly root vegetables that look a bit like a string of pearls, with a delightful crunch and nuttiness. At Henpenn’s farm, chefs can specify spring radishes that are either 12, 16 or 21 days old, depending on their needs.

Henpenn is unusually equipped to handle this level of request. As a young chef, he owned a series of restaurants in the Portland area, and has worked as a sommelier at Michelin-starred restaurants in New York. More recently, he’s pivoted to farming and food gardens, developing a farm at Donum Estate winery, planning gardens for tribal members at Graton Rancheria and overseeing extensive food gardens at the Sonoma home of chef Dominique Crenn.

“I’m so happy talking to the chefs. It makes me feel like I’m still in the kitchen,” he says. “I can speak their language and totally get their recipes. I’m not the weird farmer standing in the corner — I’m the guy that’s boisterous and tries to keep the staff interested.”

As his own utopia takes shape at Umbel Roots, Henpenn is developing skills for resiliency and nurturing endless other farming and food ideas. A self-taught builder, over the winter, he rebuilt several hoop houses after powerful winds from San Pablo Bay flattened them.

“Hiring help is expensive,” he says. “And stuff happens all the time, usually in the middle of the night. So I learned tractor repair; I build everything. That’s how this farm succeeds.”

Later this summer, he plans to open the farm for a few special events. A wide path running between tall dirt berms is being planted with eco-friendly dinners and pop-ups with his chef and winery associates. “These parties will not be to make money,” he says.

“These are to make friends and develop community, gathered around the pizza oven or the Santa Maria grill, and enjoying all this beautiful nature.”

Umbel Roots Farm, 3900 Sears Point Road, Petaluma, 707-339-0209, umbelroots.com

The post Celebrity Farmer of Umbel Roots Farm Grows Produce for Top Wine Country Restaurants appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

Venture outside the winery cellars and tasting rooms and sip away in the sun. Click through the gallery for details.

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From old vine rieslings to cool climate syrahs, there is no shortage of mind-blowing wines to taste in Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino. But it is not just the wine that makes a wine tasting stand out, the tasting experience also counts. We went in search of the exceptional and lined up a selection of wine tasting experiences to try right now. From train rides to fine art exhibits to drinking in the winery owner’s house, click through the gallery above for all the details.

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In its 42nd year, the Harvest Fair will be serving up the very best of Sonoma County bounty this weekend. While world-class local wines take center stage, local craft beers are stealing some of the spotlight. 

Harvest Fair attendees will have the opportunity to meet the brewers first hand, while sampling their brews. Breweries are mixed in alphabetically among the wineries and will serve up some fun surprises (the beer lineup is not revealed in advance).

These five breweries will be serving samples at the Harvest Fair: 

The Bear Republic
Famous for the Racer 5, a well balanced, hop forward double IPA, The Bear Republic makes a series of great brews. Look for the Hop Shovel, Peter Brown Ale, Grand Am, Hop Rod Rye, or the Red Rocket Ale. Make sure to try their Salmon BLTA (it won Gold Medal for best Seafood Entrée at this year’s Harvest Fair Restaurant Competition) and pair it with El Oso. If they’re serving Red Rocket, grab a “Noni’s meatball” from Peloton Culinary – amazing pairing.

Carneros Brewing Company
Carneros Brewing Company, located in Sonoma Valley, is owned and operated by four brothers – you might get a chance to meet all of them at this year’s fair. The Sonoma Valley brewery is known for their Jefeweizen and Cerveza Pilsner. They also brew a Negra IPA, Morena Ale, and Carneros IPA – all great.

St. Florian’s Brewing
A personal brewery favorite, St. Florian’s is run an operated by Aron and Amy Levin. Aron and Amy will be showcasing a brand new beer at this year’s fair: the Fresh Hop on the Engine. While I haven’t tasted this beer yet, I am pretty sure I am going to love it…this is a  special Pale Ale that they brewed using hops grown by the Santa Rosa High School Ag Program. Bank on another beer or two on rotation; the classic Flashover IPA perhaps, or the popular Cali Common.

Lagunitas Brewing Company
Lagunitas never lets their fans down. From the Daytime IPA to Little Sumpin’, everyone’s palate is sure to be pleased here. I am hoping to get a sip on the 12th of Never and the Lagunitas Sucks.

Henhouse Brewing
New to the taproom scene, the Henhouse brewers are no strangers to the Sonoma County Beer scene. They started out promoting their beers through events like the Harvest Fair, and serve up an incredibly delicious Saison as well as an Oyster Stout and Pilsner.

The Harvest Fair Grand tasting is located in the Grace Pavilion at the Santa Rosa Fairgrounds. The wine and beer tasting event is indoors. Tickets can be purchased through the website for $55/person, per day, all inclusive.

350 Bennett Valley Rd. Santa Rosa, CA 95404, (707) 545-4200, www.harvestfair.org,

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