Gundlach-Bundschu Certifies 264 Acres Organic in Sonoma

One of the state's oldest wineries, Gundlach Bundschu, certified 264 acres of vines, olive trees and fields organic, receiving final approval July 23, 2022. The brand's home page is communicating the news to consumers.

The winery was originally located in San Francisco, making fortified wines and bulk wines, until the 1906 earthquake. The family has continuously operated the winery for six generations. Today the company makes 10 estate grown wines ranging mostly from Bordeaux varieties to Burgundy and beyond (Zinfandel) in Sonoma.

[Company spokespeople have not yet responded to requests for details on how many acres are planted to vine, but if it's 264 it is likely the second largest organic estate in the county. Currently, Ridge is the largest, with 266 acres. Donum Estate has 165. Benziger, EcoTerreno and Hamel all have about 100 acres each.]

Abbot's Passage, another brand from the Bundschu Company, certified 40 additional acres at 777 Madrone Road in Glen Ellen in early August of 2022. It makes wine from its old vine Zinfandel estate but buys most of its grapes from growers in California.

Sonoma Valley has been an organic hotspot in Sonoma, with multiple wineries focusing on organic or biodynamic wine grape growing. It was also one of the earliest grape growing regions in northern California. 

Producers with certified organic estate vines include Bartholomew Estate, Benziger Family Winery, Hamel Family (100 percent organic), Idell Family, Lasseter Family, (100 percent organic), Westwood and Phil Coturri's A Deux Tetes and Winery Sixteen 600 (100 percent organic).