Cline Cellars

It began on a farm in Oakley, CA in the tumultuous days of the late 1960s when a young Fred Cline spent summers on his grandfather’s farm. While the rest of the country was in cultural upheaval, Valeriano Jacuzzi, one of the seven Jacuzzi brothers who pioneered American aviation and water pumps, taught his grandson the cherished old-world ways of teasing magic from the soil.

Fred never lost his love for the soil. With new bride Nancy Bunting, he embarked on a mission to bring Rhone-style wines to American dinner tables. Restoring vines that were decades old, some over 100 years, Fred and Nancy produced Mourvedre, Carignane, Marsanne, Roussane and Viognier. He also planted acres of what would become legendary Cline Cellars Zinfandel.

In 1993, Fred and Nancy moved the winery to a 350-acre ranch in the famed Carneros Valley in Sonoma County. There the Clines planted Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. They opened a tasting room in the 1853 farmhouse, and renovated the grounds to highlight the history and pastoral beauty of the property.

Website: http://clinecellars.com/