Gundlach Bundschu Winery and Vineyards Farms
Gundlach Bundschu Rhinefarm Vineyards
Jacob Gundlach, a native of Bavaria, purchased 400 acres in Sonoma Valley in 1858 and named the site Rhinefarm. Rhinefarm Vineyards has been in the family for six generations—over 150 years—and they have maintained an ethic of preserving the land for future generations. The site is 567 acres with 357 acres of vineyards. They farm sustainably, encouraging beneficial predators like owls, bluebirds, beetles, and mites and using intensive pest monitoring so that they can avoid using pesticides. They also avoid pre-emergent herbicides and use cover crops to increase biodiversity and to enrich the soil. They use deficit irrigation, including recycling 70% of winery water with two reclamation ponds to make efficient use of resources. In 2008, they installed solar panels, including floating panels on their reclamation ponds, to run their pumps for recycled water.