When a visitor walks into the vineyard garden at Dutton Estate Winery, a journey into family history and the Sonoma County wine story begins.
Surrounded by twenty acres of Chardonnay grapevines, visitors are greeted with the story of Joe and Tracy Dutton, and what led them to found Dutton Estate Winery in 1995. The married couple’s agricultural heritage is deeply rooted in Sonoma County. Tracy’s great-grandparents began farming apples in the 1920s and continued for decades turning agriculture into delicious pies, jams and mustards for the family business Kozlowski Farms. Joe, a fifth generation Sonoma County farmer, co-owns Dutton Ranch which was founded in 1964 by his parents. Today, Dutton Ranch farms 1200 acres of grapes and 200 certified organic acres of apples within the Green Valley and Russian River Valley.
As visitors taste through various estate wines, they take in the sense that Joe and Tracy valued their experience growing up and wanted the same for their children. Today, their middle daughter Kylie is studying to be a winemaker with UC Davis and has apprenticed the last few vintages at the family’s winery. One of the favorite wines visitors currently enjoy, the new 2020 Kylie’s Fume Blanc, is a barrel fermented Sauvignon Blanc and the brainchild of Kylie.
Today the winery celebrates 26 years in its Spanish style tasting room in the heart of Green Valley. After many 2020 pivots, the visitor experience is better than ever with a fully seated and private setting and three new offerings. The scrumptious “Cheese & Charcuterie Pairing” features a curated menu of imported and local cheeses and charcuterie. This is a journey of ‘ah ha’ palate moments! The decadent “Chocolate & Red Wine Pairing” is a collaboration with family owned local chocolatier Wine Country Chocolates and four perfectly paired truffles.
A casual yet elegant way to spend the visit at the winery is the classic “Garden Wine Tasting”, where each wine tells a story. The Warren’s Collection Chardonnay comes from the family’s very original 1967 vineyard, one of the oldest continuously producing vineyards around. The Dutton Palms Chardonnay tells the story of where Joe and Tracy got engaged under five palms trees that later became surrounded by their Chardonnay grapevines. Various single block Pinot Noirs and even some unexpected cold climate Syrah surprise and delight.
A vintage wine or two has been known to surprise visitors on a weekend visit, as there is an extensive library of family gems! The library inspired an upcoming event “International Pinot Day Celebration – Comparative Library Pinot Event”. in August, flights of current Pinot Noirs alongside their library counterpart with pair with a cheese and charcuterie items.
Make your reservations now to experience a little piece of family and Sonoma County history.
Open daily by reservation. Visit https://www.duttonestate.com.