Winegrowing in Alexander Valley
since 1969.
Most of our vines are older than us.
Justin – Wines driven by soils only exist from exceptional vineyards. The location is crucial... Years of understanding your land, soil variations, rootstock adaptation and clonal selection – and of course, climate and the human hand all must complement each other.
Karin – A rich deep connection with the land is a personal relationship. Our property, it’s a part of us, together. There are those who own land but never get out of their trucks to walk it. You have to feel the rhythm, before you can comprehend where you’re standing.
We grow winegrapes for winemakers we respect.
Justin – Many of us in Alexander Valley are winegrowers and sell to local wineries. We grow 70-acres of wine grapes selling 92% to local wineries. 27 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, 22 acres of Chardonnay, 15 acres of Merlot, 1 acre each of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec alongside 1/2 acre Scheurebe. A new vineyard planted in 2012 and southern-Rhone project lies in 4 acres of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, and Rousanne.
Karin – Within a selection of thirteen soil types we sustainably manage our viticulture through the ideology of balance. Deficit irrigation, hand-selected shoot positioning and leaf management, planting cover crops, mulch, beneficial insects and composting are one of many practices we have been utilizing since 1995. I would consider our winery relationships sustainable... they run as deep as the roots of our vines.
In 2001 we began Garden Creek winery.
Karin – Our wine begins in the vineyard. We select clusters, vine by vine, within a block chosen by taste, acidity, and structure. This composition is driven by terroir; geology, microclimate, drainage, slope faces and the individual… We are strong believers... great wines come from one place, a place. They should speak an unmistakable originality.
Justin – My dad bought this property for its’ beauty. This site is incredibly unique… the diversity of soils and microclimates. Lying along the illustrious Mayacamas Mountains... Our wines are driven by the best from our vineyards, best soil selection and flavors.
A new frontier, Anderson Valley in Mendocino County.
Karin – An hour north and away from it all. The clock seems to move a bit slower. Justin and I purchased 160-acres of ridge line land in 2005 with an elevation ranging from 1450 (441 m) to 2172 feet (662 m). A place of quiet, solitude and great possibility for wine grapes. Above the fogline with the Pacific Ocean on the horizon to the north. A piece of land we would build from the ground up.
Justin – Anderson Valley soils and climate is unlike from ours at our home ranch. With differences come great possibilities. High elevation and cooler with gold ridge soils. Farming grapes in very different climate for us. It’s that unknown that Karin and I thrive to adventure into. New vineyards are planned for 2025.
Our first vineyard planted outside of our home ranch.
Karin – In 2014, after careful and deliberate search for an estate vineyard in Anderson Valley, Mendocino, we acquired a stunning old vineyard site and replanted in 2015. A cool climate appellation comprised of Wolfey/Bearwallow/Casabonne series subsoil offer grand depth and texture allowing alluring varietal complexity. Push your knowledge otherwise you loose competitiveness.
Justin – With a bit of patience, we eventually laid groundwork. In 2014, we found a third site we acquired with a long-term lease in Anderson Valley we named Golden Fleece Vineyard and planted in 2015. We decided on the classic Burgundian varietal of Pinot Noir of three dynamic clones 115, 667 and Calera. First vintage of the 2018 WärneliusMiller Pinot Noir released in June 2024.
Our crew is family.
Justin – I have known the Gonzalez family since I was a child. Today Dagoberto, José, Esteban, Benjamin and Carlos are the main crew. They have watched me grow up, teasing me with habineros… Today we count on each other as men.
Karin – Fidel Gonzalez began working for Justin’s dad in 1964. Leaving his wife in Porullo, Yuriria Mexico with his seven children. All five sons joined us in the early 1980’s. Now his grandson, Jose Jr., 3rd generation — is with us.
Justin – Fidel, today in his late 70’s visits his sons, daughters and grandchildren at our ranch. Stubbornly he will work in the vineyards alongside his sons during his visits as he has been for the last 50-years. He’s still in charge.
