Hanzell Farm

Ambassador James D. Zellerbach founded Hanzell Vineyards in 1953 with a vision to create wines that could compete on the world stage.  Named after his wife Hana, Hanzell sits at the southern toe of the Mayacamas mountain range overlooking the south-western end of Sonoma Valley and San Pablo Bay.  After extensive time spent in Burgundy, Zellerbach returned inspired and educated by the region’s wines and grapes—Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  He then planted these two varieties at a time when there were less than a few hundred acres of each planted in North America.  Since 1975, Hanzell has been solely owned by the de Brye family, who is dedicated to the preservation of tradition with a progressive and holistic approach which will ensure the sustainability for generations to come.

Farming

At the toe of the Mayacamas Mountains, we have been farming the Hanzell Estate for over seven decades. As stewards of the land, we have an ethical, social, and ecological responsibility to ensure the sustainability of our lands for generations to come. We are a Certified Organic, Integrated Holistic Farm. Our farming philosophy is rooted in a holistic approach where the vineyard is only one part of an interconnected farm eco-system. In addition to our forty-six acres of vineyards you will find cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, geese, ducks, dogs, cats, turkeys, deer, vegetable gardens and fruit orchards, all working harmoniously together to enhance the well-being of our land and ultimately, the well-being of our people. We strive to work within the natural rhythms of nature to cultivate and maintain soil fertility, microbial diversity, and resiliency. Our holistic approach to the monocultural viticultural system allows us to reduce our carbon footprint by limiting all outside inputs and making use of natural nutrient cycles, just as farming was prior to the advent of chemical applications.