Gundlach Bundschu Winery

Not many wineries in California can boast that they won awards for their wines almost 100 years ago, but GunBun, as it’s known, is one of them. The 19 Gundlach Bundschu wines entered into the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exhibition in San Francisco all won medals, and the winery today focuses on squeezing the highest quality wines possible out of its estate vineyards without buying any grapes from anywhere else.

Grapes have been grown in the winery’s Rhinefarm vineyard since they were first planted in 1858 by Bavarian-born Jacob Gundlach, a pioneer of the early California wine industry who is credited with planting Sonoma County’s first riesling vines. He was joined in the business by his son-in-law, Charles Bundschu, in 1868, and the next generation of Gundlachs and Bundschus established the Gundlach Bundschu Wine Company in the early 1900s. Wine production was stopped during Prohibition and was restarted in 1973 by Jim Bundschu, Gundlach’s great-great-grandson, who runs the winery today with his son Jeff.

The 300 acres of Rhinefarm vineyards today principally grow cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir, chardonnay, and gewürztraminer, together with some zinfandel, tempranillo, and a few other minor varietals. The winery’s emphasis is on red bordeaux- and burgundy-style wines, and the cabernets and merlots tend to have plenty of tannic backbone. Some of the cheaper wines are available only from the winery and include the nonvintage Bearitage red blend and the unusual Kleinberger, an aromatic, fruity German wine.

The tasting room is housed in one of the original stone winery buildings, which can feel cramped when full of visitors—but the fun atmosphere makes it more bearable. Browse the historical memorabilia, including old wine posters from the 1800s. A short walk away is the 430-foot-long hillside cave, which is the longest in California and is part of a tour offered on weekends (and weekdays by appointment). GunBun also provides a shady patio, a picnicking area at the top of Towles’ Hill overlooking the valley, and even a grassy amphitheater where you can see performances of Shakespeare or Mozart during the summer. Check the website for event schedules (2000 Denmark St., Sonoma, 707/938-5277, www.gunbun.com, open 11 a.m.–4:30 p.m. daily, tasting $5).