Bedrock Vineyard
Sonoma Valley AVA, Glen Ellen CA
Oh, how to encapsulate the magnitude that is Bedrock Vineyard?
Bedrock has been the cornerstone of my education and love affair with old vines. I first arrived on February 24, 2020, for an interview with the viticulture team—one of what would become hundreds of visits. Today, as the viticulturist for Bedrock Wine Company, it still feels surreal to work among these vines day after day. More than six years later, this vineyard feels like home—woven into my sense of place and purpose, inspiring me with each passing season.
Nestled in Glen Ellen along the banks of Sonoma Creek, Hooker Creek, and Wilson Creek, Bedrock Vineyard carries a remarkable history. Originally planted in 1855 by Civil War generals William Sherman and Joseph Hooker, the site was later replanted in 1888 by Senator George Hearst after phylloxera reshaped the vineyard. In more recent years, stewardship by Joel Peterson and Morgan Twain-Peterson has restored both the vitality of the vines and the integrity of the land, now farmed Regenerative Organic Certified and CCOF Certified.
The old vines are predominantly Zinfandel, but in truth form a complex field blend of more than 30 interplanted varieties—Syrah, Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet, Cabernet Sauvignon, and more—giving Bedrock its singular character and depth.
Beyond the rich history and farming, this land itself is poised poetry. It both characterizes Sonoma Valley flora and fauna, while also holding a steadfast uniqueness that I have come to know and adore through my frequent romps through the wilderness corridors between the vines. Bobcat dens lie crowd the forest, and they amble around the property with such a fierce confidence of their land. Scaling the madrones, buckeyes, and valley oaks, they seek out their next meal of the land (which unfortunately is sometimes our chickens). Herons feed on the ponds, creeks, and tributaries. Native mints, California Mugwort, and goldenrods nest at the base of these waters. One of the largest populations I have ever seen of the native Snowberry shower the riparian zones, alternating blooms with the California Wild Rose. The entire place hums with life, and that energy is much reflected in the burly, wild, yet refined wines of Bedrock Vineyard. Complex, intriguing, and so much more than what you see from the outside. A spirit full of life that continues to unfold year after year, resembled in its bottled form.
Puccini Vineyard
Sonoma Valley AVA, Kenwood CA
Puccini sits on the crest of Sonoma Mountain in Kenwood. As you drive up Lawndale Road and see it perched on the hill, the one-acre plot almost seems to glow against the charred forest left behind by the 2017 fires. Planted in 1906, the vineyard was cared for by the Puccini family for two generations. It was this family who built the stone wall that still surrounds the site today. Climbing the hill to this remote, stone-lined vineyard, it is hard not to feel transported to the rolling hills of western France.
I was first introduced to Puccini during my first year at Bedrock in 2020. At the time, I spent only small amounts of time here, never imagining how deeply intertwined our futures would become. In 2025, I was given the opportunity to take over the farming entirely, and I jumped at the chance. I had no idea what I was stepping into, nor the immense lessons I would learn while growing alongside Puccini.
This isolated vineyard, tucked into the furthest corner of Kenwood, is deeply intertwined with the native flora and fauna that surround it. Beneath the vines grow surprising volunteers of orange monkeyflower, California wood mint, yarrow, and St. John’s wort. The steep hillsides are held together by healthy, aggregated sandy marl volcanic soils. Though many of the towering trees surrounding the vineyard were destroyed in the fires that ravaged the region, new growth is emerging quickly, and animal life remains abundant. Deer, bobcats, and even mountain lions regularly pass along the stone wall.
Despite the singed and slightly somber backdrop, the vineyard carries an undeniable sense of lightness and joy. That energy comes through in the wines themselves: bright, lifted, layered with vivacity and elegance. Puccini has taught me a great deal about grace through hardship, both through my relationship with the vineyard and through the story the site continues to tell.
