Gundlach Bundschu
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Winemaking |
| Founded | 1858 |
| Founder | Jacob Gundlach |
| Headquarters | Sonoma County , United States |
Key people | Jeff Bundschu (President), Joe Uhr (Head Winemaker) |
| Products | Estate-grown Bordeaux-style reds, cool climate varietals |
Gundlach Bundschu Winery stands as a historic vineyard and open-air concert site located in Sonoma County. Established in 1858, it holds the distinction of being California's longest-running family-owned winery, second in age only to Buena Vista Winery. The winery remains under the stewardship of the founder’s lineage, currently led by sixth-generation family member Jeff Bundschu. Its regenerative organic certified estate vineyard, known as Rhinefarm—named by Bavarian-born Jacob Gundlach—is positioned within the Sonoma Valley AVA, at the convergence of Sonoma Valley, Los Carneros AVA, and Napa Valley AVA, near the Mayacamas Mountains. Gundlach Bundschu focuses on producing estate-grown Bordeaux-style reds and cool climate varietals cultivated through organic farming methods.
History
Jacob Gundlach established the business in 1858. In 1868, Charles Bundschu from Mannheim, Germany, joined the enterprise and later married Jacob’s daughter Francisca in 1875, merging the two families. Over a span of three decades, J. Gundlach & Co. expanded its reach, marketing Rhine wines from facilities located in San Francisco’s Soma District and New York. Following Jacob’s passing in 1894, the company became known as Gundlach Bundschu. By 1906, it had grown into a significant international wine producer, distributing over 250,000 cases annually with a focus on fortified wines.
The 1906 San Francisco earthquake devastated their production sites, destroyed one million gallons of wine, and damaged Charles Bundschu’s residence. Subsequently, operations shifted to vineyards in Sonoma County; however, the company never returned to its prior volume of bulk production. During Prohibition, with legal wine sales prohibited, the winery sold grapes for sacramental purposes and raised cattle under Towle Bundschu, the founder’s grandson. After Prohibition ended, Walter Bundschu replanted vineyards but commercial winemaking only recommenced in the early 1970s.
Restoration efforts were launched by fifth-generation Jim Bundschu in 1969, culminating in the first modern vintage released in 1973. Confronted with low market prices for Sonoma grapes despite their quality, he decided to focus on crafting premium wines from estate-grown fruit. Initial output was approximately 70,000 bottles per year but later decreased as attention concentrated on producing high-quality wines from Rhinefarm estate vineyards. In 1997, the family expanded holdings by acquiring land adjacent to Rhinefarm Vineyard. Jeff Bundschu assumed presidency in 2000; current annual production is around 40,000 cases.
In addition to winemaking, Gundlach Bundschu functions as a music venue featuring two stages and hosts events such as the Huichica Festival in collaboration with promoter (((folkYEAH))).
Winery and estate
During the last ten years, roughly have been planted within the Rhinefarm estate. This includes planted with Pinot Noir clones Pommard 5 and Dijon selections 115, 667, and 777 on valley floor sites, while of Bordeaux varietals occupy the rocky slopes of Arrowhead Mountain within the Mayacamas range. Today, Rhinefarm Vineyard oversees organically farmed vines spread over more than 50 separate blocks totaling . Since 2017, Joe Uhr has served as head winemaker.