Windsor Vineyards
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Winery |
| Founded | 1959 |
| Founder | Rodney Strong |
| Headquarters | Windsor, California , United States |
| Products | Wine |
| Parent | Vintage Wine Estates (until 2024) |
Windsor Vineyards is a winery located in Windsor, California, recognized as one of the leading direct-to-consumer wine producers in the United States.
History
Rodney Strong, originally a professional dancer, established Tiburon Vinters in 1959 in Tiburon, California. By 1962, he moved the operation to Windsor, changing the name first to Sonoma Vineyards and eventually to Rodney Strong Vineyards to accommodate expanded production near his vineyards in Sonoma County.
Significantly, the parents of Richard Graff invested in Windsor Vineyards, and Graff gained his initial experience in winemaking under Strong's mentorship.
In 1989, ownership transferred to the Tom Klein family, with Strong remaining as a consultant until 1995. The winery was acquired in 2000 by Mildura Blass, an Australian wine company that incorporated it into the global portfolio of Beringer Blass Wine Estates.
After Rodney Strong passed away in 2006, vintner Patrick Roney purchased Windsor Vineyards in 2007 and merged it into Vintage Wine Estates. Roney hired Marco DiGiulio as winemaker and moved the tasting room to Healdsburg’s town square, a location central to prominent AVAs such as Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, and Russian River Valley.
In July 2024, Vintage Wine Estates filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and announced intentions to liquidate all assets, including Windsor Vineyards.