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in Sonoma, Rasmussen had become enamored by the syrah from Griffin’s Lair Vineyard, a prized site in the cool Petaluma Gap that has supplied fruit to not just Bedrock, but to Pax, Kosta-Browne, Arnot-Roberts, Donelan and others. “Like Rob, we also want to protect the interests of the brand we’ve poured our heart and soul into.” Coveted fruitįor some winemakers, like Cody Rasmussen of Desire Lines Wines in Sonoma, the opportunity to source fruit from a coveted vineyard can be enough to launch an entirely new wine brand.Īs associate winemaker at Bedrock Wine Co. “When Rob and I started talking, I realized he’s not only an amazing viticulturist, but we share the same passion for being gatekeepers of the land, and we’re simpatico in how we feel about grape growing,” said Fischer, who has developed a friendship with Harris over the years. For him, finding growers who align with Marine Layer’s philosophies is just as important. Both of our names are going to be on the label, so you need to work with people you believe in.”įischer, who continues to make wine for Marine Layer, said he appreciates that Harris isn’t willing to sell his fruit to make a quick buck, which protects the integrity of the vineyards.

But regardless of the size of the winery, it’s really about building and maintaining partnerships. “When they launched Marine Layer and approached me about purchasing some fruit from Gap’s Crown, I was able to get them in on a small scale. “Rob was also the winemaker at Banshee, so I knew I liked his wines,” Harris said. One of those brands was Marine Layer Wines, a Healdsburg-based winery founded by former Banshee Wines owner Baron Ziegler, with winemaker Rob Fischer at the helm. “If I appreciate and believe in what someone is doing, I’ll give them a chance.” “Part of my responsibility is to keep an eye out for young up-and-comers or small labels that the world doesn’t know about yet - the next shooting star, I suppose,” Harris said. Jean and Ram’s Gate Winery, all highly regarded wineries, are among the fruit’s purchasers.īut Harris makes clear he doesn’t just sell to stalwarts of the industry or big-name brands. Kosta-Browne, Gary Farrell Winery, Fulcrum Wines, Chateau St. Gap’s Crown, in the Petaluma Gap winegrowing area, is considered one of the preeminent sites for pinot noir in all of California. Gap’s Crown Vineyard and the smaller Walala Vineyard off the Sonoma County coast are also in demand by winemakers for the exceptional pinot noir and chardonnay grapes they produce.

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The challenge instead is for the buyers - how to get those coveted grapes into their bottles and the desirable vineyard name on their label.Īt Price Family Vineyards & Estates, Harris oversees a total of 350 planted acres at six vineyards in Sonoma County, including Durell, Gap’s Crown, Walala and three smaller properties used exclusively for the company’s Three Sticks Wines brand.ĭurell Vineyard, a historic property considered among the best sites for chardonnay and pinot noir in Sonoma County, produces grapes for brands like Three Sticks, Kistler, Gary Farrell, Auteur and Patz & Hall Winery. We need to protect our brand.”Īt renowned vineyards like Durell, the fruit is in such demand by winemakers that finding buyers is rarely a problem. A big part of my job is focusing on who we work with and why. This is just the kind of thing we try to avoid. “In so many words, I told the guy to lose my number. At least he was honest about it,” Harris said. For this guy, the Durell Vineyard name was a means to an end. The imperative thing, the man insisted, was that the name Durell Vineyard appear on the labels in his tasting room. He offered to take the property’s worst fruit for 20% more than the price of its best fruit.

The man on the line quickly became impatient. If the name of our vineyard is going to be on a bottle, we want to make sure we’re aligned with the buyer and the quality, style and price point of their wines.” “I asked him to tell me about himself, the wine project and where the fruit would be going, that sort of thing. “So I started the conversation like I always do,” said Harris, vice president of vineyards at Price Family Vineyards & Estates. About 10 years ago, Rob Harris received a frantic phone call: A winemaker was desperate for 3 tons of pinot noir from Durell Vineyard, a highly prized site for pinot noir and chardonnay grapes in Sonoma Valley.