Cline Cellars

Cline Cellars is a family-owned and operated winery in California's Carneros appellation in Sonoma County. The winery was established in 1982 by Fred Cline in Oakley, Contra Costa County, after he used a $9,000 inheritance from his maternal grandfather, Valeriano Jacuzzi, as seed capital. Cline developed an early reputation for working with French Rhône grape varieties in California and became associated with the group of producers later known as the Rhône Rangers. Its wine portfolio is centered on Zinfandel, Rhône-style varieties, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir, with particular emphasis on wines made from historic Contra Costa County vineyards. The winery's origins remain closely connected to Oakley. Its old vineyards include plantings of Mourvèdre, Carignane, Grenache, Palomino, and Zinfandel, with some vines dating from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The sandy soils of the area helped protect these plantings from phylloxera, allowing many vines to remain on their original rootstock. Cline's ancient-vine program is consequently an important part of the brand's identity and distinguishes it from wineries relying primarily on newer vineyard material. Fred and Nancy Cline acquired a 350-acre property in Sonoma County in 1989 and moved the winery there in 1991. The site, in the Carneros area of Sonoma Valley, has a layered history: it was associated with a former Miwok village, the original location of Mission San Francisco de Solano, and later the agricultural operations of Julius and Katherine Adolph Poppe. Six spring-fed ponds that were used in the nineteenth century to hold carp remain on the property. The site also contains an 1850s farmhouse that serves as the tasting room, giving the visitor experience a strong historic and estate-oriented character. Cline Cellars combines wine production with public hospitality and historical interpretation. Visitors can tour and taste at the farmhouse, which is surrounded by ponds and extensive rose plantings. In 2005, Nancy Cline opened the California Missions Museum on the estate. The museum houses a complete set of California mission models produced for the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition, rescued by the Cline family in 1998 before the models could be dispersed through auction. The property also includes mission-related art and historic stained-glass panels. In 2007, Fred and Nancy Cline opened Jacuzzi Family Vineyards across the road as a tribute to Fred's maternal family. Sustainability is another central part of the winery's positioning. Cline Cellars states that its vineyards and winery are certified under California sustainable programs and that its Sonoma County operations are Sonoma County Certified Sustainable. Its farming approach includes cover crops, sheep grazing for weed control, compost teas, and reduced reliance on petroleum-based agricultural inputs. The winery has also installed a large solar-panel array and has described itself as one of California's largest wineries to operate entirely on solar power at the time of installation. Tom Gendall joined the operation as head winemaker in 2017. Today, Cline Cellars presents itself as a family winery combining heritage vineyards, Rhône-oriented winemaking, historic estate tourism, and sustainability.

Cline Cellars began in 1982 when Fred Cline established a winery in Oakley, in Contra Costa County, using a $9,000 inheritance from his maternal grandfather, Valeriano Jacuzzi. Cline became an early California advocate of French Rhône grape varieties and was later recognized as one of the original Rhône Rangers, a group of vintners associated with expanding the use of Rhône grapes and winemaking styles in the state. The Oakley vineyards became central to the winery's identity. Cline worked with old plantings of Zinfandel, Carignane, Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Palomino. Some blocks date to 1906, 1925, and 1920, and the sandy soils of Contra Costa County helped preserve vines on their own rootstock because they were naturally less vulnerable to phylloxera. These sites supplied the basis for the winery's ancient-vine wines and remain an important link between its early history and present portfolio. Fred and Nancy Cline purchased a 350-acre Sonoma County property from Haddon Salt in 1989, and the winery relocated from Oakley to Carneros in 1991. The property has several historical layers. It was associated with a former Miwok village and the original site of Mission San Francisco de Solano. During the nineteenth century, Julius and Katherine Adolph Poppe operated a dairy there and maintained six spring-fed ponds for carp, features that remain part of the estate landscape. The property had later been used for horse raising before the Cline family's acquisition. The move allowed Cline Cellars to combine production with a substantial visitor destination. The tasting room occupies an original 1850s farmhouse and is set among the ponds and rose gardens. In 2005, Nancy Cline established the California Missions Museum on the property. The museum was created to preserve and display a complete collection of California mission models made by German cabinetmakers for the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition. The Cline family had saved the models from being sold separately at auction in 1998. The museum also includes a life-sized representation of Father Junípero Serra, mission paintings, and stained-glass panels formerly associated with Mission Dolores in San Francisco. The Cline family expanded its local wine presence in 2007 by opening Jacuzzi Family Vineyards across from Cline Cellars. That operation was named in tribute to Fred Cline's maternal family and connected the winery to the Jacuzzi family's history. At Cline Cellars, the production focus continued to include Zinfandel, Rhône-style wines, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. Sustainable farming and energy use became increasingly prominent elements of the winery's operating model. Cline describes its vineyards and winery as certified through California and Sonoma County sustainability programs. Its stated methods include planting cover crops, using sheep to manage weeds, applying compost teas, and limiting dependence on petroleum-derived agricultural inputs. The winery also installed 34,625 square feet of solar panels, making it one of California's larger wineries to operate entirely with solar power when the installation was completed. Tom Gendall joined the operation as head winemaker in 2017. The winery remains active as a family-owned estate combining wine production, tasting-room tourism, historic preservation, and sustainability.

• 2017

  Tom Gendall joined as head winemaker

  [1]Cline Cellarsen.wikipedia.org

  Tom Gendall joined the operation as head winemaker.

• 2007

  Jacuzzi Family Vineyards opened

  [1]Cline Cellarsen.wikipedia.org

  Fred and Nancy Cline opened Jacuzzi Family Vineyards across the road as a tribute to Fred Cline's maternal family.

• 2005

  California Missions Museum opened

  [1]Cline Cellarsen.wikipedia.org

  Nancy Cline opened a museum on the winery property to exhibit the historic mission-model collection and related materials.

• 1998

  Preservation of California mission models

  [1]Cline Cellarsen.wikipedia.org

  The Cline family saved a complete set of California mission models from being dispersed through an auction.

• 1991

  Relocation to Sonoma County

  [1]Cline Cellarsen.wikipedia.org

  Cline Cellars moved from Oakley to its Carneros property in Sonoma Valley.

• 1989

  Acquisition of the Carneros property

  [1]Cline Cellarsen.wikipedia.org

  Fred and Nancy Cline purchased the 350-acre Sonoma County property that would become the winery's long-term home.

• 1982

  Winery founded in Oakley

  [1]Cline Cellarsen.wikipedia.org

  Fred Cline founded Cline Cellars in Oakley, Contra Costa County, using an inheritance from his maternal grandfather.

A family-owned Sonoma winery positioned around heritage vineyards, old-vine California varieties, Rhône-style winemaking, sustainable farming, and an estate experience combining wine, gardens, ponds, and regional history.

• Red wine

  Ancient-vine Zinfandel

  Cline Cellars is particularly associated with Zinfandel made from historic Contra Costa County vineyards. Some of the relevant vines are many decades old, with certain blocks dating to the early twentieth century. The sandy vineyard soils and survival on original rootstock are important parts of the wine's heritage narrative. These wines represent the winery's focus on preserving and expressing old California plantings rather than treating Zinfandel only as a contemporary varietal category.

• Red wine

  Ancient-vine Carignane

  Carignane from Cline's historic Oakley vineyards is part of the winery's old-vine program. The vineyards include plantings dating to the early twentieth century and are farmed in the sandy Contra Costa County environment. The offering reflects Cline Cellars' broader interest in preserving heritage Mediterranean varieties and presenting them as distinctive California wines.

• Rhône-style red wine

  Mourvèdre wines

  Mourvèdre is one of the historic varieties associated with Cline Cellars and its Rhône-oriented identity. The winery's Oakley vineyards include Mourvèdre vines dating to 1920. The variety may be presented as a standalone wine or as part of Rhône-style blends, connecting the winery's old-vine resources with Fred Cline's early advocacy of Rhône grapes in California.

• Wine range

  Rhône-style wines

  Rhône-style wines are a defining part of Cline Cellars' portfolio and history. The range draws on grapes associated with southern Rhône and related Mediterranean traditions, including Mourvèdre, Grenache, and other varieties. It reflects Fred Cline's role among early California Rhône producers and positions the winery within a California interpretation of Rhône viticulture and blending.

• White wine

  Chardonnay

  Chardonnay is one of the core varieties identified with Cline Cellars. It broadens the portfolio beyond the winery's old-vine Zinfandel and Rhône emphasis and supports the estate's positioning as a Sonoma producer with both red and white wine capabilities.

• Red wine

  Pinot Noir

  Pinot Noir is part of Cline Cellars' principal varietal offering. Its inclusion reflects the winery's Sonoma and Carneros location, where Pinot Noir is an important regional grape, while complementing the brand's better-known Zinfandel and Rhône-style wines.

1. 1Cline Cellarsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Cline Cellars official websiteclinecellars.com