Place Matters: Sonoma County, CA

Simply put, wine comes from grapes, which grow on vines, that are rooted in dirt, somewhere.But that somewhere is in a very particular soil, at a specific elevation, on a degree of slope, facing a certain direction, and subject to the prevailing climate and weather patterns which characterize that place. Vines respond to every individual place uniquely, and each one of these factors, in endless combination, represents the principle that is terroir; observable in your wine glass as a “there” there.

“Place is not everything, but place is the most important thing. My family understands this, as we have been farming land in California for four generations. California is blessed with an abundance of places suitable to grow wine grapes, but when it comes to fine wine, certain regions have proven to be better than others, and certain sites within those regions are truly special. I take great pride in the 14 Sonoma County sites (places) that I have personally chosen to grow the fine wines of Rodney Strong Vineyards.

However, even the highest quality sites cannot turn themselves into wine - it takes talented people to nurture these vineyards and then craft the fruit into this extraordinary beverage. I believe I have assembled an exceptional team of winegrowers and winemakers, led by the ever capable Rick Sayre, who has been with the winery from the first day my family acquired it, and now has over 40 years of winemaking experience. Rick’s commitment to quality and consistency are an assurance to our loyal fans that every glass is as good as the last, and the next!      

These wines represent my love for fine wine. Like many people, I started learning about wine after college; during business school at Stanford I took a wine appreciation class. I later travelled to Europe, Napa, and Sonoma; by then I was really hooked. When you discover a passion for something, whether it’s golf or jazz, politics or poetry, you just want to live it and breathe it. I cannot convey to you how genuinely fortunate I feel to be able to combine my vocation with my avocation, fine wine. Not only do I get to live it and breathe it, I get to drink it too, and I cordially invite you to join me!”

- Tom Klein, Vintner/Proprietor