About Bartholomew Estate Winery
Bartholomew Estate Winery occupies one of the most historically significant wine sites in all of California. The 440-acre property in the hills above Sonoma is the former site of Agoston Haraszthy's Buena Vista Winery, founded in 1857 by the Hungarian immigrant entrepreneur who is widely credited as the father of California's commercial wine industry. Haraszthy introduced hundreds of European vine varieties to California from this site, establishing the agricultural foundation that the modern California wine industry still builds upon.
The property passed through several owners after Haraszthy's time, including use as the Sonoma Valley Hospital in the 1920s, before Frank Bartholomew purchased the land in 1941, retained the vineyard acreage after selling the Buena Vista portion, and preserved the property as a working wine estate within what is now the 440-acre Bartholomew Park.
Today, the small-production winery produces just 4,500 cases annually from estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and other Sonoma Valley varieties. The setting is genuinely extraordinary: hiking trails through the park, a winery museum documenting California's first commercial wine history, and 440 acres of public park surrounding the tasting room. Dogs and families are warmly welcomed in one of Sonoma Valley's most historically resonant and naturally beautiful outdoor settings.
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