About Frostwatch Vineyard & Winery
Frostwatch Vineyard & Winery is a small, family-owned operation in the cool Bennett Valley, just southeast of Santa Rosa. Brett Raven and Diane Kleinecke, who met at UC Davis in the 1980s and spent their early careers in San Francisco, bought the property in 1995 and never looked back; Brett found his calling farming the estate vineyard, honing his winemaking through positions at Alderbrook, Matanzas Creek and Ramey before releasing Frostwatch's first vintage in 2002.
The 15-acre estate vineyard sits on a rocky apron in the shadow of Bennett Peak, a genuinely cool site that Bennett Valley has long been prized for. The wines are hand-crafted and estate-grown, led by Chardonnay, including blocks of the concentrated heirloom Old Wente clone, a Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon blend called Kismet, Pinot Noir and small amounts of Merlot, all aimed at a stylish, balanced, food-friendly profile.
Production stays small, and visits are by appointment only, at the winery and occasionally out at the vineyard. It is a personal, low-key stop where the family shares hand-made wines from a single cool Sonoma valley.
A small, family-owned Bennett Valley estate making hand-crafted Chardonnay, Kismet and Pinot, tasted by appointment.
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A cool Bennett Valley estateA 15-acre family vineyard in the shadow of Bennett Peak, farmed by Brett Raven and Diane Kleinecke since the 1990s.
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Chardonnay and KismetEstate Chardonnay, including the heirloom Old Wente clone, plus a Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon blend, Pinot and Merlot.
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Hand-crafted, by appointmentSmall-lot, food-friendly wines poured by appointment at the winery, occasionally out at the vineyard.
"A small, family-owned Bennett Valley estate making hand-crafted Chardonnay, Kismet and Pinot, tasted by appointment near Santa Rosa."
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Current Releases
Wines change with each vintage
For an accurate list of current-release wines and library bottlings from Frostwatch Vineyard, please check the winery's official website or contact the tasting room directly. Producers typically rotate vintages and offerings seasonally.
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Bennett Valley Tasting
A reserved tasting of handcrafted small-lot wines at the family winery on Bennett Valley Rd.
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