About Sebastiani Vineyards & Winery
Samuele Sebastiani arrived from Tuscany in 1895 with the clothes on his back, saved for a horse and wagon, and hauled cobblestones from Sonoma's quarry hills to pave the streets of San Francisco until he could buy land in 1904, vineyard ground first cleared and planted in 1825 by the Franciscan fathers of Mission San Francisco Solano, among Northern California's oldest vineyard sites. He sold his Zinfandel by the cup and jug to the quarry workers, and through Prohibition his was the only Sonoma County winery to keep operating, on a sacramental and medicinal permit; when the Depression followed, Samuele canned peaches and pears and built the town a skating rink, motel, and theater simply to keep his neighbors employed.
Son August, famous for his bib overalls and his black swans (his "Eye of the Swan" Pinot Noir Blanc was named for their pinkish eyes), grew production a hundredfold and became one of America's most inventive wine marketers before his death in 1980; a turbulent third-generation era followed, with daughter Mary Ann Sebastiani Cuneo ultimately refocusing the house on quality and remodeling the historic tasting room in 2001. Bill Foley purchased Sebastiani in 2008, and the landmark stone winery near Sonoma Plaza, with its Earle Brown barrel carvings that took 17 years to complete, now produces some of the best-rated wines in its history, led by the acclaimed Cherryblock Cabernet.
Tuscan stonemason Samuele Sebastiani's 1904 winery on 1825 mission vineyard land, Sonoma's only Prohibition survivor, now Foley-owned and led by Cherryblock Cabernet.
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Cobblestones to cellars,Samuele hauled quarry cobblestones that paved San Francisco's streets until he could buy his vineyard land in 1904.
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Mission-era vines,the vineyard ground was first cleared and planted in 1825 by Franciscan fathers of Mission San Francisco Solano.
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Sonoma's only Prohibition survivor,a sacramental and medicinal permit kept Sebastiani as the county's lone operating winery through the dry years.
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A town-builder in hard times,during the Depression Samuele canned fruit and built Sonoma a skating rink, motel, and theater to keep neighbors working.
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Cherryblock and carved casks,the modern Foley-era flagship Cherryblock Cabernet has earned 98-point scores, poured near redwood tanks carved over 17 years by Earle Brown.
"Tuscan stonemason Samuele Sebastiani's 1904 winery on 1825 mission vineyard land, Sonoma's only Prohibition survivor, now Foley-owned and led by Cherryblock Cabernet."
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Featured Wines
Current Releases
Wines change with each vintage
For an accurate list of current-release wines and library bottlings from Sebastiani Vineyards & Winery, please check the winery's official website or contact the tasting room directly. Downtown Sonoma producers typically rotate vintages and offerings seasonally.
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Walk-In Downtown Sonoma Tasting
Walk in any day for a guided tasting of Sebastiani's estate and Sonoma County lineup, five generations of Italian-American wine culture in the heart of downtown Sonoma. Dogs welcome.
$20
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