B.R. Cohn Winery

Bruce Cohn was managing the Doobie Brothers when he bought an old dairy in Glen Ellen, partly for sanity, mostly for the dairy's existing vineyard, which he soon learned sat on a microclimate of unusual character. Mentored by Charlie Wagner of Caymus, Cohn spent a decade learning the land before opening B.R. Cohn Winery in 1984. The Olive Hill Estate Vineyard (55 acres in 20 blocks, planted mostly to Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller blocks of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec) benefits from a distinct cool air drainage between Sonoma Mountain to the west and the Mayacamas Range to the north. A heritage grove of more than 450 Picholine olive trees, planted by French settlers in the mid-1800s, still produces award-winning olive oil alongside the wines.

Visiting today, you'll find a relaxed tasting bar, vineyard-view cabanas, an outdoor patio, and a memorabilia room that doubles as a quiet shrine to Cohn's four-and-a-half decades in rock-and-roll management. Adair Family Wines bought the winery in late 2024. Winemaker Glenn Hugo oversees the estate program, releasing single-vineyard bottlings under the Olive Hill Estate label alongside a broader Sonoma Valley range. The property is open daily 10 to 5 (last tasting at 4); tastings are best reserved, walk-ins are welcome for wine by the glass or bottle, and the on-site amphitheater hosts the Summer Music Series of winery concerts. A quintessential Glen Ellen visit: laid-back vibe, serious Cabernet, and a soundtrack to match.