The Coturri winemaking lineage began in 1901 when Enrico Coturri immigrated to America from the small Italian village of Farneta with ten dollars in his pocket. He made wine in San Francisco during Prohibition, teaching his son Harry "Red" Coturri, who in turn taught his sons Tony and Phil. In 1967, the family planted two acres of vineyard on Sonoma Mountain above Glen Ellen, and more vines followed in the 1970s. Then, in 1979, they founded Coturri Winery, three decades before natural wine became a movement. Tony Coturri has made wine continuously since the early 1960s, with the same uncompromising approach: organic and dry-farmed grapes, native yeast fermentation, aging in neutral oak, no sulfites, no fining, no filtration.
Estate Zinfandel, Sonoma Mountain: the pride of Coturri, from dry-farmed, head-pruned vines planted in the 1970s above Glen Ellen.
“Red” Red Blend: a perpetual non-vintage blend of California heritage varieties, named for founder Harry “Red” Coturri.
Grenache: a pure, juicy expression from organically and biodynamically grown fruit.
Syrah: a full-bodied, fruit-driven red in Coturri's rustic, hands-off style.
Founded in 1979, Coturri is a pioneer of California natural wine: organic grapes, native-yeast fermentation, neutral oak, and no fining, filtering, or added sulfites.
Today Tony Coturri is widely recognized as the godfather of California natural wine. His son Nic Coturri launched Sonoma Mtn. Winery in 2009 as a project of Coturri Winery (Dan Marioni has made its wines since 2019); his brother Phil became one of Sonoma's pioneers of organic vineyard farming. The Coturri estate Zinfandel (head-pruned, dry-farmed Sonoma Mountain vines planted in the 1970s) is the pride of the winery. A small, dedicated lineup also includes the perpetual blend Coturri 'Red' (named for Tony's father, now layering wines from each vintage since 2010), the Albarello, Founder's Series wines, and collaborations with younger natural-wine makers who set up shop at the winery (Caleb Leisure makes wines in buried Georgian qvevri here; Jacques Mathieu, Ashanta Wines, and Far Mountain are part of the extended community). Tastings are by appointment only and oriented to serious wine drinkers; arrange via email.
