Founded in 1858, Gundlach Bundschu is California's oldest family-owned winery, now in its sixth generation. The 320-acre Rhinefarm estate sits at the crossroads of Sonoma Valley, Carneros, and Napa. Regenerative Organic Certified, dog-friendly, and unpretentious. Known for Cabernet, Merlot, and Pinot Noir, plus limited Gewürztraminer and Tempranillo.
Bavarian immigrant Jacob Gundlach sailed for San Francisco in 1850, drawn by the Gold Rush but uninterested in the mines. He founded a brewery instead, used the proceeds to buy 400 acres of Sonoma land in 1858, and named it Rhinefarm. Charles Bundschu, a poet from Mannheim, joined the operation in 1868 and eventually married into the family. The combination of farming, winemaking, and an artistic worldview has shaped the estate through five subsequent generations. Today, brothers Jeff and Jim Bundschu run the operation, the sixth generation of the founding family. The 320-acre estate — vineyards, organic certifications, working winery, and original 1858 stone caves — sits at the crossroads where Sonoma Valley, Carneros, and Napa Valley meet, making for an unusually diverse terroir within a single property.
Vintage Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley — The flagship; a limited bottling with a different artist label each vintage, built to age 20+ years.
Mountain Cuvée, Sonoma County — A velvety estate Bordeaux-style red blend with black cherry and chocolate; the everyday house red.
Dry Gewürztraminer, Sonoma Coast — A Gun Bun signature and one of California's benchmark dry Gewürztraminers.
Estate Vineyard Merlot, Sonoma Valley — Estate-grown on the Rhinefarm property at the foot of the Mayacamas.
Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast — From the cooler valley-floor blocks of the regenerative-organic estate.
GunBun's portfolio is built around Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir, but the limited-production wines — Dry Gewürztraminer, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, and Zinfandel — are what regulars come back for. Annual production sits around 25,000 cases, all estate-grown. The vineyards earned Regenerative Organic Certification, placing the winery alongside Bedrock among Sonoma's progressive-farming leaders. Tastings take place in the original 1858 stone winery building or out on the patio overlooking the winery pond and olive grove. There's a hillside picnic trail open to the public, live music and events throughout the year, and a deliberately laid-back vibe that the family has cultivated for decades. Named one of Travel + Leisure's Best Wineries in 2022 and "Best Winery in Sonoma" by the Sonoma Index-Tribune. Open daily; reservations encouraged, especially on weekends.
Connor Bockman became winemaker for Bundschu Co. — the family business behind Gundlach Bundschu, Abbot's Passage, and GUNBUN — in 2025. A Carneros native and UC Davis graduate in viticulture and enology, he also holds the WSET Level 4 Diploma and brings more than a decade of winemaking experience and a deep commitment to regenerative farming. He oversees the production team at California's oldest continuously family-owned winery, working alongside consulting winemaker Keith Emerson and the sixth-generation Bundschu family. His focus is terroir-driven wines from the 320-acre Rhinefarm estate — Regenerative Organic Certified, first planted in 1858 at the crossroads of Sonoma Valley, Carneros, and the Mayacamas — balancing the winery's heritage of classic Sonoma reds with a willingness to experiment in vineyard and cellar.
Towle Merritt is Vice President of Operations and General Manager of Gundlach Bundschu — California's oldest family-owned winery — and a sixth-generation member of the founding family. A graduate of Sonoma State's Executive Wine MBA program, he joined in 2019 after helping build one of the country's largest premium vineyard-management companies, and now leads day-to-day business and production across the historic Rhinefarm estate. He carries forward the family's famously laid-back Sonoma hospitality, from cave and vineyard tours to live music on the 165-year-old property at the crossroads of Sonoma Valley and Carneros.
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Vintage Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley — The flagship; a limited bottling with a different artist label each vintage, built to age 20+ years.
Mountain Cuvée, Sonoma County — A velvety estate Bordeaux-style red blend with black cherry and chocolate; the everyday house red.
Dry Gewürztraminer, Sonoma Coast — A Gun Bun signature and one of California's benchmark dry Gewürztraminers.
Estate Vineyard Merlot, Sonoma Valley — Estate-grown on the Rhinefarm property at the foot of the Mayacamas.
Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast — From the cooler valley-floor blocks of the regenerative-organic estate.
Bavarian immigrant Jacob Gundlach sailed for San Francisco in 1850, drawn by the Gold Rush but uninterested in the mines. He founded a brewery instead, used the proceeds to buy 400 acres of Sonoma land in 1858, and named it Rhinefarm. Charles Bundschu, a poet from Mannheim, joined the operation in 1868 and eventually married into the family. The combination of farming, winemaking, and an artistic worldview has shaped the estate through five subsequent generations. Today, brothers Jeff and Jim Bundschu run the operation, the sixth generation of the founding family. The 320-acre estate — vineyards, organic certifications, working winery, and original 1858 stone caves — sits at the crossroads where Sonoma Valley, Carneros, and Napa Valley meet, making for an unusually diverse terroir within a single property.
GunBun's portfolio is built around Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir, but the limited-production wines — Dry Gewürztraminer, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, and Zinfandel — are what regulars come back for. Annual production sits around 25,000 cases, all estate-grown. The vineyards earned Regenerative Organic Certification, placing the winery alongside Bedrock among Sonoma's progressive-farming leaders. Tastings take place in the original 1858 stone winery building or out on the patio overlooking the winery pond and olive grove. There's a hillside picnic trail open to the public, live music and events throughout the year, and a deliberately laid-back vibe that the family has cultivated for decades. Named one of Travel + Leisure's Best Wineries in 2022 and "Best Winery in Sonoma" by the Sonoma Index-Tribune. Open daily; reservations encouraged, especially on weekends.
Connor Bockman became winemaker for Bundschu Co. — the family business behind Gundlach Bundschu, Abbot's Passage, and GUNBUN — in 2025. A Carneros native and UC Davis graduate in viticulture and enology, he also holds the WSET Level 4 Diploma and brings more than a decade of winemaking experience and a deep commitment to regenerative farming. He oversees the production team at California's oldest continuously family-owned winery, working alongside consulting winemaker Keith Emerson and the sixth-generation Bundschu family. His focus is terroir-driven wines from the 320-acre Rhinefarm estate — Regenerative Organic Certified, first planted in 1858 at the crossroads of Sonoma Valley, Carneros, and the Mayacamas — balancing the winery's heritage of classic Sonoma reds with a willingness to experiment in vineyard and cellar.
Towle Merritt is Vice President of Operations and General Manager of Gundlach Bundschu — California's oldest family-owned winery — and a sixth-generation member of the founding family. A graduate of Sonoma State's Executive Wine MBA program, he joined in 2019 after helping build one of the country's largest premium vineyard-management companies, and now leads day-to-day business and production across the historic Rhinefarm estate. He carries forward the family's famously laid-back Sonoma hospitality, from cave and vineyard tours to live music on the 165-year-old property at the crossroads of Sonoma Valley and Carneros.
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