Hirsch Vineyards

David Hirsch planted his first vines on a remote coastal ridge above Cazadero in 1980, long before Fort Ross-Seaview existed as an appellation. For decades he sold fruit to some of California's most celebrated producers (Williams Selyem, Littorai, Kistler) before bottling under his own label. The estate wines are benchmark expressions of what these ancient, rocky soils can produce: Pinot Noir of unusual density, precision, and longevity, shaped by cold Pacific winds and thin soils that stress the vines into producing small, concentrated fruit. One of the most important vineyard addresses in California.

David Hirsch was one of the first people to recognize that extreme coastal sites could produce great Pinot Noir, and the estate is now widely regarded as the birthplace of what came to be called the true Sonoma Coast style. The 72-acre vineyard sits on a mountaintop ranch shaped by the San Andreas Fault, with innumerable micro-soils and cool, fog-driven summers; since 2014 it's been farmed biodynamically and regeneratively. Daughter Jasmine Hirsch now leads as General Manager and Winemaker. The vineyard itself is closed to the public, so the tasting room in Healdsburg's Old Roma Station building (intimate, private, and designed by Marie Hirsch for focused, seated tastings) is where the wines are poured, and a stop on the Healdsburg wine walk. Discover Hirsch ($45, 45 minutes) and Beyond the Fault Line ($75, 60 minutes) are offered daily by appointment; guests must be 21 or over, and only service animals are allowed.