Ted Lemon studied in Burgundy, worked at Domaine Guy Roulot, and came home to California with a vision: to make Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the extreme Sonoma Coast with the same rigor and restraint as the great domaines of the Côte d'Or. He founded Littorai in 1993 and became the most important voice in establishing the philosophical and winemaking identity of West Sonoma Coast wine. Biodynamic farming, native yeast, whole-cluster fermentation, and a deep commitment to site specificity define every bottle.
The Haven Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast: from the estate Gold Ridge farm in Sebastopol; an elegant, savory expression of the home vineyard.
Hirsch Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast: a single-vineyard bottling from one of the true Sonoma Coast's most celebrated sites, structured and ageworthy.
Savoy Vineyard Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley: from the well-regarded Savoy site in Mendocino, layered and perfumed.
Charles Heintz Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast: a taut, mineral Chardonnay from a renowned ridgetop vineyard.
B.A. Thieriot Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast: a single-vineyard Chardonnay of clarity and tension.
Littorai makes single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley sites, farmed organically and biodynamically, with the Gold Ridge Estate in Sebastopol as its home farm.
A visit to Littorai is unlike any other in Sonoma. Ted and Heidi Lemon farm 30 acres at the Gold Ridge Estate as a fully integrated biodynamic farm (sheep, cattle, chickens, ducks, compost teas, and a straw-bale winery completed in 2008), modeled on Rudolf Steiner's vision of agricultural self-sufficiency. Tastings are by appointment only and strictly private: a seated guided tasting of single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley sites, hosted in the cellar or outdoors ($70 per person). A longer walking tour adds generative-farming context and a deeper look at compost preparations, water recycling, and the philosophy behind it all. Reservations are essential: email-confirmed with a door code sent after booking. Production is 8,000 cases, allocated across a mailing list and a handful of top restaurants.
