Founded in 1977 by Sandra MacIver with Merry Edwards as inaugural winemaker, the estate that founded the Bennett Valley AVA, designated in 2003. It sits in a horseshoe-shaped pocket where Petaluma Gap winds meet volcanic hillsides. The lavender fields are the other landmark, a working crop visible from every vantage.
Founded in 1977 by Sandra MacIver with Merry Edwards as the inaugural winemaker, Matanzas Creek did more than launch a winery — it founded an AVA. The estate played a central role in securing Bennett Valley's official designation in 2003, and its Sauvignon Blanc helped define the category for a generation of California winemakers. Purchased by Jackson Family Wines in 2000, the winery continues to produce site-expressive wines from sustainably certified estate vineyards. The property is also famous for its lavender fields — a defining landmark of Bennett Valley.
Bennett Valley Merlot — The signature wine that made the appellation's reputation; black cherry, dark chocolate and a classic, balanced style.
Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc — A nine-vineyard blend, individually harvested and fermented; bright, layered and a longtime benchmark.
Bennett Valley Chardonnay — Firmly structured, with golden apple, pear and a cool-climate line of acidity.
Estate Red Blend, Bennett Valley — A Bordeaux-style blend led by Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and Malbec; ripe and structured.
Journey Merlot — The flagship, individually numbered best-barrels bottling made only in exceptional years; rare and collectible.
Founded in 1977 by Sandra MacIver (with Merry Edwards as inaugural winemaker), Matanzas Creek helped found the Bennett Valley AVA and remains a Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot pioneer. Now part of Jackson Family Wines, with winemaker Marcia Torres Forno and the estate's iconic lavender fields.
Matanzas Creek sits in a horseshoe-shaped pocket where Petaluma Gap winds meet Bennett Valley's volcanic hillsides, and the estate's Merlot — once considered the signature California expression of the variety — remains the wine that made the appellation's reputation. The property spans 300 acres of certified sustainable land, 55 planted to Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir. Winemaker Marcia Torres Forno farms meticulously and blends with restraint. The lavender fields visible from every tasting room vantage are the other landmark — a working commercial crop that anchors the hospitality experience. Tastings from walk-up flights on the terrace to private seated tastings in the winemaker's library. Estate dogs and visitors welcome.
Marcia Torres Forno has been the winemaker at Matanzas Creek since 2010, building on a Bennett Valley estate founded in 1977 and made famous by founding winemaker Merry Edwards's benchmark Sauvignon Blanc. Born in Chile and trained in agricultural engineering and enology at Catholic University in Santiago — with an MBA from Sonoma State — she honed her craft at Cardinale in Napa and Kendall-Jackson in Sonoma before taking the reins. Known for her command of aromatics, she harvests each block in phases and ferments in oak, concrete eggs, and stainless steel to layer texture into the winery's Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Merlot. The estate, now part of Jackson Family Wines, is certified sustainable.
Sandra MacIver founded Matanzas Creek in 1977 with her husband Bill, establishing a trailblazing winery on the site of a former Bennett Valley dairy. With Merry Edwards as her founding winemaker, MacIver set out to make world-class, terroir-driven wines and quickly earned acclaim for benchmark Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot. In 1996 Wine Spectator named her one of the twenty most influential people in the modern wine industry. Her vision helped define the Bennett Valley growing region and shaped a winery — now part of Jackson Family Wines — still known for its lavender gardens and aromatic whites.
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Bennett Valley Merlot — The signature wine that made the appellation's reputation; black cherry, dark chocolate and a classic, balanced style.
Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc — A nine-vineyard blend, individually harvested and fermented; bright, layered and a longtime benchmark.
Bennett Valley Chardonnay — Firmly structured, with golden apple, pear and a cool-climate line of acidity.
Estate Red Blend, Bennett Valley — A Bordeaux-style blend led by Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and Malbec; ripe and structured.
Journey Merlot — The flagship, individually numbered best-barrels bottling made only in exceptional years; rare and collectible.
Founded in 1977 by Sandra MacIver (with Merry Edwards as inaugural winemaker), Matanzas Creek helped found the Bennett Valley AVA and remains a Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot pioneer. Now part of Jackson Family Wines, with winemaker Marcia Torres Forno and the estate's iconic lavender fields.
Founded in 1977 by Sandra MacIver with Merry Edwards as the inaugural winemaker, Matanzas Creek did more than launch a winery — it founded an AVA. The estate played a central role in securing Bennett Valley's official designation in 2003, and its Sauvignon Blanc helped define the category for a generation of California winemakers. Purchased by Jackson Family Wines in 2000, the winery continues to produce site-expressive wines from sustainably certified estate vineyards. The property is also famous for its lavender fields — a defining landmark of Bennett Valley.
Matanzas Creek sits in a horseshoe-shaped pocket where Petaluma Gap winds meet Bennett Valley's volcanic hillsides, and the estate's Merlot — once considered the signature California expression of the variety — remains the wine that made the appellation's reputation. The property spans 300 acres of certified sustainable land, 55 planted to Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir. Winemaker Marcia Torres Forno farms meticulously and blends with restraint. The lavender fields visible from every tasting room vantage are the other landmark — a working commercial crop that anchors the hospitality experience. Tastings from walk-up flights on the terrace to private seated tastings in the winemaker's library. Estate dogs and visitors welcome.
Marcia Torres Forno has been the winemaker at Matanzas Creek since 2010, building on a Bennett Valley estate founded in 1977 and made famous by founding winemaker Merry Edwards's benchmark Sauvignon Blanc. Born in Chile and trained in agricultural engineering and enology at Catholic University in Santiago — with an MBA from Sonoma State — she honed her craft at Cardinale in Napa and Kendall-Jackson in Sonoma before taking the reins. Known for her command of aromatics, she harvests each block in phases and ferments in oak, concrete eggs, and stainless steel to layer texture into the winery's Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Merlot. The estate, now part of Jackson Family Wines, is certified sustainable.
Sandra MacIver founded Matanzas Creek in 1977 with her husband Bill, establishing a trailblazing winery on the site of a former Bennett Valley dairy. With Merry Edwards as her founding winemaker, MacIver set out to make world-class, terroir-driven wines and quickly earned acclaim for benchmark Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot. In 1996 Wine Spectator named her one of the twenty most influential people in the modern wine industry. Her vision helped define the Bennett Valley growing region and shaped a winery — now part of Jackson Family Wines — still known for its lavender gardens and aromatic whites.
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