Landmark Vineyards Hop Kiln Estate

Landmark Vineyards Hop Kiln Estate

Located in the heart of the Russian River Valley on an iconic estate that offers limited-production Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Our tasting room is set inside and outside the original 1905 kilns, a registered California Historical Landmark and recognized as “the most significant surviving example of a stone hop kiln in the North Coast Region.” Enjoy a side-by-side comparison of our historic Chardonnays and Estate Pinot Noirs in this dramatic setting. Our Landmark Vineyards Hop Kiln Estate Pinot Noir – a wine that spotlights its prized location in the Middle Reach sub-region, long considered the crown jewel of the famed Russian River Valley, home to world-class wineries, breweries, and distilleries.

Landmark Winery was founded in 1974 by a group including Damaris Deere Ford, the great-great-granddaughter of John Deere. (Inventor of the first steel plow in Grand Detour, IL) The original Landmark Winery location was in Windsor and moved to Kenwood in Sonoma Valley in 1989. With the acquisition of Hop Kiln Estate in 2016, this now includes estate vineyards.

Landmark Vineyards Hop Kiln

Landmark at Hop Kiln is a small estate vineyard on our Sonoma Valley property. Our winemaking philosophy is to source grapes from California’s best vineyards. Our winemaker then weaves together the nuances of each vineyard, blending them to create wines including Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir that must be greater than the sum of their parts–multifaceted, complex, and balanced to be called Landmark wine.

In 1991, Damaris focused exclusively on producing Landmark’s Chardonnay and created the first vintage of the flagship Overlook Chardonnay. Overlook is a neighborhood in Moline, Illinois, the headquarters of John Deere. Overlook was named after the home of Charles Deere, which sits on a bluff above Moline Centre overlooking the Mississippi River in the Overlook neighborhood. The house was declared a Moline historic landmark in 2002, and two of the places are now museums you can visit.

Landmark Winery locations have a storied history:

• In 1905, Sol Walters hired the Italian stonemason Angelo “Skinny” Sodini to construct the massive stone and redwood kilns, now the Landmark Winery at Hop Kiln tasting room. Sodini’s crew finished the building within 35 days. The building consists of three stone kilns for drying hops and an attached wooden cooling barn with a two-story press for baling hops.
• After Sol died in October 1919, his son and daughter took over the property. Adelma took over the 125 acres of present-day Rochioli, and William took over the other 200 or so acres of the 6050 westside area. William lived in his late parent’s 1905 home, and Adelma lived in the house near Rochioli. Her house burned down in 1930 and then again in 1933 after rebuilding. William had 1,440 sheep and built a sheep barn. In 1960 Sol’s house that Will was using was also destroyed by fire. A year later, Marty Griffin bought the property.
• In 1961, Dr. Martin Griffin was a conservationist and well-known for his book Saving the Marin-Sonoma Coast. He purchased the 240-acre-ranch from the retired Billy Walters. The 1880 vineyards were still producing grapes sold to local wineries. Griffin immediately began to restore the hop kiln, barn, and the Victorian house he had moved to the estate. He also restored the original 1880 vineyards, planted a few grape varieties, and sold the fruit to wineries like Korbel and Gallo.
• In 1975, Griffin had brought the building up to county code and obtained the permits needed to turn the hop kiln into a bonded winery, now Landmark Winery. He made Marty Griffin’s Big Red (from the 1880 vineyard), Thousand Flowers white (blend), Primitivo Zinfandel, and Rosa Bellissima (Rosé of Zinfandel). Over the years, he replanted all the 1880 vines to Zinfandel, Cabernet, and Chardonnay. Mr. Griffin sold the winery in 2004 upon retirement.
• The Landmark Vineyards Hop Kiln Estate Pinot Noir 2016 is a highly acclaimed Pinot Noir from one of California’s most respected wineries. This Pinot Noir boasts a complex flavor profile to please even the most discerning palate. With notes of dark fruit, spice, and oak, the Landmark Vineyards Hop Kiln Estate Pinot Noir 2016 is a perfect choice for any occasion. This Pinot Noir will impress you whether enjoying a romantic dinner for two or hosting a large gathering. Order yours today and see why the Landmark Vineyards Hop Kiln Estate Pinot Noir 2016 is one of California’s most famous wines.

Landmark Winery at Hop Kiln is a proud partner of Priority Wine Pass, where you not only get to discover the best wineries and save on tasting fees (so you can buy more wine, of course!). They have been around since 2012 and are the most extensive wine passport program of its kind and offer a full-time concierge that will help once your pass is bought.