Cline Family Cellars started out in Contra Costa County, making red wines from Oakley’s historic vineyards in 1982. Seven years later, Cline moved to Carneros. With its excellent location—on Arnold Drive/Hwy 121 between Sears Point and Sonoma—the tasting room quickly became a well-known and favorite stop for wine tasters, tourists, and locals alike. 

Cline is so associated with that spot that it may come as a surprise that they are among the largest vineyard holders in the Petaluma Gap AVA. Cline has 650 acres of vines there, 80% of their entire Sonoma County plantings. Actually, though they are separated from each other but substantial hills the winery and Petaluma Gap vineyards aren’t actually too far apart, about 6 miles as the crow flies.

Three of Cline’s Petaluma Gap vineyards—Diamond Pile, Lazy M, and Catapult Ranch— are high on the western face of the Sonoma Mountains. (That’s the range of hills that rise up at Sears Point and run north before dropping down again to disappear into southern Santa Rosa.) Nearby are some of the AVA’s most iconic vineyards, including Rodgers Creek, Griffin’s Lair, and Gaps Crown.

I spent several hours with Tom Gendall to learn more about Cline and their presence in Petaluma Gap. He’s assistant winemaker at Cline Family Cellars, since 2016, and focuses in particular on the Petaluma Gap fruit.

Tom Gendall, assistant winemaker for Cline Family Cellars

Originally from Christchurch, New Zealand, Gendall worked at Pegasus Bay in Waipara for a while, then in Germany for six months. He came to the U.S. in 2011, joining Helen Keplinger at Bryant Family. He went on to Arrowood and Sojourn before joining Cline.

Cline and Sustainable Farming

I met up with him at Cline’s Green String Farm, which is within the AVA. The farm grows fruits and vegetables, sold on site and used by restaurants such as Chez Panisse. Cline is dedicated to sustainable farming and Green String also teaches their growing techniques to school kids and others with interest.

Gendall told me their natural process agriculture is “beyond organic,” very nearly biodynamic. They don’t intend to pursue Demeter certification though. Instead, they follow a protocol of their own devising, “Green String farming.” It’s been their viticultural approach since 2000.

“Whatever we take out of the soil, we put back in” — Tom Gendall

Sheep and goats replace herbicides. Raptors and beneficial insects make pesticides unnecessary. The only anti-fungal is sulfur. There’s a big focus on re-use and composting. Their cover crops help the soil while growing and, again, when they join the compost that is in turn transformed into fertilizing teas. Cage-free, free-range chickens contribute to the compost too, and Cline sells the organic eggs.

Happy chickens at Green String Farm

Southeastern Petaluma Gap AVA

I hopped into Gendall’s truck and he drove us through Diamond Pile. It’s pretty much straight up into the hills from the farm. Both are north of Hwy. 116. The vineyard’s topography is undulating with an assortment of slopes, altitudes, vine orientations, and soil depths.

The soil in this southeastern portion of the Petaluma Gap AVA is largely from Sonoma Volcanics. The base is basalt and rhyolite, from lava flow. The topsoil is clay, eroded from the volcanics. Ratios of sand and rocks vary from site to site.

The fruit at Diamond Pile, as in most hilly, eastern portions of the AVA, enjoys a long hang time. The western facing means vines bask in afternoon sun. However, the combination of altitude and chilly gap wind still make it a few degrees cooler than Carneros overall. High temperatures rarely rise above the low 80s.

The slope also curbs frost risk. Scant rainfall during the growing season translates to minimal disease pressure. Varieties such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Viognier achieve excellent ripeness while maintaining good acidity and keeping sugar in check.

From Diamond Pile we made our way across the highway to Lazy M and Catapult Ranch. The former consists of own-rooted, head-trained, dry-farmed Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Syrah, Sangiovese, and Viognier.

Only 1% of all the vines in all the vineyards of the Petaluma Gap AVA are of varieties other than Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. But Cline grows a number of other varieties. They include Merlot, which Gendall tells me is usually the last to be harvested.

Looking west from high up in the Cline Catapult Ranch Vineyard across the AVA and toward the ocean.

Catapult Ranch is very close to Lazy M and is the largest of these three vineyards. 330 acres of its acres are planted to grapes. Catapult provides the majority of Cline Family Cellars’ Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and much of their Syrah.  Where there aren’t any vines, olive trees stud the grassy terrain.

Conclusions

The panorama from Diamond Pile

Riding through these vineyards gave me a new perspective on the Petaluma Gap AVA. Their altitude and rugged slopes differentiate them from many of the other vineyards there. The views they offer are spectacular and make it clear how exposed they are to the Pacific’s influence. I also came away impressed by Cline’s commitment to the land and the environment overall.

Copyright Fred Swan 2019. Photos of Tom Gendall and the chickens courtesy of Cline. All rights reserved.

About the author: Fred Swan is an Oakland-based wine writer, educator, and event sommelier. He’s written for GuildSomm.com, Daily.SevenFifty.com, The Tasting Panel, SOMM Journal, PlanetGrape.com, and more. Fred teaches a wide range of classes at the San Francisco Wine School. He’s founder/producer of Wine Writers’ Educational Tours, an annual, educational conference for professional wine writers. He also leads seminars, private wine tours, and conducts tastings, dinners, and events for wineries, companies, and private parties. Fred’s certifications include WSET Diploma, Certified Sommelier, California Wine Appellation Specialist, Certified Specialist of Wine, French Wine Scholar, Italian Wine Professional, Napa Valley Wine Educator, Northwest Wine Appellation Specialist, and Level 3 WSET Educator. He’s twice been awarded a fellowship by the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers.