Vineyards

Richaven

— Estate Vineyard —

In 2013, Merry and Ken purchased a new home in the Sebastopol Hills region of Russian River Valley. This 23-acre property has a lovely hillside facing the ocean, which is seven miles to the west. Just one-half mile down the road from our Meredith Estate vineyard, this site has full benefit of coastal morning fog and cooling afternoon breezes. In years past, this was planted to apple orchards that blanketed the neighborhood. The soils are well-drained Goldridge sandy loam, providing another condition needed for winegrowing excellence. Merry’s UCD37 clone and Schwarzmann rootstock were chosen for the 10-acre Pinot Noir vineyard planted on the site in 2015.

The name of the vineyard has its origins in Ken’s family history. He grew up living on a 40-acre citrus orchard in Southern California. The family home there was surrounded by an amazing garden, a collection of rare plants tended by his grandfather, B.G., whose last name was Richardson. “Rich” from B.G.’s name was combined with the word “haven” in naming the estate Richaven.