Alegría Vineyard

AVA

Russian River Valley

Decade

1890s

County

Sonoma

Current Owner

Betsy & Bill Nachbaur

Planted by

George & Summers Brumfield

Location Notes

3 miles south of Healdsburg on Pedroncelli Road east
of Old Redwood Hwy and 1/4 mile south of Limerick Lane.

Wineries

Acorn, Rock Wall, Parmeson, Hawley, and Bailarin

Historical Producers

Ridge 1990-1996, Rosenblum 1997-2003, JC Cellars 1997-1999, Stryker-Sonoma, 2003-2007, DeLoach (2011-2012), Miro (2013-2014)

Characteristics

Blackberry, plum, chocolate, raspberry, coffee, black pepper. Substantial amounts of Petite Sirah and Alicante Bouschet add structure and color.

Description

Alegría Vineyard is part of the 1841 Sotoyome land grant. The Brumfield family emigrated from Virginia and settled on the land in 1852. Their 850-acre property included the present Ponzo vineyards as well as ours. The California Board of State Viticultural Commissioners’ 1891 Directory of Grape Growers lists Summers Brumfield as having 18 acres of Zinfandel and Mission grapes in 1889 producing 1.67 tons/acre, which would indicate planting in 1886 or earlier. In 1896 Elizabeth Moes purchased 40 acres of the Brumfield ranch and built a small winery on her property. After she died in 1924, her daughter Ernestine and son-in-law Adolph DiNucci maintained the vineyard during Prohibition and until 1943. The vineyard then passed through a series of owners and was purchased in 1947 by Americo Rafanelli, who replanted part of the vineyard in 1950. Rafanelli sold to Arnold Bruschera in 1951, who sold to the Allen family in 1973, who sold to the Nachbaurs in 1990.

The Alegría Vineyard is a field blend that is 78% Zinfandel, 11% Alicante Bouschet, and 9% Petite Sirah. The remaining 2% includes Carignan, Trousseau (Bastardo), Sangiovese, Negrette, Plavac Mali, Palomino, Syrah, Tannat, Muscat Noir, Monbadon, Peloursin, Graciano, Cinsaut, Béclan, and Grenache.

Phone

707 433-6440

Submitted by

Betsy and Bill Nachbaur, owners

Certified