When it was planted in 1996, Kanzler Estate was one of the first vineyards in the rolling hills southwest of the small picturesque town of Sebastopol in western Sonoma County. Only eight miles from the Pacific Ocean, the area was long thought to be too cool and foggy for grape growing. But the site proved to be ideal for the notoriously difficult to grow Pinot Noir grape, which prefers a cool climate and the well-drained Goldridge soil predominant here. The long summers are sunny but tempered by cooling afternoon breezes from the nearby ocean. Most nights the fog rolls in to further cool the vines, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and develop the deep, complex and concentrated flavors for which our vineyard is known.