Of all the wineries we visited in Sonoma, Gundlach Bundschu was by far my favorite. The winery was founded in 1858 by German immigrant Jacob Gundlach and has remained in the family for six generations, which makes Gundlach Bundschu the oldest continuously family-owned winery in California.
We bought a picnic basket at the bar along with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and a glass of Pinot Noir, and brought everything up to a small picnic area on a hill with views of the vineyards and a little lake. The basket came with cheese crackers, a honey stick, burrata, some really good olives, a few slices of salami, and a Purple Haze cheese from Cypress Grove. Purple Haze is a goat cheese with lavender that I had never tried before, but it turned out to be fresh, delicious, and just perfect for our little picnic. Sitting there in the sun with wine and good food was exactly the kind of experience I had hoped for in Sonoma.
You can also book more traditional tastings if you want to dive deeper into the wines. Gundlach Bundschu is especially known for their Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay, but they also make some excellent Pinot Noir. The wines are elegant and balanced, and some would say they lean more toward a European style, setting them apart from the bolder wines you often find in Napa and Sonoma.
