Rombauer Vineyards Expands Its Range With Zinfandel, Pinot Noir And New Varietals

Back at the dawn of the modern California wine era, 1972, Koerner and Joan Rombauer moved their two children, two horses and five dogs to Napa Valley. Koerner’s great aunt Irma Rombauer wrote the seminal American cookbook, The Joy of Cooking, and his German ancestors had deep roots in the wine growing region of Rheingau. In 1980 the family founded their first vineyard and soon expanded to vineyards in Napa Valley, Sonoma County and the Sierra Foothills. After decades of producing award-winning Cabernets and Chardonnay, they have added a variety of varietals to their estate. I sat down with Bob Knebel, Rombauer’s President and CEO, and Richie Allen, VP of Viticulture and Winemaking, in New York to discuss current plans for expansion without massive production increases.

You make three Chardonnays. What are the distinctions among them and the reason for the price spread?

Rombauer actually has five Chardonnays in the portfolio. Our iconic Chardonnay is made from Carneros fruit and is one of the most popular wines in restaurants across the country. Rombauer Vineyards produced their first Chardonnay with the 1982 vintage, but it wasn’t until 1990 that they made their first Chardonnay from Carneros, where the San Pablo Bay meets the southern end of Napa and Sonoma valleys. The cool climate and soils of this region provide ideal conditions for this quintessential Carneros Chardonnay with intense fruit flavors balanced by fresh acidity. To put this in perspective, we source Chardonnay grapes from about 130 blocks throughout Carneros, but we chose to produce only two single-vineyard wines.

Rombauer also has two single-vineyard Chardonnays:

Buchli Station —Of all our Chardonnay vineyards, this site sits closest to San Pablo Bay with its salt plains and cooler weather. These geographic factors contribute to the hallmark minerality, briny character, and high acidity of Buchli Station Chardonnay. This wine exemplifies the signature acidity that is one of the primary pillars of Rombauer Chardonnay.

Home Ranch—The Sangiacomo family has farmed the Carneros region for generations. This single-vineyard designate showcases the distinct character of their Home Ranch Vineyard. Planted in 1982, these 40-year-old vines have small yields of exceptionally dense grapes. Our Home Ranch Chardonnay epitomizes the creamy, round, and rich component that is one the hallmarks of Rombauer Chardonnay.

At the top of the portfolio is the Proprietor’s Selection, a reserve Chardonnay from Carneros fruit produced only in exceptional vintages by blending the best barrels from the finest lots. For example, the most recent release (the 2021 vintage) represents only the 15th Proprietor’s Selection Chardonnay in 42 years.

And finally, there is Joy, our late-harvest Chardonnay. This dessert wine is very special in that we are only able to make it when conditions allow, typically about once every five years. The wine gets its sweetness from what is called “noble rot.” Botrytis dehydrates the grape within the skin, concentrating the sugar, acid, and flavors. The result is a naturally sweeter and very complex dessert wine.

Originally the founders of Rombauer wanted to limit their range of wines to only two or three varietals. Why and when did expansion lead to so many more varietals?

The founder, Koerner Rombauer, wanted the brand to stay focused and limit varieties in order to do a great job with a smaller selection; think quality over quantity. Rombauer made Cabernet Sauvignon first, considering its home in Napa, where this variety thrives. Chardonnay also made sense for the region and was a classic varietal that Koerner felt they could craft into a world-class wine. Merlot was also very popular at the time they started and did well in Napa, which is why that was part of the early portfolio.

Koerner was open-minded to adding varieties to the brand, but he was also incredibly prudent. At the end of the day, he wanted to ensure that whatever wine was added, was produced at a high-quality and it was the best expression of the variety possible.

You decided to make Pinot Noir after a long search for the right terroir. Please explain.

Pinot Noir was one of the most requested wines by our customers over the years. Many times visitors would taste through our Chardonnays then ask to try our Pinot, and we had to break it to them that we didn’t have a Pinot Noir in our lineup. When it became time to start the project, we spent some time sampling Pinots from notable regions and determined that the incredible Santa Lucia Highlands in Monterey County would provide us with exceptional fruit. And with the help of Adam Lee, we are proud to source wine grapes from several iconic vineyards that represent the best of the appellation, including locations owned by the Franscioni and Pisoni families, known to produce legendary wines.

You also make Zinfandel that is your biggest seller. It is above 16% in alcohol. Is that intentional?

Chardonnay is actually the biggest seller, with Zinfandel coming in second, but it is definitely the most popular red wine we produce. While the wine is somewhat high in alcohol, the grapes we source in the Sierra Foothills are incredibly concentrated and full of fruit flavor. This intense, richer fruit-forward wine allows for the alcohol to be a bit higher, without impacting the flavor or disrupting the balance. Balance is the goal, and we are very successful when it comes to our Zinfandel in achieving this and producing a delicious wine.

What is the relationships among sugar, alcohol level and phenolics?

Building on the information we shared regarding our Zinfandel, sugar has a rounding effect on the wine, helping to mask high tannins and higher alcohol levels. Every wine has a different composition, but the goal is to have all these elements work together to achieve balance.

Have fires become the norm in Napa Valley? How can they be defended against?

We have been fortunate as of late, but they have always been a factor in California. Fortunately, the last couple of the fires cleared out a lot of the fuel that had built up. Additionally, we remain very active as a community to respond quickly, in the event something does happen, before things get carried away.

Has global warming affected the grapes in Napa and Sonoma as in Europe?

Overall, harvest is a little earlier and our weather patterns have been a bit erratic, but we are only a few weeks off from our historic harvest timing. In the vineyards we are also modifying canopy structures to adapt to the conditions of the growing season. The good news is we are still making beautiful wine from great fruit, and over decades the wine style may change, but we will make it the best expression of variety possible.

How much of your output is sold on premises through the tasting room?

Currently, we sit at about 80% market distribution and 20% DTC, driven mostly by our wine club. With that being said, we also know that our wine club members also buy Rombauer at retail and restaurants throughout the year.

You say that Rombauer’s aim is to “make just one less case than we can sell.” Explain.

We want to balance being attainable while still leaving our loyal customers wanting a little bit more. We have been chasing demand for decades, but we want to also keep the brand special. We want to make sure people can find and enjoy our wines, but we also don’t overproduce.

You just bought vineyard land in Sonoma. So further expansion is planned in the near future?

Our recent acquisition in Sonoma was meant to assist us in growing our Sauvignon Blanc production. We are customer driven and this acquisition helps us meet the demands of this popular variety. We are also acquiring land so that we can manage wine growing and farming our vineyards in-house. In the case of the Sauvignon Blanc, we sourced almost all of the grapes from local growers, and now we have the opportunity to produce our own estate fruit for this wine.

How has Rombauer become a leader in philanthropy?

For more than 40 years, Rombauer Vineyards has generously supported those most in need, and they continue to put philanthropy at the top of their priority list. Each year, the company sets aside $250,000 to donate across several causes. Four pillars of philanthropy guide its contributions: health and human services; education; agriculture; and active military/veterans and first responders. In 2022, they donated to more than 30 organizations to help further their missions. Rombauer also provides extensive contributions to cancer research and care. The Rombauer Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund was established in memory of founder Joan Rombauer, who passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2002. In 2010, the Rombauer family established a $5 million endowment, the Joan Rombauer UCSF Endowed Fellowship. The Rombauer family also supports Collabria Care Hospice with annual donations in appreciation for the care Joan received at the end of her life. In fact, the Collabria Care building in Napa was renamed in 2012 as The Rombauer Family Center.