DeLoach Vineyards in Sonoma County

DeLoach Vineyards has a storied history. Established by the DeLoach family in 1975, the winery helped to spark a a Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Zinfandel revolution in the Russian River Valley. In 2003, the Boisset family purchased DeLoach and took it to even greater heights.

The DeLoach Estate sits on 20 acres in Sonoma County’s picturesque Russian River Valley on the outskirts of the city Santa Rosa. “First-time visitors are surprised at how beautiful DeLoach Vineyards is,” said Brian Maloney DeLoach’s Vice President of Winemaking. “In fact, we named one of our Estate Pinot Noirs Parcelles Cachées after the Hidden Parcel that is the back part of the vineyard with a breathtaking view, especially at sunset.”

The winery is known for its organic farming practices and even features a Biodynamic Theater of Nature for guests to enjoy. Be sure to take the self-guided tour and check out the culinary garden and medicinal plants.

Wines Offered

Deloach offers Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and a curated selection of exploratory wines that vary from vintage to vintage (including Amphora fermented styles of heritage varieties (Carignane, Ribolla Gialla), sparkling wines and others.

“One of our best-selling wines is the Estate Pinot Noir – it comes from our phenomenal estate vineyard off Olivet Road in the heart of the Russian River Valley,” said Maloney. “The vineyard is planted to a selection of Pinot noir cultivars that allows us, through our Biodynamic farming, to show off all the different aspects of its amazing terroir every vintage.”

Maloney’s personal favorite wine sold at DeLoach is the Maboroshi Vineyard’s Pinot Noir – a vineyard he’s been lucky to be part of crafting for the last 17 years. “When it comes to pairing food with this wine, I suggest simple grilled lamb chops, seared tuna with a soy glaze or a risotto with porcini mushrooms as all beautiful pairings depending on the vintage and the mood,” said Maloney.

Tastings

DeLoach offers a wide array of tastings. 

Appellation Tasting

Guided by Deloach’s expert staff, this private tasting provides a fine sampling of the winery’s offerings and information on the vineyard’s winemaking philosophy and other insights. 

$35 Per Person | 45-60 Minutes

Franco-American Tasting

The Boisset family owns wineries in California and France, which is a unique opportunity to taste both. Guests can experience terroir as they sample the same varietals grown in different soils and climates.  

$35 Per Person 

Estate Library Tasting

DeLoach is known for its Burgundian-style wines and biodynamic farming. This tasting features Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays from DeLoach’s Estate Vineyard.

$60 Per Person | 45-60 Minutes

Estate Tour & Barrel Tasting

This in-depth tasting covers DeLoach’s history and agricultural and winemaking philosophy. Features a cheese and charcuterie board from the Oakville Grocery and barrel samples in the Estate Cellar. Reservations max at 12 guests.

$75 Per Person | 90 Minutes

Virtual Tasting

Can’t make it to the winery, no problem – go virtual. A knowledgeable DeLoach team member leads this one-hour tasting.

About the Winemaker

Brian Maloney has been DeLoach’s Winemaker for 20 years, progressing from harvest intern to Vice President of Winemaking. He grew up on his family’s 150-year-old ranch west of Petaluma and has been involved in one form of agriculture or another for his entire life. “I’ve always loved the science of life, in all its different forms, but also have had a lifelong love of geography,” said Maloney. 

“When my grandmother, Edythe, began sharing the stories of her youth and growing up on a winery and vineyard in Prohibition-era Calistoga it all seemed to click together, and at that point, I decided to pursue a course into viticulture and enology at UC Davis. Along the way, I’ve met great people who’ve helped steer my course – Greg LaFollette, Jean Charles Boisset, among many many others – but I feel that if wasn’t for the stories of my grandmother, I wouldn’t have made that commitment to wine.”

Maloney says his winemaking approach is thoughtful, transparent, minimalist when warranted, grandiose when deserved. “I look for the identity and place of each parcel and am not afraid to take risks – but always look to take care of the grapes and the work that so many have put into every bottle that I’m blessed to be part of,” said Maloney. “I always strive to coax out the maximum flavor, but not at the risk of losing balance and the joyfulness that should come from having a great bottle of wine.”

Teamwork

Maloney loves the seasonal cycles and creative process that goes into each year and vintage and the great people he’s met. “I’m so grateful for the opportunity to craft wines that bring joy and interest to the table.

But I couldn’t do it without my team,” said Maloney. “They come up with amazing ideas, have tremendous fortitude and overall are wonderful people.

With every harvest, I try to instill a sense of camaraderie and family with the team. In that spirit, we canoe the Russian River together before harvest and then alternate making lunch for the entire crew during the week. Since we often have folks from various cultures and culinary traditions, this allows us to learn about each other while bringing the team together around the table during a meal.”