Gundlach Bundschu Winery in Sonoma Keeps Building on Tradition

Get a taste of history and listen to some vinyl tunes during the winery's Hi-Fi Happy Hour with $10 glasses of wine and pizza by the slice.


Gundlach Bundschu is the second-oldest winery in Sonoma County — nearby Buena Vista beats it for the top spot by six months — and one of the oldest in California, yet the historic Sonoma winery is anything but stuffy.

The story

In the mid-1800s, Jacob Gundlach set off from his native Germany looking to strike it rich in the California Gold Rush. Fate had other plans for him, however. Gundlach was shipwrecked on his way across the Atlantic, and by the time he finally made it to San Francisco a year later, most of the surface gold was gone. Gundlach needed a profession, so he did what any ambitious, beer-loving German would do: He founded a brewery — and used the money he earned to start a winery.

Gundlach Bundschu Winery
The cave experience at Gundlach Bundschu in Sonoma includes a stroll through the 10,000-square-foot caverns, sampling wines along the way, plus tidbits of juicy family history and a visit to the vineyards to learn about the winery’s certified-regenerative farming methods. (wool + son / Gundlach Bundschu Winery)

In 1858, Gundlach bought a 400-acre parcel in Sonoma, christened it Rhinefarm and began planting vines. Another German immigrant, Charles Bundschu, joined him a decade later and together they built J. Gundlach & Co. into a thriving wine business. After Gundlach died in 1894, the winery’s name changed to Gundlach Bundschu. In the years to follow, the company outlasted both the 1906 earthquake — though it completely destroyed the winery’s San Francisco headquarters — and Prohibition, which prompted the family to turn its efforts to cultivating fruit trees and growing grapes for sacramental wines. Through it all, and for decades after Prohibition, the family always maintained at least 100 acres of wine grapes.

Gundlach Bundshu’s modern incarnation began in 1973, when fifth-generation winegrower Jim Bundschu relaunched the winery side of the business. Jim’s son Jeff now runs the show, overseeing 270 acres of organically and regeneratively farmed grapes at Rhinefarm, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Gewürztraminer and even Tempranillo.

The vibe

The Barrel Room at Gundlach Bundschu Winery in Sonoma. (Gundlach Bundschu Winery)
The Barrel Room at Gundlach Bundschu Winery in Sonoma. (Gundlach Bundschu Winery)

Rhinefarm is just a 10-minute drive from the Sonoma Plaza. Gun-Bun, as the winery is affectionately known, offers a few different sipping and sampling areas, from picnic tables on the patio to a traditional tasting room lined with old family photos and vintage posters. My new favorite spot is the Barrel Room, a groovy lounge outfitted with comfy leather sofas, tables and plush armchairs. Decor aside, the winery has long been known for its fun-loving, irreverent spirit — Jim Bundschu once staged a Western-style “holdup” of the Napa Wine Train, treating passengers to samples of his own wines — and that tradition continues today.

On the palate

Jacob Gundlach planted the first Gewürztraminer at Rhinefarm in 1858, and the grape has had a home on the property ever since. The 2023 Sonoma Valley Dry Gewürztraminer ($29) reminds me of how lovely this wine can be, with its orange blossom aroma and mouthwatering flavors of peaches and citrus.

At Gundlach Bundschu Winery in Sonoma. (Gundlach Bundschu Winery)
At Gundlach Bundschu Winery in Sonoma. (Gundlach Bundschu Winery)

Cabernet Sauvignon is the winery’s signature red, and they do it well, but the 2021 Sonoma Coast Zinfandel ($56) stole my heart on a recent visit. This isn’t one of those big and jammy numbers; this tasting-room-only rendition has holiday spice aromas, impressive structure, and juicy cherry and berry flavors.

Tastings range from $25 for an O.G. bar tasting to $80 for the immersive Winter Cave & Vineyard Tour. The cave experience includes a stroll through the 10,000-square-foot caverns, sampling wines along the way, plus tidbits of juicy family history and a visit to the vineyards to learn about the winery’s certified-regenerative farming methods.

Beyond the bottle

On “third Thursdays” throughout the winter, Gun-Bun hosts Hi-Fi Happy Hour from 5-7 p.m. in the Barrel Room. Bundschu family members spin vinyl selections on the vintage turntable (Jeff Bundschu is a music fanatic, staging folk-indie performances at the winery throughout the year) while guests kick back and enjoy $10 glasses of wine. Feeling snacky? You can purchase pizza by the slice.

2000 Denmark St., Sonoma, 707-938-5277, gunbun.com

Tina Caputo is a wine, food and travel writer whose work has appeared in numerous publications, including SevenFifty Daily, Visit California, HuffPost and Sonoma magazine. Follow Tina on Twitter @winebroad, view her website at tinacaputo.com, and email her story ideas at tina@caputocontent.com.