Happy holidays from the Russian River Valley! As our milestone 35th anniversary draws to a close and the holidays approach, it is a wonderful time to reflect on the year that was, and the promising one ahead. In the world of wine, every vintage brings new experiences and new opportunities, and that was certainly the case in 2022. Here at MacRostie, the big news was the unveiling of our new Nightwing Estate Vineyard in the acclaimed Petaluma Gap AVA.

Located near the famed Gap’s Crown Vineyard, Nightwing reaches heights of 1,400 feet and was planted as a mosaic of 35 blocks, with 44 acres of Pinot Noir and 30 acres of Chardonnay. While designing Nightwing, which features a wonderful diversity of elevations, exposures, and soils, Steve MacRostie and I were able to select all of our favorite clones and rootstocks. I am a huge fan of the Petaluma Gap AVA, and being able to design and plant an estate vineyard from the ground up in the region was one of the highlights of my career.

Many of you were able to join me at our party at the Nightwing Vineyard, where we had a live band, delicious food, and large-format wines. It was a wonderful way to christen the vineyard, and I can still remember standing with guests as we watched the fog roll in through the Petaluma Gap. During the party, we shared our debut 2020 Nightwing Vineyard Chardonnay, which was a big hit! For those who haven’t already added this inaugural wine to your collection, I’m excited to share the news that it just received 94 points from Wine Enthusiast, which hailed it as “a great achievement.”

As we look to 2023, we have several exciting new releases planned, including our debut Nightwing Vineyard Pinot Noir, our first-ever Blanc de Blancs, and Blanc de Noirs sparkling wines, and a new vineyard-designate Pinot Noir from the famed Fiddlestix Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills. I am also really excited about our new Clockwise Zinfandel from the legendary Monte Rosso Vineyard. If Zinfandel vineyards were classified as Grand Cru sites, the historic Monte Rosso Vineyard in the Moon Mountain AVA would be one of them. First planted in the 1880s, it is without question one of the world’s great Zin vineyards.

In closing, I want to thank our wonderful club members and customers for another fantastic year. Your patronage and support is a constant source of inspiration as we strive to craft wines that stir the senses and satisfy the soul.

May your holidays be filled with joyful gatherings and delightful wines!

Warmest wishes,

 

Heidi Bridenhagen
MacRostie Winemaker

Heidi Bridenhagen, Winemaker

In 2011, when I joined MacRostie, we had less than 10 employees and no Estate House. Back then, Steve and Thale MacRostie would host our team at their home for an annual pre-harvest celebration, where meals always started with a glass of sparkling wine on their patio followed by an intimate seated tasting, and you definitely couldn’t leave without a tour of Thale’s beautiful garden! When we visited, Steve and Thale made us feel like members of their family or dear friends visiting from far away.

A few years later, with renowned wine country architect Douglas Thornley set to design our MacRostie Estate House near the charming town of Healdsburg in the Russian River Valley, we wanted to emulate what Steve and Thale did so flawlessly. This included greeting guests with a glass of wine and providing beautiful spaces for people to relax and enjoy each others company.

This month marks ten years since we unveiled our stunning Estate House. I remember the excitement when we broke ground, the pride that we all felt when we welcomed our first guests, and countless wonderful memories from events over the years. The response to our Estate House has been amazing, both from customers who have made it their wine country home away from home, and from the press, with the Estate House being hailed as one of “The Ten Most Beautiful Wineries in California” by Condé Nast Traveler, the “Best Tasting Room in Napa and Sonoma” by San Francisco Magazine, one of the “Best Winery Patios in Sonoma & Napa” by Sonoma Magazine, and one of The Press Democrat’s “Go-To Sonoma County Spots to Take Out-of-Town Guests.”

The Estate House changed everything for MacRostie. It gave us our Thale’s Estate Vineyard and a new small-lot winery exclusively for Pinot Noir. Most importantly, it gave us a home that we could share with our growing community of customers, club members and other friends. Guided by the gracious approach to hospitality we learned from Steve and Thale, and by the vision of architect Douglas Thornley, the Estate House made MacRostie more than a name on a label; it made us a place where wine lovers can explore our wines and share their passion with like-minded wine enthusiasts.

Douglas Thornley, Estate House Architect and Wine Club Member

When we set out to build the MacRostie Estate House over a decade ago, we sought out the talents of award-winning architect Douglas Thornley. Not only is Douglas one of wine country’s most sought-after architects and the creative force behind such spectacular wineries as Cuvaison, Hamel, Baldacci, and Paraduxx, he is a longtime MacRostie club member, so we knew we were in great hands!

When Douglas, who is currently a principal at Goring & Straja Architects, was designing the Estate House, one of his goals was to give Steve MacRostie the winery home he’d always wanted. “I took the idea of creating a ‘home’ for Steve and MacRostie literally and found inspiration in the region’s agrarian residences with gable forms and wood finishes. I also worked to create a destination with multiple indoor and outdoor spaces for visitors to enjoy.”

For the interior, this includes exposed Douglas fir rafters and a beautifully rendered wall of cathedral-like cabinetry, 10-foot-high glass windows overlooking the arrival plaza, and collapsing Schweiss doors that fold up and in, providing a canopy framing the Estate House’s showplace Barrel Hall. Outside, the Estate House offers three patios: a covered terrace overlooking the Russian River with sweeping views of Mount St. Helena, a balcony terrace looking towards Thale’s Vineyard, and a private terrace off the sophisticated VIP room. The property also includes custom water features, a paved terrace with curved seating walls, and a hidden gravel terrace with custom multi-sided wood-bench seating under a beautiful old oak within the vineyard.

For Douglas, three factors make a successful winery. “A successful winery is a three-legged stool. It offers great wines, great staff, and a memorable space that people want to return to again and again. MacRostie does all three.” Looking back on his design a decade later, Douglas is particularly happy with the way the Estate House blurs the lines between the indoors and outdoors, especially the courtyard with its view into the barrel room. “The goal was to create a fluid relationship between the inside and outside. In places, this includes using tumbled American stone flooring materials both indoors and out, and interior walls clad with exterior materials to blur the lines between the two, with the goal of creating a bright and modern sense of space.”

Douglas fondly remembers the opening of the Estate House. “It takes a team to create something special like the Estate House, and I will always remember the big unveiling party they had for the staff and design team. It was a magical moment.” As a club member for over a decade, Douglas loves to come to the Estate House to watch guests interact with the space. He also has his own favorite spots. “When I visit, I particularly love the north porch. It’s my favorite place and has my favorite couch. It’s also the hotspot of the Estate House, where I can watch everything that I helped create come to life.”

A decade after its opening, we continue to find new ways to showcase the beauty of Douglas’s design. From unique wine events like our upcoming Spring Soirée to our wildly popular Sunset Series, where guests savor the stunning vineyard views as they enjoy different pop-up chefs and live musicians, the Estate House is an idyllic spot to savor, celebrate, and unwind. With tasting options like our new Nightwing Experience, which features a flight of 90+ point, limited-production Nightwing wines paired with caviar and local artisan cheeses and charcuterie, it is also the perfect place to foster a deeper connection with MacRostie and our wines.

For those who love wine and food events, or are planning a wine tasting trip to explore the best of Healdsburg or Sonoma County, our tasting room offers an unforgettable all-season destination. We hope to see you soon!

Warmest Holiday Wishes And Our Thanks for a Wonderful 2024!

Dear Friends,

As another year draws to a close and we prepare to make merry in the festive days ahead, we want to express our gratitude for your patronage. We are incredibly fortunate to have such an amazing community of friends. Thank you for your support—it’s a constant source of inspiration for our team!

Sunset Memories

Looking back on 2024, we have so many wonderful memories. In June, we launched our incredibly popular Sunset Series, an evening experience where we featured a different live musician and local chef each month. From the delectable Asian cuisine of Second Staff to the Middle Eastern delights of Shwarmaji to the lobster rolls from Brunch Boys, it’s been incredibly fun to pair our wines with an array of cuisines. Nearby Healdsburg has emerged as a foodie paradise, and we are excited to announce that we will be continuing our Sunset Series next year where we will continue to spotlight the talents of Sonoma County’s amazing chefs and musicians.

Nightwing Takes Flight!

Marking the debut of our new Nightwing Calera Clone Pinot Noir, Swan Clone Pinot Noir, and First Flight Pinot Noir, 2024 was an amazing year for our youthful Nightwing Estate Vineyard. Like our winemaker, Heidi Bridenhagen, Nightwing has earned a reputation for excellence at an early age, with the promise of more great things to come. While it often takes years for new vineyards to produce the highest quality grapes, Nightwing has matured at an extraordinary pace. For Heidi, this reflects the site’s inherent quality and the care that goes into its farming. “We have tried to give everything we can to the vines. The vines are giving back.”

Looking ahead, Nightwing’s future looks bright. In 2025, we will be releasing some exciting new small-lot wines that continue to highlight the uniqueness of the vineyard. We will also be debuting a brand-new Nightwing Tasting Experience that will include barrel samples and a comparative tasting of our acclaimed Nightwing wines.

Unforgettable Events

2024 was filled with fantastic events, including our Spring Soirée and Autumn Affair. To reflect our commitment to the environment and our connection to nature, our Spring Soirée had llamas and sheep as special guests. For our Autumn Affair, we were joined by West Coast Falconry, who brought five adorable owls for guests to interact with—both to highlight the fact that Sonoma is home to more than 200 species of birds, and as a nod to the name of our Nightwing Vineyard, which honors the Petaluma Gap’s many indigenous birds.

High Praise for MacRostie

With the release of wines from the exceptional 2021 and 2022 vintages, 2024 was another banner year for great press. So far, our wines from these two vintages have earned 107 scores of 90 points or higher, with the promise of more great reviews to come. In the 12 years since becoming our winemaker, Heidi’s wines have earned more than 500 scores of 90+ points, which is remarkable! Following on the heels of earning the “Winemaking Excellence Award” at the 2023 Women in Wine Awards and being named one of North Bay Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40,” we just found out that Heidi is being honored with another exciting award in 2025. While we’re not allowed to tell you what it is just yet, we look forward to sharing this exciting news in the New Year!

The Promise of the 2024 Vintage

As a winery dedicated to cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the 2024 growing season was excellent. Because everything was picked before a big October heat wave, the grapes arrived in pristine condition, with pure, profound flavors and an electric intensity that promises a standout vintage. While it is still very early to properly assess the characteristics of individual wines, overall, 2024 looks to be an extraordinary vintage, with the potential for our 2024 Chardonnays to rival our acclaimed 2021 bottlings!

A Memorable Milestone in 2025

This coming February we will be celebrating the 10-year anniversary of our stunning MacRostie Estate House. Back in 2015, when we opened the Estate House, we had just a few hundred club members. Today, we have a vibrant community of several thousand. The Estate House changed everything for MacRostie. It gave us our Thale’s Estate Vineyard and a new small-lot Pinot Noir winery. Most importantly, it gave us a home where wine lovers could come and explore our wines and share their passion with like-minded wine enthusiasts. Thank you for your passion and patronage over the past decade, and if you haven’t visited us recently, we hope to see you soon!

Until then, thank you for another amazing year. May your holidays be filled with joyful gatherings and unforgettable wines!

Warmest holiday wishes,

The MacRostie Team