Historically cultivated in the Saône-et-Loire, between Dijon and Lyon, and ranging from Burgundy to Champagne, the earliest reliable reference to “Chardonnet” is from the late 1600s. The grape takes its name from the village of Chardonnay in Southern Burgundy. Until the end of the 19^th century, Chardonnay was confused with Pinot Blanc. Surprisingly, DNA testing has shown that Chardonnay is a natural cross between Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc. While Chardonnay is early budding and relatively easy to grow, it is susceptible to frost and thanks to its thin skin, mildew.

Chardonnay is a particularly transparent grape that can produce very different wines depending on where it is grown. It can be dramatically shaped in the winemaking process by factors like malolactic fermentation and the amount of new oak used during aging. Today, Chardonnay is the great white grape of Burgundy. In fact, it has been the success of the finest white Burgundies from places like Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault, and the Côte-d’Or that has driven the rise of Chardonnay around the world. In France, Chardonnay is also the key grape of Chablis, where it makes mouthwateringly crisp and mineral-driven wines, and in Champagne where it combines with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier to make the world’s most revered sparkling wines.

From the Old World to the New World

In the 19^th and 20^th centuries, Chardonnay spread its wings and found new homes in North America, South America, and Australia, where its popularity exploded, making it the official go-to white wine for the vast majority of wine drinkers. It is also planted in Italy, Spain, Austria, New Zealand, South Africa, and throughout Eastern Europe and China. Today, Chardonnay is the world’s most widely planted white wine grape.

Chardonnay Comes to America

Historical records show that Chardonnay had arrived in California by the 1800s, when the head of the California Viticulture Commission, Charles Wetmore, imported budwood from Meursault and planted it in his Livermore vineyard. By early the next century, this selection, as well as clonal material brought over by the Wente family, helped to establish a beachhead for Chardonnay in the New World and led to what is now known as the Wente Selection of Chardonnay. Following a similar timeline, clonal material brought to California by Paul Masson became the source for the Martin Ray selection. In the early 1940s, this selection was planted at Mount Eden in the Santa Cruz Mountains. During this formative period for the grape, the Wente and Martin Ray selections were the key source of Chardonnay budwood in California.

In the 1950s, the US Ambassador to Italy, James Zellerbach, founded Hanzell Vineyards, which focused on producing Burgundian-style Chardonnay. In the years that followed, other wineries in California began growing and making Chardonnay, and in 1976, Chateau Montelena’s victory at the famed Judgment of Paris marked a key turning point for the grape in the US. In the years that followed, demand for Chardonnay grew rapidly, as did planting throughout California, and by the 1980s there was more Chardonnay planted in California than in France. In fact, by 2005, Chardonnay planting in California represented 25% of global production. While early California Chardonnays took inspiration from Burgundy, they soon evolved into more opulent and buttery expressions of the grape, with grapes picked riper and at higher Brix, and the use of more new oak. While this style took hold in much of California, especially in the warm climate of Napa Valley, in cooler regions like Sonoma County, Chardonnay pioneers like Steve MacRostie began championing a brighter, more balanced, and sophisticated expression of the grape. Today, there are more than 100 clonal selections of Chardonnay in California.

Stay tuned for The History of MacRostie’s Chardonnay Program.

At a Glance: Sustainable Wine at MacRostie

• Regenerative farming focused on soil health and biodiversity
• Cover crops, composting, and biochar to improve vineyard resilience
• Reduced synthetic inputs and herbicide minimization
• Owl boxes, insectary rows, and sheep grazing for natural balance
• Crafting Sustainable Sonoma Wines with long-term stewardship

At MacRostie Winery and Vineyards, sustainability isn’t a marketing phrase; it’s a responsibility. From our estate vineyards in the Petaluma Gap to our coastal sites along the Sonoma Coast and in the Russian River Valley, we farm with a long-term vision: to leave our land healthier with every vintage.

What Makes a Winery Sustainable?

For us, sustainability means improving the vineyard ecosystem over time, not simply maintaining it. Rather than focusing only on reducing inputs, we practice regenerative agriculture, an approach centered on soil health, biodiversity, and long-term resilience.

Healthy soils support balanced vines. Balanced vines produce wines that express their site more clearly. That connection between farming and flavor defines our philosophy.

Regenerative Wine: Beyond Organic and Sustainable

Consumers often wonder about the difference between organic vs sustainable wine and now, regenerative wine.

• Organic farming focuses on eliminating synthetic chemicals.
• Sustainable farming varies by program and standards.
• Regenerative farming actively restores soil, increases biodiversity, and strengthens ecosystems year after year.

At MacRostie, regenerative practices include planting diverse cover crops, minimizing soil disturbance, composting vineyard materials, producing biochar from prunings, encouraging beneficial insects and birds, and using rotational sheep grazing to naturally manage vegetation.

These practices build soil organic matter, improve water retention, and reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers and herbicides.

Why Biodiversity Matters

A vineyard is far more than rows of vines – it is a living, interconnected ecosystem. At MacRostie, we actively cultivate biodiversity to help our vineyards thrive naturally and sustainably.

We plant native hedgerows and flowering insectary rows to support pollinators and beneficial insects that contribute to ecological balance. Owl and bluebird nesting boxes encourage natural predators that help manage gophers and vineyard pests without relying heavily on synthetic controls. During the growing season, carefully managed sheep grazing reduces the need for tractor passes, lowering diesel use while naturally managing vegetation.

Together, these practices create a healthier vineyard environment and reflect what Eco-Friendly Winemaking truly means: working with nature to build resilience, rather than relying solely on intervention.

Does Sustainable Wine Taste Different?

A common question is: Is sustainable wine actually better?

Sustainability alone doesn’t guarantee quality. But healthy vineyards consistently produce more balanced fruit. When vines grow in living soils with deep root systems and natural nutrient cycles, they ripen more evenly and require less intervention.

The result is wine that feels vibrant and expressive of place. Our Chardonnay captures coastal freshness and tension. Our Pinot Noir reflects nuance and vineyard character.

Sustainability enhances authenticity.

Sustainable Wine in California: A Long-Term Commitment

Sustainability in California winegrowing is evolving rapidly. Many wineries are moving beyond compliance-based programs toward regenerative practices that address soil carbon, water conservation, and biodiversity.

At MacRostie, this is not a short-term initiative. It is a multi-generational commitment to strengthening our vineyards with every season.

As one of the wineries advancing sustainable farming in Sonoma County, we believe producing Sustainable Sonoma Wines means investing in the land for decades — not just vintages.

Experience It for Yourself

If you’re visiting Sonoma County, we invite you to experience our vineyards and sustainably made wines firsthand.

Taste how thoughtful farming translates into vibrant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Walk through vineyards where biodiversity thrives. See how regenerative agriculture shapes the wines in your glass.

Great wine begins with healthy land — and that’s something you can taste.

Interested in wines grown with intention?

Explore our current releases or join our Wine Club for access to limited-production Chardonnay and Pinot Noir crafted from our sustainably farmed vineyards.

Dear Friends,

In 2013, the year I became winemaker at MacRostie, we acquired a prized 20-acre parcel of land on Westside Road in the acclaimed Middle Reach region of the Russian River Valley. Our vision for the property was ambitious and included building our MacRostie Estate House, as well as a small-lot winery designed for our single-vineyard Pinot Noir program—both of which were completed in 2015. The land also came with a small 13-acre Pinot Noir vineyard that we named Thale’s (pronounced Thay-lee), after Steve MacRostie’s wife.

With an ideal combination of location, climate, and soils, we saw incredible potential for Thale’s Vineyard, but at the time that potential was unrealized. Working alongside Steve and viticultural guru Allen Holstein, we began refining our approach to farming the vineyard, implementing new soil nutrition and irrigation protocols, new shading and pruning procedures, limiting crop levels, and replanting the vineyard with modern viticultural practices and the finest clones and rootstocks.

Today, this vineyard gem features 11 different blocks, each with a unique combination of clone, aspect, soil type, and vine age—yielding numerous exciting options for blending. As a result, we regularly use grapes from Thale’s in our Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, Blanc de Noirs sparkling wine, and our tête de cuvée Pinot Noir, The Loch. While Thale’s has become a cornerstone of our vineyard program, elevating the complexity of any wine it contributes to, its purest expression can be found in the single-vineyard Thale’s Pinot Noir, including our newly released 2022 vintage. I hope that you enjoy it, and that it provides a fascinating taste of our vineyard home in the Russian River Valley.

Best wishes,
Heidi Bridenhagen, Winemaker