Rebecca’s Vineyard

Russian River Valley

Guardian: The Hermsmeyer Family

I met Josh Hermsmeyer at an OIV wine marketing course at Davis in the summer of 2006. Little did I know that our conversations at the back of the class would lead to such an incredible working relationship—much less allow me to source fruit from one of the nicest spots for Pinot Noir in the Russian River.

Rebecca’s Vineyard is located on Vine Hill—wedged between Joe Swan and the vineyards of a very, very, well-known Chard and Pinot producer. It was Joe Swan himself who took in a long-haired, 27 year old, Peterson boy and schooled him in winemaking back in the mid-70’s. Without his mentoring it is possible my father would never have started Ravenswood. God knows what I would be doing—certainly not something as awesome as this.

In any case, back to Rebecca’s. The vineyard is planted to a suitcase cutting of DRC pinot along with some Pommard-4. Tightly spaced along the edges of a mini-corton made of silty, sandy, Goldridge loams the ten year old vines at Rebecca’s regularly puts out small quantities of intensely flavored Pinot fruit.

The resulting wines are amazing—a testament to a great terroir farmed by a passionate and eager overseer.