Deerfield Ranch Winery is an award-winning winery located in the heart of the Sonoma Valley at Kenwood. We specialize in small lots of handmade wine from select Northern California vineyards. Currently we have 17 vineyards under contract and make as many as 40 separate lots of wine from those vineyards.

Our wines can be tasted FREE at the Family Wineries of Sonoma Valley tasting room at 9200 Sonoma Highway (Highway 12) in Kenwood.

We make several wine varietals and blends, something for everyone, a wine for every occasion.

Production lots vary from 250 cases to 1000 cases. We will produce about 8,000 cases in 2005, and plan to grow to a maximum of 25,000 cases per year in our New Winery. We are currently distributed in 14 states the United Kingdom, Canada and Bermuda. Questions regarding distribution should be directed to Bruce Patch.

Brief descriptions of each wine can be found through links on the Shopping Cart. There is a "more information" link under each bottle. A more detailed description of each wine, including a larger picture of the bottle, can be found on the individual Wine Fact Sheets Linked here and via the Shopping Cart. Fact sheets for some of our sold-out wines that may still be available in stores can obtained by contacting us or by sending Robert a message through the "Ask the winemaker" page of this web site.

White Wines, Current releases:

2003 Sauvignon Blanc - barrel fermented, smooth
2001 Chardonnays - Los Carneros, Burgundian style
2001 Chardonnay - Sonoma Valley
2002 Chardonnay - Sonoma Valley
2001 Gewurztraminer - very slightly sweet and spicy
2000 Gold - Late Harvest Botrytis Riesling - dessert in a bottle

Red Wines, Current releases:

2000 Ranch House Red, Cabernet Sauvignon
2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, North Coast
2000 Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County
2000 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2000 Meritage, Ladi's Vineyard
2001 Sangiovese, Lake County - fruit forward, soft tannin, low acid
2001 Super T-Rex, Super Tuscan style blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Dolcetto
2002 Syrah - big in the middle, smooth finish
2002 Merlot, Clear Lake- not a wimpy Merlot - elegant, Cabernet in the finish
2002 Merlot, Ladi's vineyard
2001 Merlot, Russian River Valley, biodynamically farmed
2001 Pinot Noir, Los Carneros, rich and spicy
2001 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Valley, smooth and mellow
2001 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley - Delicate and feminine with layered flavors
2001 Old Vine Zinfandel -in-your-face--kick ass
1999 DRX Our flagship Meritage - 3 years in the barrel

Library Wines:

1990 Meritage
1997 Meritage
2000 Chardonnay
1998 Old Vine Zinfandel

Check out our Awards and Reviews page
Find Fact Sheets for each of the above wines
Order wine

We also make, import, blend, flavor and bottle Grapeseed Oil. Read about this fabulous oil.

Robert Rex started making wine in 1972 in Berkeley, California. He has worked for many different wineries, started wineries for others, specializing in rebuilding wineries and starting winemaking programs for those wineries when they changed hands. He has taught winemaking and still acts as a consulting winemaker.

PJ and Robert Rex bought Deerfield Ranch in 1982 and began making wine under the Deerfield Ranch label at off-site winery facilities. In 1996, the Deerfield Ranch Winery facility was bonded. A portion of our wine is still made at the 17-acre Deerfield Ranch, located in Kenwood. With the harvest of 2004 all winemaking operations were moved to the new winery facility being constructed on Highway 12 (Sonoma Highway) in Kenwood.

Michael Brown joined the winery in 1998 as assistant winemaker. Michael Collier joined the winery in 2004 as assistant winemaker and vineyard manager.

In 2000 the Deerfield Ranch Winery was turned into a Limited Liability Company. We purchased 47 acres of adjacent land now referred to as Deerfield Ranch North. This is the site for our new 45,000-case winery, tasting room, art gallery, hospitality center, barrel aging caves, a performance stage and nature center. The nature center will feature the wetland marsh and forest that are part of this spectacular property. The winery is now under construction.

Our Winemaking style has its roots in the great French wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy. Winemaker Robert Rex believes that the blending of attributes creates the best wines. Grapes from complementary soil types and microclimates are often married to maximize varietal characteristics and complexity.

Blends can be of different varietals, grapes from varied appellations, distinct sections of one vineyard or from wines made from the same source but by varied techniques. Robert says that wine making is more like cooking than chemistry -- and he makes wine like great chefs create great cuisine.

Wine making techniques vary according to the demands of the fruit rather than any preconceived recipe. Extended fermentation times (extended maceration), controlled temperatures and extended barrel aging of our reds produce wines that are fully developed and complex yet drinkable at an early age. Both French and American oak barrels are used for barrel aging, depending on the wine. Our wines are truly handmade. We hope you enjoy drinking them as much as we enjoy making them.

Michael Browne, a native of Washington state, started making wine as an intern at Deerfield Ranch Winery in 1997. Now in his 6th year at Deerfield Michael handles the day to day cellar duties at the winery. He maintains and monitors three vintages of wine in the barrel and more than 35 separate lots from the last vintage alone. He is much more than assistant winemaker, he is part of the dynamic duo of Robert and Michael, the winemakers.

Michael is a talented cook, as are most good winemakers, and like Robert has talent for graphic design and business development. He is married to Sarah, has a three year old son, Logan, with a second baby on the way.

Michael has started his own winery and label with a partner, Dan Kosta. The winery is called Kosta Browne Winery. They have a small facility near Sebastopol in the Russian River Appellation. KB makes about 1,000 cases of fabulous Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.  Check them out at: www.kostabrowne.com

Robert punching down the must in a small
open top fermenter

       Michael Browne, Assistant winemaker,
       heating up a fermentation on a cold fall day

The barrel room at Deerfield Ranch Winery