Notre Vue Estate and Balverne Wines: Background
Download Notre Vue Estate Backgrounder (PDF)
Coordinates
11010 Estate Lane Windsor, Sonoma County, California 95492
(707) 433-4050
[email protected]
Open Thursday – Monday, 10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. by appointment
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/notrevueestate/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notrevueestate/
Estate
710 acres in total; 174 acres planted; 350 acres protected under Sonoma Country Open Space district as the “Forever Wild” nature preserve in perpetuity.
Farming
174 acres are planted to 16 varietals, including Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Dolcetto and Sangiovese.
Team
Renée Brown Stein, Proprietor
Molly Lippitt, Winemaker
Geoffrey Thompson, Estate General Manager
Jared Stein, Co-Proprietor
Victoria Torres, Viticulturist
Parker Hayes, Hospitality Manager
Appellations
The estate spans two world-class growing regions– the ancient river bed of the Russian River appellation, ideal for Burgundian varietals, and the Chalk Hill appellation, with its ashy volcanic soils suited perfectly for Bordeaux varietals,
History of Notre Vue Estate
The property was established as Balverne Cellars in 1972 and acquired in 1992 by Bob Stein and Renée Brown Stein and then re-launched as Notre Vue with the first vintage in 2014. A number of prestigious North Coast wineries buy grapes from the property.
The Notre Vue estate plays a key role in North Coast winemaking history. Grapes were grown on the property beginning in 1869 when relatives of General Mariano Vallejo, the founder of the town of Sonoma, determined that the local topography 2 Notre Vue Estate provided excellent conditions for grape growing. The Estate is a certified Sonoma Sustainable vibeyard and winery.
Sustainability
The vineyards encircle the Forever Wild nature preserve and its abundance of native flora and fauna supports the winery’s sustainability practices.
Both the vineyards and the winery have been certified sustainable since 2014. Each year its sustainable initiatives are audited to insure that we adhere to these practices. One example is how the preserve supports populations of beneficial insects such as ladybugs. At the winery, water and energy management as well as native fermentation winemaking protocols insure the certified-sustainable designation.
Balverne
The Balverne family of wines were established in 1972 at Notre Vue. It was a well-known wine brand throughout the 1980s, when it was poured at the White House and was widely available nationally. The original winemakers were Doug Nalle and John Kongsgaard. The brand was revived in 2015 by Notre Vue using the image of the red-tailed hawks so prevalent on the property paying tribute to the 350 acres of dedicated Sonoma County Open Space classified as “Forever Wild” on the property.
Wine Tasting Events & Experiences
Visitors have a wide choice of tastings and tours, including a spectacular Block 23 Terrace, lakeside tasting at the Pavilions, pairing of the wines with small bites, a lunch tour and tasting and an in-depth tour and visit with the winemaker. The winery hosts a variety of events throughout the year, many which entice outdoor enthusiasts to hike, bike, or run through the property and end their visit in the tasting room.
Clubs
The winery offers three different club options, which include regular shipments, tastings, special club-only events, the option to picnic at the Terrace on Block 23 and the Lakeside Pavilions and hike on the vineyard trails. Club members enjoy preferential pricing on wine purchases, events and items for sale in the tasting room.