Gundlach Bundschu vineyards in the fall
2000 Denmark St., Sonoma, CA 95476
Website: http://www.gunbun.com/
Gundlach Bundschu (pronounced gun lock bun shoe) is located off a side street a few minutes from Sonoma Plaza. Many people refer to the winery as “Gun Bun” for short. The 320 acre estate is situated between the Sonoma Valley, Carneros, and Napa Valley appellations. This is another winery that I had not heard about before visiting Sonoma and my husband and I came upon it while driving around to other wineries in the area. Like the Buena Vista, Bartholomew Park, and Sebastiani wineries that are in the same vicinity, Gundlach Bundschu is one of the earliest wineries in Sonoma Valley. This winery has been around for 150 years through 6 generations of family members.
The winery was started in 1858 by the German Jacob Gundlach. He named the estate Rhinefarm. The Bundschu part of the name comes from Charles Buncschu who was also from Germany. He immigrated to the United States and met Jacob Gundlach in San Francisco through the produce industry. Charles joined the winery in 1868 and later married Jacob’s oldest daughter. The winery shut down during Prohibition and a portion of the estate was sold off. The winery continued to produce grapes and grape juice that it sold to other wine producers. The estate was handed down from one generation to the next after Prohibition, but the Gundlach Bundschu Winery did not reopen until 1973.
Gundlach Bundschu’s mural honoring vineyards workers
My first visit to the winery was during my honeymoon in 2008. As we drove up to the winery we passed fields of vines. Along the walkway between the parking lot and the main entrance is a brightly colored mural that was painted onto the exterior of the winery to honor the Hispanic workers and their contributions throughout the winery’s history. A set of steps lead to a stone patio area in front of the tasting room entrance. The entryway to the tasting room is covered in vines and looks almost like an entrance to a cave. The tasting room was dark and filled with lots of people crowded around the wooden U-shaped tasting bar. Off in the corner to the left of the entrance was a reserve tasting bar. There were so many people crowded into the room that it felt like I was crammed into a bar during Happy Hour. The walls of the tasting room are made of stone, making it feel like we were inside a cave. I was disappointed because I really wanted to try the Gewürztraminer but they were out of it.
Since my first visit I have seen Gundlach Bundschu wines rated highly in Wine Enthusiast magazine and I felt like maybe I didn’t have the best experience because the winery was so busy when I visited. I made it a point to stop in again on a wine trip in 2013. The tasting room was just as busy the second time as the first, if not more so. Once again my husband and I felt like we were crammed around the tasting bar trying to get someone’s attention to poor us some wine.
Although the crowds can be a drawback, there are two good reasons why I think the winery is so popular – the wine and the outdoor picnic areas. All of the wines produced by Gundlach Bundschu are made from their own estate. They produce several different varietals, including Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, and Syrah. For anyone who is a fan of Gewürztraminer, it is not often found in Napa and Sonoma and theirs has received accolades by Wine Enthusiast. Unfortunately I haven’t had the opportunity to try it because it is so popular that it has been sold out both times I visited.
Gundlach Bundschu’s courtyard
To me the best feature of this winery is its outdoor areas. There are seating areas all around the property. Between the parking lot and walkway to the tasting room is a covered area with picnic tables. Right outside of the entrance were some people lounging in rocking chairs. Beyond the entrance to the tasting room is a stone patio area with several picnic tables beneath the shade of a couple of large trees looking out over the vineyards. Also, if you follow the pathway to the right of the patio it leads to a grassy area with a few more picnic tables on a hill looking down at a pond and vineyards below. There is an abundance of places to have a picnic or socialize with friends and the surrounding scenery is breathtaking.
For visitors looking for more to do at the winery, they offer seated Courtyard Tastings with snacks on weekends during the summer. They also have a Heritage Tasting & Pairing Experience offered on Saturdays and Sundays a couple of times a day where sommeliers pour some very limited production wines. Check their website for details and to make a reservation. In addition, the winery hosts a concert series after hours and the upcoming scheduled is posted on the website.
View from the picnic area at Gundlach Bundschu