Buena Vista Carneros

Buena Vista Winery is located on the Sonoma side of the Los Carneros AVA in California. Founded in 1857 by Agoston Haraszthy de Mokesa, it is considered to be the oldest winery in northern California and its founder as the father of California wine. Buena Vista produces a large array of wines, mainly focused on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Agoston Haraszthy de Mokesa immigrated to the US from Hungary in 1840, and eventually made his way to northern California in hopes of finding his fortune in the Gold Rush. He saw Sonoma's fantastic potential for growing vinifera grapes instead, and planted vines in Carneros. In 1869, Haraszthy tragically died in an alligator-infested river in Nicaragua, and the winery was forgotten until 1943, when it was purchased by Frank and Antonia Bartholomew. Bringing on the famous winemaker André Tchelistcheff, they replanted the vineyards and restored the winery, producing their first vintage in 1949. In 2011, Buena Vista became part of Boisset Family Estates, which owns several wineries, including Raymond Vineyards in Napa.

The Los Carneros AVA is shared between Napa and Sonoma counties. With its strong, cooling breeze from the San Pablo Bay, it is suitable for cool-climate varieties including Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Merlot and Syrah also do well on the clay-dominated soils. Buena Vista grows all four of these varieties, and they are the focus of the portfolio. In addition, Buena Vista sources fruit from all over Sonoma County to make a range of other wines.