About Keller Estate
Over 25 years ago the Keller Family, discovered a beautiful property overlooking the Petaluma Valley in Sonoma County. It was love at first sight, and they moved there with the idea of creating a place where they could enjoy the country while being only 45 minutes away from San Francisco. In 1989, after consulting with the University of California at Davis, the first vineyard was planted. UC Davis recommended Chardonnay, because the climate and soils are similar to those in Burgundy, France, however they cautioned that the fruit might not ripen because it might be too cool. As we harvested our first vintage Rombauer became intrigued in the grapes, and bought our fruit for 5 years until their vineyards came into full production. At that point in time, we had planted some Pinot Noir, and we knew we had the potential to make some very interesting wines. We began concentrating on making our own wines, and the Keller Estate label became a reality in 2000.
Keller Estate began producing wine with the firm conviction of growing the finest fruit that our land could yield and from it, making the most exquisite wines possible. We are a true Estate: from the vine to the wine, everything is done on the property.
We are the southernmost winery in the Sonoma Coast appellation and the first to establish ourselves in the Petaluma Valley. The terroir at Keller Estate is defined by the Petaluma Gap and is subject to two major maritime influences. The San Pablo Bay lies immediately to the south, while to the northwest is an opening in the coastal hills which allows masses of fog to flow freely towards the Petaluma Valley. This geographical signature is unique and creates a cool and long growing season for our vineyards. Keller Estate's Pinot Noir grows particularly beautifully in these foggy conditions.