Merry Edwards Winery was founded in 1997 and produces terroir-driven, single-vineyard wines from 80 acres of estate vineyards in the Russian River Valley. The winery is known for crafting Pinot Noirs of immense depth, elegant structure and exceptional longevity as well as its aromatic, barrel-aged Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc, which is among the most sought after made in California. A single-vineyard Chardonnay and Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc round out the portfolio.

In 1996, Merry purchased this 24-acre site, an abandoned apple orchard southwest of the Sebastopol city limits. Two years later, she converted the entire parcel to Pinot Noir. Meredith Estate vineyard grows in an area known locally as the Sebastopol Hills. On this cool southern edge of Russian River Valley, summer fog shrouds the area, typically until midday. Vine growth and crop load are carefully monitored and maintained, and irrigation requirements are precisely determined by measuring the moisture content of the grape leaves.

We are now farming all of Meredith Estate organically and intend to attain certification in the near future, but stewardship of this site has always included the use of sustainable, renewable farming practices. Cover crops are maintained between the vine rows, reducing erosion of the steep, sloping terrain and supporting beneficial insects. Natural amendments, including grape pomace and mushroom compost, replenish the soil with micronutrients. Owl boxes and hawk perches encourage natural control of rodents and other pests, and bluebird boxes are being installed to aid insect control.

All grapes are hand-picked at night and hand-sorted in the vineyard and at the winery. 100% destemmed and cold soaked for six days. Fermented in small lots so that individual clones can be treated respectfully. A combination of Dijon 667 and Merry's own UCD37 clones are highly successful on this site and thus forms a strong foundation for this stunning wine. Vegan-friendly. 

The 2021 Meredith Estate features floral essences of peony, plumeria and rose. The nose of this deeply layered wine offers hints of toasted nuts, Bing cherry, tangerine and cedar. Seductive and silky tannins mark the entry, with black cherry, dark chocolate and fresh earth leading to a long, elegant finish.

We recently took our commitment to sustainability a step further and began farming our most important vineyard, Meredith Estate, organically. We have intensified the focus of our farming on the health of all of our vines and our soil.