Rockpile – A new, young, distinctive Sonoma County appellation

When the ten families growing grapes at high elevations above Lake Sonoma banded together as the Rockpile Growers and petitioned the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) to create the Rockpile viticultural area, the officials thought it was some sort of joke. There really couldn’t be someplace called Rockpile. But the intrepid grape growers persisted, fulfilling all the requirements as to historical significance, soil type, climate, etc. With Jack Florence, Sr. representing the growers, working with Nancy Sutton of the San Francisco BATF office the Rockpile appellation became official April 29, 2002.


The Rockpile Agricultural Area encompasses 15,400 acres at elevations ranging from 800 to 2010 ft. There are 147 acres planted to grapes – all red varieties. Jack Florence Jr.’s Rockpile Road Vineyard contains 12 acres of Zinfandel, four of Petite Sirah, a few rows of Alicante Bouschet and a Carignane vine at the end of each row. It was planted between 1994 to 1997. The Zinfandel, like many of the other Zinfandel vineyards in Rockpile is a clone from vines believed to be at least 120 years old growing at St. Peter’s Church in Cloverdale. While still in the process of planting his
(October 2vineyard Jack met Kent Rosenblum of Rosenblum Cellars. The first Rosenblum Zinfandel from Jack’s Rockpile Road Vineyard was from the 1996 vintage. Almost immediately the vineyard-designate wines began collecting a flurry of gold medals, and point scores in the 90s. As other growers’ grapes came to maturity, the string of accolades grew as well.

There are no wineries within the Rockpile boundaries, but wines made from Rockpile grapes are, or will soon be, produced by Carol Shelton Wines, Galleron Signature Wines, JC Cellars, Martin Ray Winery, Mauritson Winery, Kenwood Vineyards, Paradise Ridge Winery, Rosenblum Cellars, Seghesio Family Vineyards and St. Francis winery & Vineyards.

Jeff Cohn, winemaker for Rosenblum Cellars, says, “The grapes from Rockpile produce the most intense wines I’ve ever tasted,” and Kent adds, admiringly, “The vines struggle in the shallow soil, and the climate is there to get them ripe in the fall.” Obviously, Rockpile wines are worth searching out. Check the website, www.rockpileava.com for more information.