our story
About Us
A love of wine, uncommon varietals, and the vibrant terroir of Sonoma County.
OUR STORY
Dirt, Birds and Uncommon Varietals
Welcome to Rock and Clay. Our small-batch, Sonoma-based winery is the culmination of our love of wine, which led us to each other and many wonderful experiences. Our wines feature distinct and characterful flavor profiles of lesser-known French grape varietals with Sonoma County ripeness and balance. We craft unique wines for wine lovers looking for something different and compelling.
IT STARTS IN THE SOIL
The name “Rock and Clay” was inspired from our observation of the significant differences in growth, appearance, grape and wine characteristics in different parts of a vineyard we owned; most of the vineyard had Haire clay soil which supported vigorous vines with large clusters that produced rich ripe Carneros chardonnay. Vines in areas containing seams of rocky stream bed produced smaller vines and smaller clusters that produced lean, citrus and mineral flavored chardonnay. We have observed similar correlations between soil types, vine characteristics and wine profiles in other vineyards. We believe soil substrate is both literally and figuratively the foundation of every wine we produce.
Terroir is more than soil – it includes other environmental elements like climate and topography. But soil is a fundamental element of terroir, especially in Sonoma County where our complex geology results in dramatic variations in soil composition, often within single vineyards. The distinct identity of each of our wines is a product of the soil of its source vineyard.
PART OF A LIVING ECOSYSTEM
We feature a native bird image on each of our different wines. This isn’t just a design choice — it represents our love of nature and deep respect for the spectacular wildlands of Sonoma County.
Wild birds are present in local vineyards year-round, demonstrating that vineyards and wildlands can form an integrated, healthy ecosystem. Our vineyard partners farm their land sustainably and responsibly, resulting in beautiful, bird-friendly vineyards that produce vibrant and expressive wine.
THE PATHS LESS TRAVELED
Sonoma County is renowned for production of world class Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel, but we are captivated by varietals from Southern France. We love their unique aromatics, texture and complexity and their compatibility with the range of Sonoma County winegrowing appellations.
The varietals used in our limited, small-batch production include, but are not limited to:
- Tannat: firmly structured, age-worthy and complex, with evolving flavors
- Malbec: lush dark fruit flavors, with spice notes and fine-grained texture
- Roussanne: bright floral and citrusy aromatics which marry nicely in our White Blend with the weight and stone fruit flavors of Grenache Blanc
- Viognier: pretty nectarine and white flower aromatics with minerality
MADE FOR THE CURIOUS PALATE
We have scoured Sonoma County (and sometimes beyond) to find the top quality sources of the relatively rare varietals we love. In many cases, we source our fruit from vineyards that are less than 5 acres in size. We hope our highly acclaimed wines will become interesting and enjoyable elements of your wine journey.
Cheers!
Kent and Carol