Wine Enthusiast’s American Winery of the Year, 2019

Though the Bogle family has been farming in the Clarksburg region for six generations, their involvement in the wine business spans back 50 years. In addition to passing down a strong work ethic and dedication to quality, the success of Bogle over the years is rooted in the day-to-day involvement of the Bogle family.

The first Bogle to come west was Captain AJ Bogle, an infantryman in the Civil War, who traveled to the California Delta from his family's homestead in Tennessee in the late 1870's. He brought his nephew Samuel and together they set down the first roots farming cherries, peaches, and pears. Unfortunately, they were uprooted during the Great Depression when the family lost those original land holdings. It was Warren, in the 4th generation, who was able to set down roots again when he purchased the first acreage after serving in WWII. It wasn't until 1968 that Warren and his son Chris planted the first 20 acres of wine grapes on the Home Ranch. For 10 years, the family grew grapes for other wineries, then releasing the wine under their own label in 1978. The original winery, constructed in 1979, still stands today. In 1989, Warren's son Chris and his wife Patty undertook the winery project in earnest. Chris farmed, while Patty did the books at night, with offices in the family home. Chris proudly grew the wine grape farming operation, reaching his goal of 1,000 acres before he passed away in 1997. Upon his death, Patty dove in, taking over all winery management and leading a core team of staff, many of whom are still at the winery today. Named for his grandfather, Warren returned to the ranch to take over the vineyard manager duties in 1997. Jody came back to the family business full time in 1999 to manage the new tasting room and customer relations. Ryan returned to the business in 2007 with an interest in finances. The three siblings continue to work in the day-to-day operations of the winery, with the same dedication and passion as the generations before them.

The Bogle family takes great pride in making wines of exceptional character and quality. From vineyard to bottle, the highest standards are set, in order to create a wine that overdelivers each and every time. Bogle Chardonnay is barrel fermented in new oak barrels, with the lees stirred by hand once a month. Rare for a winery this size, each of the red wines is aged in small, traditional oak barrels. Every single field of grapes is vinted separately, allowing the unique character to be preserved. This practice, along with a rigorous grading system, allows them to achieve the highest quality year after year.

The Bogle family understand that nurturing the land and preserving its vitality is not only essential for their family, but across the globe, so that future generations can enjoy many harvests for centuries to come. They are proud to be honored with the 2018 Green Medal Leader Award, which recognizes the vineyard that best demonstrates environmentally sound, socially equitable, and economically viable sustainability practices. The California Rules for Sustainability distinguishes growers who follow strict guidelines in their farming practices. Starting with the 2017 vintage, they required all 91 of their growers to implement the California Rules for Sustainability standards. This resulted in 96% of all grapes crushed at Bogle in 2018 being Certified Green.