Keller Estate
5875 Lakeview Highway
Petaluma, CA. 94954
(707) 765-2117
Along a bustling two-lane highway, very near the southeastern most tip of the Petaluma Gap AVA, is a boutique, family run vineyard and winery, replete with olive trees, vintage automobiles, artwork and architecture, beyond imagination. Keller Estate the home not only to Petaluma Gap Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (with some Pinot Gris and Cote Rôtie blended in for good measure), it is a veritable total, organic sensory experience.
Days and Hours: Friday through Monday. By appointment only (11:00 am, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm, and 3:00 pm.
Cost: $25 to $35 per person, depending upon the tasting experience you choose.
Red or White: Both. Keller Estate produces Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, alongside smaller lots of Pinot Gris, Brut Rosé (sparkling) and a (Cote) Rôtie style Rhone blend (typically 94% Syrah and 6% Viognier).
Pricing: $25 to $70
Food: No.*
*There isn’t, currently, food for sale on site. Keller Estate does, at times host events with food. See the “Events” section of their website for more information.
Good for Groups: Yes.
Proximity to other wineries: Fair.
Family Friendly: Yes.
Pet Friendly: Yes.
Tasting Experiences: Keller Estate offers tours and tastings on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, only.
There are two tasting experiences offered. The first is given at 11:00 am, and is their Estate Winery Tour and Tasting ($35). This experience involves an in depth look at Keller Estate, it’s wine cave, production facility and grounds. You can expect to spend about 90 minutes tasting through six wines, and exploring Keller Estate’s expansive property.
The second tasting experience, the Estate Tasting ($25), is given at 1:00 pm , 2:00 pm, and 3:00 pm. The Estate Tasting involves a selection of five wines, served at the tasting bar, or seated in the tasting room or on Keller Estate’s courtyard terrace. You can expect to spend about an hour, sipping and swirling alongside samples of Keller Estate’s house made olive oil and freshly baked bread.
Winery Events: Keller Estate offers many exciting winery events, each year. Some of them occur annually, others are newly created to fit the season. The events for 2018 are detailed, below:
Keller Estate (First) Annual Car Rally: Saturday, June 23, 2018
Keller Estate’s founder, Arturo Keller, has a passion for cars (as all can see when visiting his winery!). It is with this in mind that Keller Estate has created a car rally. This event is by invitation only (the application for admittance is available on the winery’s website). The $295 per person cost is all-inclusive of breakfast, a planned route through west Petaluma out to the coast, lunch at the Duncans Mills General Store, a return route through Forestville and the Green Valley AVA, and concluding with a three-course dinner hosted at the winery and paired with Keller Estate wines.
Wine and Cheese Pairing: Saturday, July 21, 2018
Five cheeses, expertly paired with five Keller Estate wines. A local cheese educator will be onsite to provide instruction and insight.
Rôtie Vertical Tasting: Saturday, August 18, 2018
Keller Estate produces a small amount of coastal-influenced Syrah (94%), and blends it with Viognier (4%), to offer a splendid example of a Cote Rôtie style Rhone wine. At this special tasting, guests will enjoy select vintages of Keller Estate’s Rôtie wines, in a chronological, “vertical” order, including much older vintages, to the present.
Harvest Celebration 2018*: Saturday, September 22, 2018
*Wine club members, only.
The Harvest Celebration is an annual event hosted for Keller Estate Wine Club Members. Rare viewings of Arturo Keller’s prized car collection are offered, and the Paella King caters the event. Library vintages of Keller Estate wines are poured.
Honey Harvest: Saturday, October 20, 2018
A family friendly event, this get together celebrates Keller Estate’s annual honey harvest. Representatives from Marin Bee will be on site to educate parents and children alike, about bees and the art of beekeeping. Children will be given beekeeping suits, and will assist in harvesting the estate’s honey.
Olive Oil Picking and Curing Class: Saturday, November 17, 2018
Spend a day at Keller Estate, among their plentiful olive trees, learning to pick and cure olives. Wine tasting is hosted, too.
Christmas Carols and Wine Pickup Party: Saturday, December 8, 2018
A holiday event featuring local, Sonoma County, Christmas Carolers, charcuterie and seasonal sweets, hosted alongside Keller Estate’s wines.
Wine Club: Yes. Keller Estate offers three levels of Wine Club membership, the Key Club 3 bottles, 4 times per year), the Estate Club (6 bottles, 4 times per year), and the Collector’s Club (9 bottles, 4 times per year). Each of them offer discounts on wine purchases, reduced/included shipping costs, two complementary tickets to the annual harvest party,, customizable orders, and invitations to wine club events. The Collector’s club also includes invitations to Keller Estate events featuring Arturo Keller’s private car collection.
Other interesting features: Keller Estate’s founder, Arturo Keller, is one of the foremost car collectors in the world (think Jay Leno and Ralph Lauren). There is usually one of Mr. Keller’s cars on display in the tasting room, and they try to rotate cars at least once a month. As a member of the Keller Estate Collector’s Club, you are invited to view the extensive collection by attending a number of hosted events, throughout the year.
Architecturally, Keller Estate is a wonder, and was designed and built (using limestone quarried from the bed of the Yangtze River) with the idea that both wine and architecture move the soul by exciting one’s senses. There are artist works throughout the estate, including those produced by local artists, alongside original lithographs by Marc Chagall and Phillipe Pastor. Grace Keller (of the Keller family), is the estate’s in-house artist. Her works, in a variety of medias including sculpture and stained glass, are displayed prominently, as well.
Keller Estate is located off Lakeville Highway, in southeastern Petaluma. Squarely inside the (new) Petaluma Gap AVA. As I turned off of Lakeville Highway and headed up the long driveway to the winery’s entrance, I couldn’t help but notice the rustling beauty of this place. As far as I can tell, this is the only winery along this stretch of road, and what an incredible site. Vineyards, trees, birds, a small pond, and the wide, reaching vista growing in my rearview mirror. I had never tasted Keller Estate wines, and knew nothing of the winery and its history, other than the fact that the winery’s proprietor, Arturo Keller, is an avid and passionate collector of cars. Like he reportedly has one of the most extensive collections in the world. I don’t know much about cars, but I was eager to see what all the fuss is about!
Keller Estate boasts approximately 93 acres of vineyard and olive trees, planted primarily to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but also small blocks of Syrah and Pinot Gris, and one row of Viognier (used to produce a Rhone style, Cote Rôtie wine). All of their wines are made from estate grown fruit. Tastings are by appointment only, and are offered Friday through Monday. I was scheduled at 1:00 pm on a Friday, for their Estate Tasting. Estate Tasting(s) are offered in the afternoons and consist of a seated tasting of a flight of five wines. In hindsight, I should have opted to visit earlier in the morning for a tour of the facility and grounds. Well, there’s always next time. Spoiler alert, there will be a next time!
As you make your way up the driveway, you pass a number of private residences before coming to the winery gate. After calling to gain admittance, I passed through the gate and began to wind my way up and around vineyards and stone buildings. Way up, until the tasting room came into view. And was struck, profoundly, by the by the serenity of the place. Now, I was the only visitor at that time on that particular day, so I am sure that added to my sense of quiet commune; however, I can’t imagine that feeling could be tainted even by much distraction. This place is very private. Private in a warm, welcoming way, but private nonetheless.
Making my way from the parking area, around to the entrance to the tasting room, I couldn’t help but stop and admire the panoramic vista west to Petaluma and beyond. Again, a soft breeze moving through the trees, a door opening and closing. And nothing. As I turned and traversed the wide terrace, I noticed the intricately constructed series of large, bronze doors surrounding me. Inlaid with colorful stained glass and depicting a variety of scenes and motifs. And of course, the bronze statue of in the center of the courtyard, showing a man (assumed and confirmed to be Arturo Keller, himself), smiling, driving a vintage automobile.
By the time I entered the tasting room, my senses were so alert and alive, I couldn’t wait to get down to the business of tasting wine. The tasting room is an inviting space, anchored by, in this case, a robin’s egg blue, vintage Peugeot, with canary yellow spoked wheels and more lovely than the most fille charmant (charming girl) you’ve ever known. There are tables, hightop and low top, interspersed. The wall are adorned with paintings (later to be determined to be works by Grace Keller, the proprietor’s daughter). There is a small retail area, featuring the estate’s olive oil, honey and soaps, as well as other Keller Estate “swag.”
My tasting was hosted by the estate’s hospitality manager, Josh. Josh is really a jack of all trades at Keller Estate. He manages their wine club, runs the tasting room, helps plan events. Josh is a former bartender and restaurant chef, and he also develops the recipes that wine club members receive with each of their shipments. You know that any food and wine pairing event involving Keller Estate will be well executed, with Josh at the helm. I had the pleasure of tasting five wines, One Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and three Pinot Noir, as well as a sampling of their Brut Rosé, sparkling. Josh and I chatted engagingly, about the wine, the winery, the Keller family and the estate’s history. I learned that Arturo Keller purchased the property in 1989, yes, to plant a vineyard and make wine, but also to construct building to house his personal car collection. The first vineyard block was planted in 1991, to Chardonnay, and the grapes were sold to Rombauer. The Kellers employed Ted Lemon (Littorai) to assist with vineyard and winery planning. Mr. Keller’s two daughters are actively involved in the running of the winery; his daughter Ana serves as winemaker (she’s a biochemist by training), and daughter Grace contributes artwork and design. The winery produces about 3000 cases per year, and 1000 of those are sold directly to a luxury hotel chain owned by a friend of Arturo Keller. So Keller Estate is, truly, a small, family run winery.
Now, back to the cars. “How do I see the cars?” I asked Josh this question as our tasting came to a close. He responded, “Really, the only way people get to see the cars is if you join the wine club.” Seriously? It was the worst sales pitch for joining a wine club I had ever heard…and I told him so. Josh smiled, and agreed, but told me honestly, that was the only way. Apparently, Mr. Keller is very protective of his private collection and is very particular about who sees it when. I was intrigued and even more determined (so maybe it isn’t such a terrible sales pitch after all), and ultimately did something that I never, ever do. I joined the Keller Estate Collector’s Club. I know, I know. It’s been months and I still can’t believe I did it! But I will say, I have now attended one event specifically for Collector’s Club members, and got to tour two of the rooms that house Mr. Keller’s cars, and honestly, it’s awesome. Again, I’m not much of a car person, but he owns vehicles that are, literally, representative of historic eras in transportation and manufacturing development. Iconic and important cars. So I committed to 9 bottles of Keller Estate wine, 4 times per year. The wine is good and the perks are even better!
Quick parting note: After I completed my tasting and was outside taking photos, Josh came out to help load my wine into the car. He told me that there are flocks of wild turkeys that roam the property and, according to Josh, they can be pretty aggressive. I laughed and told him I felt confident that I could handle it, but Josh waited for me to bring the car around, nonetheless. Nice guy, great service, good wines. All in all, a delightful way to spend a Friday afternoon.
For more information about Keller Estate, it’s current offerings and to schedule appointments, visit their website: http://www.kellerestate.com
Suggestions:
- Take in one of Keller Estate’s events. Bring the kids and harvest honey. Learn how to cure olives. Do a wine and cheese tasting. The events are intimate and the Keller family and staff are engaging and informative. It’s a great way to try the wines and have some fun!
- Plan a morning visit. See the estate’s caves and production facility, then tour the impressive grounds and snap a photo with the sweeping vista in the background.
- Get a group together and share an afternoon taste on the winery’s terrace. Peruse the property’s artwork including the massive, bronze and stained-glass art doors that surround the outdoor space.
Wines Tasted:
I tasted through the following wines during my visit to Keller Estate (bold indicates purchased):
2015 Brut Rosé ($35): This sparkling wine is made using Methode Champenoise with second fermentation occurring in the bottle. This selection is 87% Pinot Noir and 13% Chardonnay. The nose is bright, tart cherry, rose and an underlying current of sweet spice, namely clove. The palette is clean and crisp, with vivid acidity and red fruit.
2014 Oro de Plata, Chardonnay ($33): Fermented in stainless steel and aged in oak, this wine smells of pear and bruised apple. On the palate, the Oro de Plata shows streaks of minerality, candied tangerine and Meyer lemon.
2015 La Cruz, Pinot Gris ($30): This wine is overflowing with soft, lemon curd and jasmine. On the palate, the La Cruz Pinot Gris is of medium viscosity, and its stone fruit and citrus notes become more prevalent, the mid-palate is warm and soft, the finish is clean, sharp and slightly herbaceous.
2014 La Cruz Pinot Noir ($48): This wine is aromatically rich, deep and spicy, with clear examples of cherry and plum, together with peppercorn and star anise. This wine is almost savory on the palate. It’s dark and meaty, yet structured by good acid and gentle tannin. It would pair beautifully duck breast with dark, macerated cherries.
2014 El Coro Pinot Noir ($55): When I smelled this wine, I immediately was reminded of my grandfather’s Mr. Lincoln rose bush. It was so sweet and aromatically intoxicating. And did you that scents emanate vibrations? Rose is scent that emanates the highest energy vibration, as compared to all other scents. But back to the Keller Estate El Coro, Pinot Noir. This wine is cherry chapstick and rosebuds. It’s brightly acidic and slightly, seemingly sweet and spicy, like cherry pie filling.
2012 Rôtie ($54): This is Keller Estate’s homage to a Rhone blend wine. Their example consists of 94% Syrah and 6% Viognier. This wine is complex. It’s heady with macerated dark fruit and berries on the nose. The palate is a lovey example of cool climate Syrah, with plum, prune and blackberries, and pink peppercorn. When blended with the medium weightiness of a rich, ripe white peach and honeysuckled Viognier, the resulting wine is both lean and spicy, and unctuously fruit forward.
