Founded as a vineyard company in 1973, Sonoma-Cutrer's foundation was built upon a selection of several key vineyard properties in the marginal benchlands, hillsides and rocky foothills in what later became recognized as the Sonoma Coast Appellation – an area with long, even growing seasons due to the cool and foggy coastal climate.
Today, Sonoma-Cutrer's flagship wine, Russian River Ranches, is the number-one-selling Chardonnay in America's finest restaurants according to the annual Wine & Spirits magazine 15th annual Restaurant Poll, April 2004. For many wine consumers, the name Sonoma-Cutrer is synonymous with superb Chardonnay.