Geyserville winery plan gets preliminary design approval

County officials and neighbors of a new winery and event destination planned in Geyserville said they liked what they saw last week at a preliminary design review of the project.
“I like the design. I think it would fit in well in the valley,” said neighbor Wes Brubacher, whose house looks out on the bucolic Alexander Valley property on River Road.
Geyserville winegrower and philanthropist Hal Hinkle plans to build a custom-crush winery and tasting room on parcels totaling nearly 600 acres he acquired overlooking the Russian River. Hinkle’s proposal includes a permit application for up to 35 winery parties — nine weddings, 14 special events and a dozen industry-wide wine promotions — to be held annually at his 580-acre Sei Querce (six oaks) vineyard and winery.
The Sonoma County Permit and Resource Management Department’s (PRMD) design review committee, taking its preliminary look at the project’s design last week, said the number of winery events is not in their purview but may be addressed later in the permitting process when the project goes before the Sonoma County Board of Zoning Adjustments and the Board of Supervisors. The design review committee “doesn’t really weigh in on the number of events,” said a PRMD staffer.
The organic vineyard, extensive native landscaping and environmentally friendly growing methods met with general approval last week, but the potential intrusion of noise and traffic from wine production and promotional events has neighbors wondering what they’ll have to live with when the project is completed.
Hinkle’s plan calls for a maximum annual winery production of 30,000 cases and a public tasting room where special events will accommodate up to 150 guests.
“That’s an awful lot of traffic and potential noise,” said one neighbor.
Hinkle’s presentation last week emphasized the use of rustic low-key materials such as recycled redwood from an old barn that will be incorporated into the new winery’s construction. Hinkle said his goal is to have the winery operation blend in well with the landscape, including the neighborhood.
“Our goal, our dream, is to have a highly sustainable, nearly self-sustaining new winery, vineyard and diversified farming operation which we hope will set a new level for north Sonoma County,” said Hinkle.
“Right now we’re working very hard to try to bring back what was a modestly farmed piece of property. We want to bring it back to its prime, restored, mostly natural state,” said Hinkle.
“Our mentality, our temperament and our mindset is really about trying to construct the winery in a way that is extremely sensitive to the site, to all of the acreage that we own and to all of the neighborhood around us,” said Hinkle.
“If you come visit us in a couple of years what you’ll see is about 75 acres of organic wine grapes, three to four acres of fruits and vegetables, all set among 580 acres,” said Hinkle.
The vineyard and garden are in the process of being certified organic, certified sustainable, fish friendly and bee friendly, said Hinkle.
Hinkle and his partner, Katherine, bought Geyserville’s Fay Ranch and the adjoining Ellis Ranch properties for their Sei Querce Vineyard project. Hinkle has also acquired the old Geyserville Post Office where he is in the process of establishing Geyserville Green, an organic grocery featuring locally grown food and wine. He is the founder of the William Hinkle Charitable Foundation that offers grants and support to projects involving music, health, nutrition and environmental awareness.