Saitone Ranch

Russian River Valley

Once part of the Nicholas Carriger Estate (Nicholas Carriger was a good friend of General Vallejo and an early settler of Sonoma County after striking it rich in the Gold Rush), Saitone Ranch is the oldest of the old-vine vineyards remaining in the Piner-Olivet area with records indicating that the vines were in the ground and growing as early as 1895.  Several blocks of Carignan, Zinfandel, Alicante Bouschet, and Palomino (aka Chasselas Doré) comprise the bulk of the remaining 17 acres of largely dry-farmed old vines.  Interplanted Muscadelle, Colombard, Muscat of Hamburg, Aramon, Petit Bouschet, Criolla Mediana, and Grand Noir also make an appearance. Like Papera Ranch just down the road, picking is generally quite late for this vineyard, often towards the end of October.