Alegria Vineyard – Historic Russian River Zinfandel

Blog Post

July 2026

It is a pleasure to introduce you to Alegría Vineyard, a certified historic source of Russian River Zinfandel. Did you know that alegría means happiness and joy in Spanish and Portuguese? Founders Bill and Betsy Nachbaur chose the name to honor their Sonoma heritage. Bill grew up in Vallejo and, after law school and 15+ years of practicing, studied viticulture at Santa Rosa Junior College. He discovered what is now Alegría Vineyard on a class field trip in 1989. Bill is a past president of the Sonoma County Grape Growers Association and has served on the boards of the Sonoma County Vineyard Technical Group and the Russian River Valley Winegrowers as well.

Restoring and Replenishing Old Vine History

Bill and Betsy purchased Alegría Vineyards in 1990, becoming stewards of a century-old field-blend Zinfandel vineyard. Their research revealed that the vineyard was planted to zinfandel and mission grapes by the Brumfield family, who came from Virginia and settled at the property in 1852. Since field blending was a common practice at the time, they surmised that it was the case at Alegría.

Bill and Betsy first revived the heritage zinfandel blocks, then they planted 17 acres of new vines in surrounding blocks. Today, Alegría Vineyard is planted to zinfandel, syrah, cabernet franc, sangiovese, dolcetto, petite sirah, alicante bouschet, and many lesser-known varieties—more than 100 in all.

Vineyard Planting and Farming Practices

Alegría Vineyard currently comprises 32 acres in the Russian River Valley, with alluvial, rocky clay loam benchland soils. There are over 100 varieties planted here, including cabernet franc, syrah, sangiovese, dolcetto, gruner veltliner, and albariño. Inter-planted with the zinfandel are alicante bouschet, petite sirah, carignan, trousseau, petit bouschet, gegrette, syrah, and many more.

Bill and Betsy, since day one, have respected the land that they acquired and have farmed the vineyard sustainably. Their responsible farming practices include utilizing hedge rows, cover crops, and compost. Their vine work is principally completed by hand, and each vine is visited a dozen times through the growing season for tasks like pruning, tying, training, and thinning. These practices have earned the vineyard certifications from the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, California Land Stewardship Institute, and the Historic Vineyard Society.

The RIDGE Connection

Ridge Vineyards’ history with the Alegría Vineyard goes back to the early ’90s. Paul Draper, now known for cherishing sites containing old vines, produced RIDGE’s first Alegria Vineyard Zinfandel in 1990. On the back label, Paul writes, “When a vineyard has survived eighty to a hundred years, including Prohibition and the Depression, it must be planted to the right varietals for the soil and climate… Once again the empirical wisdom of 19th-century growers has earned our respect.”

“It’s a beautiful, super old field blend,” says Shauna Rosenblum, VP of Winemaking at Lytton Springs. “After RIDGE worked with the vineyard for a few years in the 1990s, then my family made Alegría. When Bill & Betsy formed their own winery, Acorn, my father, Kent Rosenblum, made Acorn’s Alegría Vineyard wine.”

After Shauna joined RIDGE in 2022, there was an opportunity in 2023 to make wine from the vineyard again. This wine is made from a heritage zinfandel block—the oldest and best block of 22 varieties.

“The vineyard site is tucked safely in a cooler corner of Russian River Valley, off Old Redwood Highway,” continues Shauna. “In 2023, Alegria was the last vineyard we harvested, around the same time as the Alder Springs falanghina. The power of the field blend, soil, and weather means these vines ripen very slowly, developing flavors without accumulating sugar at the same rate. The result is a deeply flavorful wine with moderate alcohol that reflects its place.”

Our Newest Vintage of Alegría Zinfandel

2023 Alegría Zinfandel

“Following a cold, wet winter and late bud break, these old vines set a modest crop. This 19th century field blend includes more than twenty grape varieties. The dominant ones are listed on the front label. Cool weather during harvest required that the fruit stay on the vine until the third week in October to develop distinctive vineyard character. This expressive wine is enjoyable now and will be at its best over the next six years.”

–Shauna Rosenblum, VP of Winemaking, Lytton Springs

Our Newest ATP Release

This vintage of Alegria Zinfandel is being released first to members of our ATP wine club this fall. Since 1977, the Advance Tasting Program (ATP) has provided members the exclusive opportunity to receive very limited, single-vineyard wines only available direct from the winery. Join today and start enjoying exclusive member benefits right away.

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