A wild and wonderful place
Along the western edge of the North American continent, waves coming off the mighty Pacific crash against steadily eroding sedimentary rock cliffs. Nearby, at higher elevations, abundant rainfall and fog nurture the California redwoods allowing them to reach astonishing heights - the tallest trees on planet Earth.
It’s here in the coast range of Western Mendocino County beside upland redwood groves that we have planted Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and certain other cool climate varietals.
We take great pride in growing all of the grapes that we ferment, using regenerative farming practices and always prioritizing responsible stewardship of the land that gives us so much. Each growing season, we aim to capture the very best of our unique coastal terroir, and the varietals we farm to craft delicious world-class wines to be enjoyed and shared among family and friends.
The Wentworth Estate includes a total of 80 acres with 25 acres under-vine across three distinct vineyard sites:
Abel Vineyard, Anderson Valley
Nash Mill Vineyard, Anderson Valley
Wentworth Vineyard, Mendocino Ridge
Wentworth Vineyards began in 2014 when Mark X. Wentworth bought a piece of raw land to put down roots and realize his dream of planting vines, farming organically, and making wine while being a responsible steward of the land. Within that first year, he met a locally based chef named Katie and fell in love. Today Katie and Mark steward three distinct coastal vineyard sites.
Our flagship site is Wentworth Vineyard, where we have planted a diverse array of Pinot Noir selections, several Chardonnay clones, Grüner Veltliner and Aligoté. Located only 3.5 miles from the Pacific, atop Greenwood Ridge at elevations ranging from 1200-1260 feet in the Western-reaches of the Mendocino Ridge AVA, the cool, late-ripening site is quite beautiful and located near the edge of viticultural possibility. Additionally, since 2017, when we bought Nash Mill Vineyard, we have proudly worked in the “Deep End” section of the nearby Anderson Valley where the coastal influence is particularly pronounced. Nash Mill is 12 miles from the Ocean and benefits from being located between two creeks in a unique cold air drainage or combe. We have approximately three acres of mature Pinot Noir vines, as well as an acre of Chardonnay and a newer experimental block of Blaufränkisch at that site. In 2023, we added another great Anderson Valley site, Abel Vineyard, which is 10.5 miles from the Pacific and was originally planted in 1997. Abel has been the vineyard source for many delicious wines from the Valley, and we are excited about our first vineyard designate Pinot Noir from the site which is now available.
In addition to Wentworth Vineyards, Mark is an avid outdoorsman and conservationist- with a passion for nature, wildlife and expanding public access to the outdoors. He co-founded the Friends of Jockey Hollow and serves on the group’s steering committee. Previously, he served as a Councilor for the Save the Redwoods League and as a member of the Board of Directors for Mendocino Winegrowers and the Mendocino Woodlands Camp Association. He was also a member of the Elk Volunteer Fire Department.