Wine Country’s popular ‘gateway’ winery has sold

Located 2 miles north of Sears Point, Ram’s Gate markets itself as “the gateway to Sonoma Wine Country.” It’s the first winery people drive past when they turn off Highway 37 and the rural landscape gives way to vines. This location has helped make the winery a bustling tourist destination, and Ram’s Gate was also one of the first wineries in the area to offer fancy food pairings. Today, visitors can book a luxury picnic, a caviar experience and a five-course pairing.

O’Neill said he originally took the lead on building the winery’s home, recruiting renowned Wine Country architect Howard Backen to design the striking, barn-like structure that opened in 2011. “I was there every day during building. I can tell you where every paver, every tile came from,” said O’Neill.

The 125-acre, organically farmed estate sits on a knoll that rises from the San Pablo Bay and provides visitors with rare waterfront views. The cooling influences from the bay and the nearby Petaluma Gap make this spot prime land for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, though Ram’s Gate also sources fruit from some of the region’s best-known sites, like renowned grower Larry Hyde’s Hyde Vineyard and El Diablo Vineyard, planted by the late Ulises Valdez.

O’Neill, who stepped back from Ram’s Gate in recent years to focus on O’Neill Vintners, said he hadn’t planned on bringing the winery under the company’s umbrella. But “an opportunity presented itself for us to get in the Sonoma region,” he said, “and it was an opportunity for (the other founders) to take advantage of their investment.” He added that the winemaking team, led by winemaker Joe Nielsen, will remain in place, and didn’t note any major changes.