As wine culture evolves, one idea continues to stand out: when people choose to open a bottle of wine, they want it to be something truly worth the moment.
At Knudsen Vineyards, that philosophy has guided our work for decades. From the beginning, our focus has never been on producing the largest possible quantity of wine. Instead, we concentrate on crafting wines that reflect the character of our vineyard and the unique conditions of each vintage.
Farming With Intention
Our estate vineyard spans 130 planted acres across 38 distinct vineyard blocks in the Dundee Hills. Each block offers its own subtle variations in soil, elevation, and exposure, allowing us to grow fruit with depth, balance, and complexity. Farming each block individually allows us to better understand the nuances of the vineyard and to cultivate fruit that truly expresses the site.
Farming is at the heart of everything we do. Knudsen Vineyards employs progressive farming practices both by design and necessity. Founder Cal Knudsen was a naturally curious and deeply engaged steward of the land, always searching for better ways to care for the vineyard and improve the health of the vines. His spirit of experimentation and innovation continues to guide our vineyard management and viticultural practices today.
That commitment to responsible farming is reflected in our certifications. Knudsen Vineyards is proudly LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) certified and Salmon Safe certified, two programs that promote sustainable farming practices, environmental stewardship, and long-term vineyard health.
The Art of Selection
The same level of care continues as the wines develop. Throughout the aging process, our team regularly samples and evaluates each barrel, tasting how the wines evolve and how each lot expresses the character of the vintage.
Working closely with our winemaking partners, these tastings guide the decisions that shape each release. By comparing and selecting among the individual barrels, we determine how the wines will ultimately come together — whether as part of our Family Series, Talking Blocks Series, Founders Series, or special releases.
This thoughtful process allows us to craft wines that highlight the most expressive qualities of the fruit grown on our estate.
Each of our wine series reflects a different way of interpreting the vineyard. Our Family Series wines draw from fruit grown across many blocks of the vineyard, bringing together a range of expressions to capture the overall character of Knudsen Vineyards. By blending fruit from across the estate, these wines reflect the broader story of the vineyard and the family legacy behind it.
Our Talking Blocks Series takes a more focused approach. These wines explore the personality of specific vineyard blocks and how they relate to one another within the larger vineyard landscape. Each bottling offers a deeper look into the nuances that different areas of the estate can bring to a wine.
At the pinnacle of our portfolio are the Founder Series wines – JLK and CCK- named in honor of Cal and Julia Lee Knudsen. These wines are produced only in select vintages and in very limited quantities. Typically reserved for tasting room serving or Family Roots Wine Club members. For these bottlings, only the most exceptional barrels are chosen — wines that demonstrate extraordinary balance, depth, and character.
Together, these wines represent different perspectives of the same vineyard — from the broad expression of the estate to the most select and refined lots of the vintage.
Wine Worth the Moment
As more people choose to drink less but drink better, wines made with this level of care become even more meaningful.
When you open a bottle from Knudsen Vineyards, it represents more than just the grapes in the glass. It reflects decades of vineyard stewardship, thoughtful farming, and a commitment to crafting wines that honor the land they come from.
Because when the moment calls for wine, it should be something truly worth sharing.
