who’ve been farming their family’s original land for a century or longer — and that seems to be especially true in the Russian River Valley.

In the late 19th century, Martinelli Vineyards & Winery’s founders began planting Zinfandel on the area’s hillsides, joining a wave of Italian immigrants who settled in the area around that time. Today, the winery is run by the family’s fourth and fifth generations.

The story

Martinelli’s tale begins in the 1880s with teenagers Giuseppe Martinelli and Luisa Vellutini, who eloped from their village in Tuscany and made their way to California. Giuseppe had been a winemaker in Italy, and he knew his way around vineyards, so he soon landed a job planting vines for a local farmer.

Two years later, with ambitions of starting a family winery, Giuseppe used the money he earned to buy a hillside property in the Russian River Valley. Planting Zinfandel and Muscat of Alexandria on a 60-degree slope was no easy task, but they stubbornly persevered. (The vineyard later became known as Jackass Hill, because only a jackass would plant vines on that kind of terrain. Even now, the site remains Sonoma County’s steepest non-terraced vineyard.)

After Giuseppe’s death in 1918, the founder’s 12-year-old son Leno took over the vineyard and continued farming it for 75 years. Leno’s son Lee Sr. took the baton from his father in the early 1990s, and he’s still farming Jackass Hill to this day — despite being in his mid-80s.

Though the Martinellis had always made wine for home consumption, they didn’t produce a commercial bottling until 1986. That’s when they converted an old hop kiln and barn on Windsor’s River Road into a winery and tasting room.

Martinelli now farms 470 acres of estate vineyards — including Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and more — in the Russian River Valley, along with the Fort Ross-Seaview and Green Valley appellations. Grapegrowers at their core, the Martinellis sell the vast majority of their grapes to other wineries, including Benovia, Patz & Hall and Gary Farrell.

The vibe

It’s hard to miss Martinelli’s big red barn as you’re driving along River Road. The tasting room has a comfortable vintage feel, with lots of dark wood, black-and-white family photos on the walls and an old-school tasting bar. Unless it’s raining, the expansive terrace is the place to be. Overlooking the barn below and flanked by vines, it’s a pretty, shaded spot with lots of tables and lounge seating.

On the palate

Zinfandel put Martinelli on the map, but these days the winery is more of a Pinot Noir and Chardonnay house. Fittingly for a family of growers, the Martinelli approach is hands on in the vineyards and low key in the cellar.

Among the Russian River estate wines, I’m a fan of the 2020 Lolita Ranch Chardonnay ($62) with its green-apple-meets-lemon pie appeal. The 2022 Zio Tony Ranch Pinot Noir ($85) is a juicy number that’s rich with red and black fruit flavors. Don’t leave without sampling the charming 2023 Guiseppe & Luisa Zinfandel ($58).

Tasting options include the estate-focused Terrace Tasting ($50); the Wine & Cheese Experience ($75), which pairs single-vineyard wines with Sonoma County cheeses; and the Collector’s Flight ($125) of highly rated, limited-edition wines.

Beyond the bottle

Just a quick drive from the winery is another classic: Healdsburger. This humble burger stand on Healdsburg Avenue serves up brioche buns of beefy goodness starting at $11.50 for the basic “Big Daddy” on up to $18 for the “Racer 5” topped with beer-sauteed mushrooms. Be sure to add the fresh-cut fries.

Martinelli Winery & Vineyards, 3360 River Road, Windsor. 707-525-0570, martinelliwinery.com

Tina Caputo is a wine, food and travel writer whose work has appeared in numerous publications, including SevenFifty Daily, Visit California, HuffPost and Sonoma magazine. Follow Tina on Twitter @winebroad, view her website at tinacaputo.com, and email her story ideas at [email protected].