Open: Year-round

Our History and Philosophy

Goldeneye Winery was founded in 1996, years before the Pinot Noir boom that has reshaped the landscape of California winemaking. But the genesis for Goldeneye goes back even further. In 1990, after fifteen years of making world-class Bordeaux-varietal wines, Dan and Margaret Duckhorn embraced their growing love of Pinot Noir. Their vision for Goldeneye was simple, though not easy. They wanted to found a winery that could make a terroir-inspired expression of California Pinot Noir of equal stature to the acclaimed Merlots they had pioneered at Duckhorn Vineyards in Napa Valley.

The Duckhorns knew that in both the Old and New World, the finest Pinot Noir thrives in very different conditions than Merlot. For Pinot Noir, they believed that true greatness would be found on the cool-climate edges of modern California viticulture where the grape could express varietal purity and an intimate sense of place. Over the next six years, Dan, Margaret and Alex Ryan (who today is CEO and president of Duckhorn Wine Company), explored the potential of fruit from numerous regions, including the Russian River Valley, Sonoma and Carneros. They found what they were looking for in the Anderson Valley.