COPLAN VINEYARDS
Where Great Wine Begins
At Coplan Vineyards, great wine begins in the vineyard. Our estate sits at the meeting point of the Carneros, Sonoma Coast, and Sonoma Valley AVAs, an area shaped by ancient riverbeds and framed by the Arrowhead Mountains on Sonoma’s east side. Just four miles from the Napa border, this unique pocket of the valley floor offers a cool-climate environment that consistently produces expressive, beautifully balanced wine grapes.
The Vineyard
Just outside the town of Sonoma, Coplan Vineyards rests atop the remnants of an ancient inland sea. From this singular place, every vintage tells a new story shaped by the shifting rhythms of the seasons, from the first bud break to the final days before harvest.
The vineyard is farmed with purpose and patience. The team follows regenerative practices that include avoiding herbicides, keeping tractor use minimal, and tending every vine by hand. Winter cover crops enrich the soil, and irrigation is applied only when the vines truly need it. Each summer, ladybugs are released into the vineyard, a joyful tradition that supports natural pest resistance and reflects the belief that thoughtful farming yields more expressive wines.
Each harvest is the culmination of a year’s intentional labor, guided by weather, instinct, science, and timing. In the final weeks before picking, ripeness is evaluated not only with lab analysis, but also through taste, sight, and feel, relying on nature as much as experience. It is a moment of celebration, reflection, and transition, when grapes begin their transformation into wine and olives into oil.
Location and Legacy
Coplan Vineyards sits in the heart of Carneros, a region shaped by cool maritime mornings, sunlit afternoons, and steady coastal winds. These dramatic diurnal shifts extend the growing season, preserve acidity, and naturally balance the fruit. The property uniquely overlaps the Sonoma Carneros, Sonoma Valley, and Sonoma Coast AVAs, drawing character from each.
The soils here are marine sedimentary, a mix of sandy loam over clay deposited by the ancient sea that once covered this land. It is a site that encourages restraint and rewards careful listening. Coplan Vineyards embraces a “less is more” approach that allows each vintage to express its identity without additives or manipulation.
Carole Coplan acquired the property in 2011 and began a years-long effort to regenerate the land, shifting from conventional farming to a more sustainable, intentional approach. Today, the estate includes some of the oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vines in Sonoma Valley, noble St. George rootstock planted in the late 1940s and now registered in the Old Vine Registry. These historic vines yield less, yet offer remarkable depth, structure, and a strong sense of place.
Although Carneros is best known for Chardonnay, Carole recognized the potential of the cooler climate for Bordeaux varietals, especially as global temperatures rise. More Cabernet Sauvignon blocks were added in 2000 and 2019. A Chardonnay block was planted in 2019 to complement the red blocks, bringing balance to the estate and honoring both tradition and the future of the region.
The Olive Orchard
The olive orchard is an integral part of the Coplan estate, having grown alongside the vineyard. It began in 2013, when Carole Coplan planted the first 25 trees to frame the gardens surrounding the newly rebuilt farmhouse. The selection was intentional: a rare Tuscan blend of Leccino, Frantoio, Coratina, and Manzanilla, chosen for their complexity and suitability for producing exceptional olive oil.
That early vision has flourished. Today, the orchard includes 105 trees, with additional Tuscan varietals and a small block of 10 Mission trees as a tribute to California’s agricultural history. Like the vineyard, the orchard is cared for with regenerative principles and patient cultivation, resulting in fruit that reflects the character of the land.
Together, the vineyard and orchard form a complete expression of the estate. Grapes become wine, olives become oil, and both carry forward the legacy, history, and stewardship that define Coplan Vineyards.
Shop for the estate’s limited-production Extra Virgin olive oil here.