Kunde Estate Winery & Vineyards - Wines
Winemaking
Our intense and artistic winemaking process begins in the vineyards. Dry farming, drip irrigation, cover crops, hi-tech weather stations and leaf pulling are just some of the sustainable practices we use to individually manage each vineyard block to produce the finest fruit. Nature is the dominant force on the estate, where volcanic and gravelly soils, combined with warm days and fog-cooled nights imprint the land’s unique terroir on the grapes. In the fall, selective hand harvesting in small batches brings consistently mature, full-flavored grapes into the winery. In crafting Kunde Estate wines, classic winemaking techniques are utilized, such as cultured and native yeasts, malolactic fermentation, aging sur lies, and barrel aging to achieve overall balance between fruit and intensity with a goal of creating stylish and complex wines. The reward for combining old-world care and modern winemaking has been a long list of medals and critical acclaim.
In April of 2006, Kunde Estate Winery & Vineyards named Tim Bell Director of Winemaking Operations for the fifth-generation family-owned Sonoma Valley wine estate. Bell previously held the position of winemaker at Freemark Abbey Winery. There he directed vineyard practices and all winemaking and production operations for the esteemed Napa Valley brand. During his tenure, Freemark Abbey received critical acclaim for its Chardonnay, Viognier, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, all of which are prominently featured in the Kunde Estate wine portfolio.
“Kunde Estate’s facilities and vineyards are a winemaker’s dream,” said Bell. “Access to 700 acres and 20 varietals of sustainably grown wine grapes for your winemaking repertoire is an incredible position to be in. The Kunde family has spent more than a century thoughtfully planting vineyards and developing winemaking facilities and barrel aging caves that are second to none.”
Bell, who graduated with honors from U.C. Davis in 1994, holds a Bachelor of Science in Fermentation Science with an emphasis in Enology. Bell resides in Napa with his wife and two children.
