Old World Winery is one of the rare California estates that can trace its vines back to the 1890s, its biodynamic farming back more than two decades, and its natural winemaking philosophy back to a grandfather's cellar. Darek Trowbridge is neither a trend follower nor a boutique newcomer; he is a fourth-generation steward of some of Russian River Valley's oldest planted ground.
Backstory
Darek Trowbridge is the great-grandson of Giuseppe Martinelli, who began growing grapes in California's Russian River Valley in the nineteenth century. After earning a degree in viticulture and enology from Fresno State and completing a Master's degree in winemaking in 1998, Trowbridge founded Old World Winery on River Road in Fulton, Sonoma County. His approach from the start was to return to the methods his family practiced before the era of industrial winemaking, stripping away additives and manipulation and trusting the fruit and the place.
The Region
Old World Winery farms in the Russian River Valley AVA, one of California's coolest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay zones. Fog from the Pacific rolls in through the Petaluma Gap each evening, keeping temperatures moderate and extending the growing season. Trowbridge's home vineyard on River Road carries sandy loam soils that drain well and warm quickly in the morning sun, producing grapes with natural structure and concentration that need nothing added in the cellar.
Vineyards & Farming
Trowbridge farms his estate biodynamically, relying on dry farming, native cover crops, and hand-picking. The centerpiece is his 1890 Block, planted by his forebear Giuseppe Martinelli, which carries rare heritage varieties including Abouriou, Muscadelle, Tousseau Gris, Palomino, and Mondeuse Noir alongside Zinfandel. The Sherry Martinelli Vineyard holds what Trowbridge describes as the only four acres of Abouriou in the entire New World. He also works with Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Chardonnay sourced from sustainably farmed neighboring blocks.
Winemaking
All Old World Winery wines ferment with wild ambient yeasts. Trowbridge foot-treads rather than using mechanical presses, avoids fining or filtration, and adds only trace protective sulfur at bottling. He abandoned sterile filtration more than a decade ago, believing unfiltered wines carry more flavor and greater aging potential. Some cuvees undergo extended sur-lies aging or are finished using the col fondo sparkling method for natural carbonation.
The Wines
Releases include Abundance, a Chianti-like field blend from estate fruit; Luminous, made entirely from the rare Abouriou variety; Bloom, a chillable light-bodied red; and Impulse, a whole-cluster foot-stomped Merlot-Petit Sirah blend. Trowbridge also produces a late-harvest ruby port-style wine and a small amount of natural cider from the estate.
