Wines That Have Something Interesting to Say
Claire Hill Wines is the project of Claire Hill — a California native who discovered wine at nineteen in Paris, fell in love with white Burgundy, and decided to dedicate her life to making something beautiful. [^391^] [^396^] Founded in 2017, the winery sources from unique, historic, and magical vineyard sites across California — old vines farmed organically by families who have tended the land for generations. [^391^] Claire's approach is informed by her training at Unti, Rhys, Mount Eden, and with Éric Texier in the Rhône Valley — a blend of California heritage and European sensibility that results in wines of purity, ageability, and genuine place. [^390^] In 2024, Claire moved to Oregon, seeking cooler climates and a future where she can farm her own vineyard in a world reshaped by climate change. [^390^]
From Manischewitz to White Burgundy
Claire Hill grew up in California in a multi-cultural family — part Jewish, part Irish Catholic. [^390^] Wine was present but utilitarian: Manischewitz was her first wine, and red table wine from the corner store or Trader Joe's was a common fixture at dinner. [^390^] "It was utilitarian, mass-produced stuff and hardly inspired one to think about where exactly it had come from," she recalls. [^391^] White wine was not a thing — it was used for cooking. [^390^]
At nineteen, Claire studied abroad in Paris. Through "dumb luck," she met a boy in a bar her first week there — a boy whose family happened to own Bollinger and vineyards in Burgundy. [^390^] He opened bottles from his father's cellar, and the first wine that changed everything was a white Burgundy. "I just was like, oh my God, I didn't know wine could do that, that it could be beautiful. That was such an eye opener for me." [^390^]
Claire studied art history at university — a discipline she found parallel to wine in its concern with "why does it look the way it does" and "what does it mean." [^391^] After a brief stint at the Smithsonian, she moved back to San Francisco, worked in tech marketing ("hated it desperately"), and eventually found her way to Commonwealth — a Michelin-starred restaurant with an extraordinary wine program. [^390^] It was there, during wine training, that she tasted Éric Texier's Saint-Julien-en-Saint-Alban by the glass. "I realised that I wanted to make wine. I wanted to make something beautiful like this. I want to be the reason that beautiful things exist in the world." [^390^]
Her first harvest was in 2014 at Unti in Dry Creek, Sonoma — where she worked with Ciliegiolo, one of the first grapes she ever handled. [^390^] She then moved to Rhys in the Santa Cruz Mountains (2015), and in 2016 began pruning at Mount Eden Vineyards — unpaid, but paid in old wine, working alongside a crew with 20–25 years of experience. [^390^] From 2016 to 2020, while launching her own winery, she worked for Farm Wine Imports, learning from her winemaking idols across France, Spain, Italy, Germany, and California. [^391^] And she hounded Éric Texier for three years before he finally agreed to let her work with him in the Rhône Valley. [^390^]
"I seek to make wines that have something interesting to say, from vineyard sites in California that are unique, historic, or simply magical."
— Claire Hill
Old Vines, Family Farms & The Right Grape in the Right Place
Claire Hill works exclusively with old vines farmed organically — or "organic adjacent" — by families who have owned the land for generations. [^390^] The shortest family lineage among her growers is fifty years; the others are over a hundred. [^390^] These are not commercial operations — they are labours of love, maintained because of family history rather than financial viability. "Really old vines are not a commercial endeavor," Claire notes. "You have to have a love of the land. If you haven't inherited that land, it's financially impossible." [^390^]
Her Chardonnay comes from the Lolonis Vineyard in Mendocino's Redwood Valley — the second oldest Chardonnay planting in California, planted in the winter of 1946–47. [^391^] The Lolonis family immigrated from Greece in 1901 and settled as dairy farmers; their son sent home paychecks from WWII, allowing the family to invest in vines. [^391^] The vineyard has been farmed organically since the beginning and is certified by CCOF. [^391^] It is dry-farmed, producing exceptionally small yields of beautiful quality — "anyone else would have ripped those vines out," Claire says. [^390^]
The Syrah comes from Grist Vineyard in Dry Creek Valley, perched atop Bradford Mountain at 1,000 feet elevation — 700 feet above the valley floor. [^391^] The Hambrecht family has farmed the site for four generations. The organically farmed Syrah block was planted in 1983 — unusually old for California Syrah, and rare in not being interplanted with Petite Sirah. [^391^] The soils are Boomer loam, red volcanic rock that gives low yields and concentrated fruit. The cool growing season, proximity to the ocean (just 15 miles away), and elevation above the fogline create conditions more akin to the Northern Rhône than typical Dry Creek Syrah. [^391^]
The Mourvèdre comes from Del Barba Vineyard in Contra Costa — named for the Del Barba family, who immigrated from Italy in the 1880s alongside Portuguese and Irish immigrants (including Claire's mother's family, who arrived around 1901). [^391^] The ancient, tree-like vines grow own-rooted in Delhi blow sand — decomposed granite deposited by wind and water. [^391^] The roots go more than 40 feet deep to reach the water table, allowing dry-farming. Afternoon winds cool the vineyard, mirroring Bandol's Mistral. [^391^] The Del Barbas have farmed this vineyard for six generations, maintaining the mindset that one never owns family land but merely caretakes it for future generations. [^391^]
Mendocino, Redwood Valley. Second oldest Chardonnay in California. [^391^] CCOF organic since the beginning. Dry-farmed, tiny yields. The Lolonis family — Greek immigrants, dairy farmers turned vine growers. A piece of California wine history.
Dry Creek Valley, 1,000ft elevation. Boomer loam — red volcanic rock. [^391^] Hambrecht family, 4 generations. Cool growing season, ocean proximity, above fogline. Northern Rhône character in Sonoma. Rare old Syrah, no Petite Sirah interplanted.
Contra Costa, Delhi blow sand. Own-rooted, 40+ foot roots, dry-farmed. [^391^] Del Barba family, 6 generations. Italian, Portuguese, Irish immigrant heritage. Hot days, cold afternoon winds — Bandol-like conditions. Claire's family connection to the land.
Organically farmed, mowed and weeded by baby doll sheep whose tiny frames prevent them from reaching the grapes. [^391^] Unlike tractors, the sheep don't compact the soil. A charming, sustainable approach that reflects Claire's attention to detail.
Oxidative Chardonnay, Long Maceration & The Texier Influence
Claire's winemaking is a synthesis of her California training and her time in France. For the Chardonnay, she follows the approach used at Rhys and informed by Domaine Roulot in Meursault: after picking in the very early morning, grapes are pressed whole cluster and the juice is "browned" overnight — a counterintuitive technique that most winemaking seeks to avoid. [^391^] The browned bits settle to the bottom and are discarded; the clear juice is transferred to thrice-used French oak barrels where it ferments over the coming weeks, lending warmth and richness. [^391^] The wine ages in barrel for 14 months, with half in stainless steel for 6 months — a combination that gives purity and ageability. [^391^]
For the reds, Claire employs long, cool macerations. The Zinfandel from North Ponderosa sees two weeks on skins at temperatures never above 75°F, with gentle punchdowns and about three pumpovers. [^399^] The grapes are pressed while still a bit sweet and finish primary fermentation in stainless steel before moving to used French oak for 18 months. [^391^] The Mourvèdre from Del Barba is made in open-top fermentors with two weeks on skins, then aged 11 months in neutral French oak. [^391^]
The Grist Syrah is handled with similar restraint. Grapes are mostly destemmed (90%) and uncrushed, with gentle extraction throughout a 14-day maceration. [^399^] The goal is to capture the delicate, high-toned notes and mineral core that the elevation and cool climate produce — a Syrah that has more in common with Côte-Rôtie than with typical California expressions. [^391^]
Sulfur is used sparingly. The North Ponderosa Zinfandel, with its very low pH (3.03), required no sulfur until just before bottling (15ppm). [^391^] Due to the low pH, malolactic fermentation never fully finished, and the wine was bottled with a small amount of malic acid and filtered for stability. [^391^] This is not dogmatic natural winemaking — it is pragmatic, science-informed, and tailored to each wine's needs.
Lolonis Vineyard Chardonnay 2023
"Her sleek, classically-styled Chardonnay shows richness with restraint, and comes from dry-farmed vines planted in 1945 (the second oldest Chardonnay plot in California)." [^398^] — Eastside Cellars. This is Claire Hill's flagship wine — a Chardonnay that bridges California heritage and Burgundian technique. The oxidative juice handling, the thrice-used oak, the 14-month ageing, and the partial stainless steel maturation all contribute to a wine of remarkable purity and ageability. It is not a buttery, oaky California Chardonnay; it is something more mineral, more restrained, more alive. The kind of wine that makes you understand why Claire fell in love with white Burgundy at nineteen — and why she has spent her career trying to create something equally beautiful from the land she calls home.
From California to Oregon & Beyond
In 2024, after the 2023 harvest, Claire moved to Oregon. [^390^] The decision was not sudden — it was the culmination of years of conversations with her husband and fellow winemakers about the future of wine in a warming world. "I am 34," she said in early 2025. "What is this going to look like in twenty years or in thirty years? I plan to keep making wine for my life's work. What is that going to look like in California?" [^390^]
The concerns are concrete and pressing. Water — always California's issue — is becoming scarcer. Aquifers are collapsing and will never refill. [^390^] Mildew is worsening, and there is no treatment that will fix it. Claire worked with Martha Stoumen and followed Éric Texier's work planting hybrids in France — both responses to a changing climate. [^390^] "I want to be able to have my own vineyard or at least farm my own vineyard. What does it mean in this age of climate change and shifting growing latitudes to put that level of work into, but also your heart and soul into something that in maybe twenty years is not going to be in the same place?" [^390^]
Oregon has long been Pinot country, but Claire sees the future differently. "I think that Oregon has staked its reputation on Oregon Pinot Noir, but grapes like Syrah are going to start to become more prominent with the shift in growing latitudes. I think it's going to be more Northern Rhône, we're moving from Burgundy down to the Northern Rhône. You've already seen the shift. Gamay is really popular. I think we're going to just keep moving down." [^390^]
The goal is to buy land and grow her own grapes — to complete the circle from négociant to vigneron, from student to master, from California to Oregon. The wines will continue to be made from old vines, farmed organically, handled with minimal intervention, and crafted with the same curiosity and care that has defined Claire Hill Wines since 2017. The place may change, but the philosophy will not: to make wines that have something interesting to say, from vineyard sites that are unique, historic, or simply magical. [^391^]
"I want to make things that are beautiful, that touch people's hearts, that make them feel the feelings."
— Claire Hill
The Claire Hill Range
Claire Hill Wines produces a focused portfolio of single-vineyard wines from historic, organically farmed sites across California. [^391^] The range centres on Chardonnay, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Zinfandel — varieties that Claire has deep personal connections to, and that are planted in the right places for their needs. [^390^] All wines are made with minimal intervention, native yeast, and a blend of used oak and stainless steel — designed for purity, ageability, and honest expression of place. [^391^] Prices are approximate and in USD.
-
Claire Hill Wines Address
Claire Hill Wines does not have a public tasting room or a single physical address, as the project sources grapes from various heritage vineyards across California. For trade inquiries, you can contact the winery at their San Francisco address: 495 Barneveld Ave, San Francisco, CA 94124.
Local Retailers & Restaurants with Links
Due to their small production and curated approach, Claire Hill Wines are mainly available at a variety of specialty wine shops and restaurants. Here are some of the places to find them, including links where available:
California
Flatiron Wines & Spirits (San Francisco): https://sf.flatiron-wines.com/
Bi-Rite Market (San Francisco): https://biritemarket.com/
Valley Bar + Bottle (Sonoma): https://valleybarandbottle.com/
Gemini Bottle Co. (San Francisco): https://geminibottle.co/
A16 (San Francisco): https://www.a16pizza.com/
Del Popolo (San Francisco): https://www.delpopolosf.com/
The Slanted Door (San Francisco): https://www.slanteddoor.com/
Tosca Café (San Francisco): https://www.toscacafesf.com/
Vin Chicago (Chicago, IL): https://vinchicago.com/
Official Website
Website: https://www.clairehillwines.com/