Across the County Line
Born from frequent trips across the Mendocino and Sonoma county borders in pursuit of cool-climate vineyard sites, County Line is Eric Sussman's companion label to the acclaimed Radio-Coteau. Since 2003, the team has crafted approachable, food-friendly wines from organically farmed vineyards — Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Syrah, and Rosé — using low-intervention techniques and shorter élevage in neutral French oak, concrete eggs, or stainless steel. The labels feature the wild animals that roam the farm: chickens, deer, foxes, bobcats — each a guardian of the agroecosystem.
A Side Project Becomes a Mission
County Line Vineyards began in 2003 as a companion label to Radio-Coteau, the acclaimed Sonoma Coast winery founded by Eric Sussman. The name was born on the road — during frequent trips across the Mendocino and Sonoma county lines in search of cool-climate vineyard sites. The first vintage was humble: a single dry Rosé, made from whole-cluster pressed Champagne clone Pinot Noir. But the project quickly found its footing, and a handful of varietals naturally followed [^68^][^80^].
Eric Sussman is one of California's most respected winemakers — famed for his work at Radio-Coteau, where he established a reputation for meticulous, site-specific Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. County Line allowed him to explore a different side of his craft: wines that were approachable, food-friendly, and made with a lighter touch — but still rooted in the same organic vineyards and low-intervention philosophy that defines his work [^71^][^73^].
The project is based in Sebastopol, in western Sonoma County, where the team works with select growers in Mendocino and Sonoma who are committed to organic farming. The wines are handcrafted in small lots, bottled unfiltered, and designed to capture the cool-climate character of California's North Coast — Anderson Valley, Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley, and the broader North Coast appellation [^68^][^74^].
"County Line originated from a desire to provide cool-climate appellation snapshots of the Anderson Valley, Sonoma Coast, Russian River, and North Coast."
— County Line Vineyards
Organic, Holistic, & Alive
County Line partners with growers in Mendocino and Sonoma counties who share a commitment to organic and holistic farming practices. The goal is not just clean fruit, but biodiversity — vineyards that function as living ecosystems rather than monocultures. This philosophy extends to the Radio-Coteau farm, where chickens, deer, foxes, bobcats, and other wildlife play their part in maintaining a healthy agroecosystem [^68^][^80^].
The cool-climate focus is deliberate. Anderson Valley, Sonoma Coast, and Russian River Valley are among California's most prized regions for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, offering fog-influenced temperatures, diverse soils, and long growing seasons that preserve acidity and develop complex flavours. County Line seeks out specific sites within these appellations that express their unique microclimates — not generic "California" wine, but snapshots of place [^68^][^78^].
The farming is hands-on and intentional. Cover crops, compost, and natural pest control replace synthetic chemicals. The result is fruit that arrives at the winery with intact microbiology — clean but alive, ready for native fermentation and minimal intervention. This is not industrial agriculture; it is stewardship [^80^].
Anderson Valley — Mendocino's cool-climate jewel. Sonoma Coast — fog-kissed, ocean-influenced. Russian River Valley — diverse soils, long growing season. North Coast — the broad snapshot of the region's potential.
Organic and holistic. Partner growers in Mendocino and Sonoma. Biodiversity as philosophy — chickens, deer, foxes, bobcats on the farm. Cover crops, compost, natural pest control. No synthetic chemicals.
Pinot Noir — the heart of the project. Chardonnay — cool-climate elegance. Zinfandel — Mendocino's heritage grape. Syrah — peppery and fresh. Rosé — whole-cluster pressed Pinot Noir.
Led by Eric Sussman — winegrower, proprietor, and acclaimed winemaker. A modest team of farmers, cellar hands, customer liaisons, and creatives. Handcrafted in Sebastopol, California.
Low Intervention, Shorter Élevage
County Line employs the same low-intervention winemaking techniques that define Radio-Coteau, but with a shorter élevage and a lighter touch. The wines are aged in neutral French oak barrels, concrete eggs, or stainless steel — never new oak that would mask the fruit. The goal is transparency: letting the vineyard, the vintage, and the variety speak without artifice [^68^][^76^].
Fermentation is native, using the yeasts that exist on the grapes and in the winery environment. The wines are bottled unfiltered, preserving their texture and microbiological complexity. Sulfur is used sparingly, if at all. The result is wines that feel alive — fresh, vibrant, and slightly untamed, with a clarity of fruit that reflects their cool-climate origins [^74^][^67^].
The approach is deliberately food-friendly. These are not overwrought, over-extracted wines designed for competitions or collectors. They are wines for the table — bright acidity, moderate alcohol, and a savoury edge that pairs with everything from roasted chicken to grilled salmon to vegetable tarts. County Line is serious wine made for daily drinking [^77^].
The Animal Labels
County Line's labels are a celebration of the farm's biodiversity. Each wine features artwork of a different animal found on the Radio-Coteau property — chickens, deer, foxes, bobcats — created by artists Molly Kars, Christopher Hataway, and Bonfed. These are not just decorative choices; they are a statement of philosophy. Each animal has a role in maintaining the healthy agroecosystem that produces the fruit. The chicken fertilises. The deer prunes. The fox controls pests. The bobcat maintains balance. The wine is a product of this web of life.
Orfin Lotts & Eye Cyder
County Line is not just a wine label; it is a platform for exploration. Two satellite projects extend the team's creative reach beyond traditional viticulture. Orfin Lotts is a series of eclectic natural wines from California's North Coast — a vinous exploration of styles and traditions that pushes boundaries while staying rooted in organic agriculture [^68^].
Eye Cyder is a passion project born from a desire to preserve western Sonoma County's agrarian heritage. Using organic apples from local, dry-farmed orchards, the ciders are native-fermented, unfiltered, and bottled with no added sulfites. Seasonal co-ferments and infusions explore the essence of local fruit — refreshing, rock-bottom dry, and utterly distinctive. It is cider as wine: thoughtful, terroir-driven, and alive [^68^].
Both projects share the County Line ethos: organic fruit, native fermentation, minimal intervention, and a deep respect for the land. Whether grape or apple, the goal is the same — to capture the flavour of California's North Coast in its purest, most honest form.
"Serious wines from serious vineyard sources, made for daily drinking."
— Good Eggs
The County Line Range
All wines are made from organically grown fruit, hand-harvested, fermented with native yeast, aged in neutral French oak, concrete eggs, or stainless steel, and bottled unfiltered with minimal sulfur. The range spans the cool-climate varieties that define California's North Coast — Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Syrah, and Rosé — each a snapshot of its specific appellation [^68^][^74^].