Lambert Bridge Winery

Lambert Bridge Winery is located in the center of Dry Creek Valley, near an old trestle bridge, its namesake. Our winery occupies land that was once part of the C.L. Lambert Ranch, a sizeable property that included a school, store, farmland and the trestle bridge, built by Lambert in 1915. Today this bridge, the only single lane public bridge in the valley, is surrounded by vineyards and still provides passage across Dry Creek to our winery.

Established in 1975, Lambert Bridge Winery is one of the oldest in the valley since prohibition – its early days coinciding with the infamous 1976 Paris Tasting which helped cement California’s status as a fine growing region worldwide. Originally a small 5,000 case facility, Lambert Bridge quickly gained a reputation for rich, complex wines.

During a visit to Northern Sonoma County, the Chambers family was so captivated by the beauty of the area and the potential for Lambert Bridge Winery to become something truly exceptional that they became the second and current owners of Lambert Bridge in 1993. This idyllic setting, tucked into the hillside and surrounded by a soaring grove of redwoods inspired our Board Chair Patti Chambers to build a redwood-lined, vaulted Tasting Room with a massive stone fireplace to provide a warm and welcoming environment for guests.

Lavish gardens and extensive picnic facilities reminiscent of the great estates in Europe were developed and quickly gained Lambert Bridge a reputation as a destination point. Simultaneously, we modernized and expanded our wine production facilities, enabling more varietals and an increase in case production to almost 25,000 in just 10 years.

By 2004, we knew it was time to fulfill the winery’s full potential, take the quality of our wine to the highest level possible, and to earn the right to be viewed as one of the best. As awareness and appreciation of food and wine as an integral part of a preferred lifestyle continued to grow among our customers, the Chambers Family committed to a renaissance of the winery that would require some bold moves. Reaching out to Greg Wilcox, they asked him to join them as Managing Partner to achieve these ambitious goals.

Realizing quality is achieved when every detail can be perfected, we cut production by nearly two-thirds and proudly became one of the few wineries in Sonoma County to sort fruit “berry by berry.” Despite soaring costs, we chose to use only French Oak barrels. We drastically reduced vineyard yields to achieve concentrated flavors; and sourced new vineyards for improved fruit quality. And we brought in a new winemaking team headed by 30-year veteran Jill Davis to make it all work seamlessly.

Today, we continually strive to raise the quality in everything we do, producing 8,500 cases across 13 different wines, all made in limited lots, while continuing to welcome our guests as part of the family.