Hook & Ladder Winery

Complimentary wine tasting...and public service (fire/police, etc.) get a 20% discount.

Located in the heart of the Russian River Valley, Olivet  Road has been home to the De Loach family for 35 years. Cecil De Loach was a firefighter in San Francisco for 16 years and in 1970, he and his wife Christine bought their first 24-acre vineyard in Sonoma County and started second careers as winegrowers. Five years later they made their first wine and they went on to build one of the country’s most successful, popular and iconic wine brands.

In 2003, with the De Loach Vineyards brand – one of the biggest in the country, the De Loach family decided to start over. They sold their eponymous winery and concentrated on Hook & Ladder, which they’d started 20 years earlier with a Port. In 2004, they opened Hook & Ladder on Olivet Road on the first property the family purchased, next to the historic Barbieri Ranch.

Cecil retired from firefighting in 1982, but there are lots of firefighter themes at Hook & Ladder, including fire department patches and t-shirts from visiting firefighters decorating  the tasting room. Now, three generations of the De Loach family keep Hook & Ladder to just 35,000-case annually.

As part of their philosophy of “keeping it simple to help keep prices down,” the informal and friendly tasting room occupies a part of the winery itself.  As to the wine?  Medals, loyal followers and enthusiastic newcomers to the wines are further proof that the De Loaches are still making great wine after all these years.

Medal Time
Hook & Ladder hit gold at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition with Merlot, Zinfandel, Third Alarm Reserve Pinot Noir and Chardonnay each receiving gold.

The Land
On 375 acres situated in Russian River Valley, the Hook & Ladder vineyards produce cool climate grapes widely recognized as some of the finest in the world.

Fun Facts
Look for the shiny red Willy’s vintage fire truck near the driveway. With a new bocce ball court and picnic grounds, Hook & Ladder is an ideal mid-day stop.

For Gourmets
The long, cool growing season here yields hand-picked olives with the intense, ripe flavors for their extra-virgin olive oil. Made from mature Mission trees, the stone-crushed cold press master blend produces a richly flavored and beautifully colored oil.