(Image credit: Pennyroyal Farm)

Pennyroyal Farm is a goat and sheep dairy,creamery and vineyard located at the entrance to Anderson Valley. The estate wines and handmade cheeses are produced entirely from what they grow on the regenerative farm;maximizing the symbiotic relationships of diversified crops and animal husbandry while utilizing a mix of traditional and modern techniques.

Pennyroyal Farm is located in Boonville, California, in beautiful Anderson Valley. The estate vineyard includes 23 acres on the Boonville bench, planted in Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. Pennyroyal Farm is committed to producing handcrafted wine and farmstead cheese, with cheeses produced exclusively from the milk of goats and sheep that are raised on the family farm. The  pampered, beloved animals munch on wild grasses and pennyroyal mint that blanket the property. The milk is transformed into fresh and aged cheeses just steps from the animal pastures.

History

Sarah’s parents, Ted Bennett and Deborah Cahn of Navarro Vineyards & Winery started farming wine grapes in the Anderson Valley in 1973. For years, the family-owned an undeveloped 100-acre parcel in Boonville, which was primarily used as a hayfield.

Vineyard

Pennyroyal Farm’s vineyard was planted in 2008 and 2009 with 23 acres of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. The Sauvignon Blanc vines planted are ENTAV clones of 376, 297, and 530, which were only recently available for importation. The vineyard is divided into seven blocks, since they often vinify every acre as a separate lot to capture the variations in the soil profile. The trellis is the modern “V-top” that Navarro has used for all new or replanted fields in the last decade, so the entire vineyard is capable of being weeded and suckered by Babydoll sheep.  

The soils at the Boonville farmstead are dramatically different, principally alluvial washes from the adjacent creek with about 12–14% clay and 70% sand, as opposed to our Philo ranch which is 30–36% clay and 45% sand.  

Award-winning Wines

Pennyroyal vineyard have won many awards for their delightful wines including the Sommeliers Choice Awards 2020. This time 4 Gold Medals for their various wines. Here are they: 

2018 Chardonnay Hamer Olsen

Grown in a premier block at their home ranch and made from limited barrels selected exclusively for Pennyroyal, enjoy how this refined wine debunks a certain perception of a “Californian” Chardonnay. Though barrel-fermented nine months in oak with 100% malolactic fermentation, you won’t find too much butter lurking in this spritely gem. Its potent nose of lemon verbena, flavors of lemongrass and baked nutmeg, and long finish will have many saying “Chardon-yay!”

2017 Pinot Noir Big Hendy

Inspired by Anderson Valley’s majestic redwood grove and state park, Hendy Woods, Big Hendy Reserve is a careful selection of our vineyards’ lots blended and then preserved through extended aging—a total of one-and-half years in barrel! The resulting wine is a lush Pinot Noir reminiscent of summer’s wild berries with a lasting mixed forest fragrance of toasted oak, peppery laurel, and a hint of redwood duff. 

2014 Pinot Noir 

The warmth of Boonville’s summer sun can bring out rich, stewed flavors in our Pinot Noir grapes. This vintage has noticeable aromas of a peppery cherry cola. The wine’s unfiltered nature and balanced structure make it a classic pairing with the youngest of our raw, aged cheeses, Boont Corners Two Month Tomme.

2018 Muscat Vine Doolsey

For those of us who have to end with something sweet,  Muscat Vin Doolsey—a vin doux naturel—does the job well! It has an aroma of an orange blossom bouquet, honey-cake flavor, and kicking finish. When paired with our Boonter’s Blue, it’ll be your new favorite for a sweet’n’savory treat.

Online Order:Distributors or wine buyers can contact 800.956.8909 or reach out to the team on info@pennyroyalfarm.com