Summer dreams

History

Summer dreams is generally believed to have released its first wine in 2018 and one thing is clear: who is behind this project. Jayson Woodbridge, already well-known for his Hundred Acre wines and Fortunate Son wines, launched this project to return to the Burgundian varietals, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

The product lineup expanded rapidly. In the spring of 2024, the winery simultaneously launched Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, a rosé wine, and four Pinot Noir wines under the Sonoma Coast appellation.

Around the same time, the biggest structural change took place: the winery acquired Petersen Ranch, located on the outskirts of Sebastopol, and designated it as the future estate home for Summer dreams. Until then, the wines were made from grapes purchased from outside sources, and even today, the majority of the wines are still produced using this method of sourcing grapes.

Vineyards

Every Summer Dreams vineyard is located in a hilly area with natural slopes, mostly at elevations ranging from approximately 275 to 580 meters above sea level. At Sonoma Coast, elevation is crucial because it keeps the vines above the fog; here, planting sites are selected based on slope, soil composition, and microclimate.

The best-known vineyard is Heintz Vineyard, located on the second ridge in from the Pacific at an elevation of approximately 275 meters, which has been tended by a single family for 100 years. The remaining grapes are produced in the sub-regions of Fort Ross-Seaview and Freestone-Occidental.

Furthermore, Petersen Ranch, located on the southwestern edge of Sebastopol, lies deeper inland than the ridge area. This area covers approximately 39 hectares; at the time of acquisition, about 3 hectares had been developed as vineyards, all planted with the Chardonnay variety. This is the site behind the wines labelled as originating from Summer Dreams Estate Vineyard.

Goldridge sand, fog and rain

Established in 1987, Sonoma Coast is a large appellation and the largest in Sonoma County. This appellation stretches from San Pablo Bay to the border of Mendocino and extends up to 32 kilometers inland from the Pacific, covering a total area of 200,000 hectares.

Simply put, this region is cool and humid. Rainfall here is more than double that of the inland Sonoma region, and since most of the vineyards are located in sunny areas above the fog line, the grapes ripen well, while the air blowing in from the coast keeps temperatures low. Summers are warm and dry, while winters are cool and humid.

The soil is another consistent characteristic. Goldridge is a fine-grained sandy loam; it has a light texture, crumbles easily, and drains very well. In some Summer Dreams vineyards, the Goldridge soil sits atop an ancient seabed, where fossils are sometimes found in the soil, and beneath it lies a layer of clay thick enough to retain moisture throughout the growing season. This soil composition enables the harmony of ripe fruit flavors and vibrant acidity that these wines strive to achieve.

Grapes

Summer dreams carefully selects and carries only a few well-known varieties from Sonoma Coast:

• Pinot Noir: This accounts for the overwhelming majority of the product line and is bottled as red, rosé, and sparkling Blanc de Pinot Noir.
• Chardonnay: This wine uses a combination of grapes purchased from external sources and grapes grown in the company's own vineyards.
• Sauvignon Blanc: A single wine.

The red wines are single-varietal wines, not blends. For example, Twilight is bottled as 100% Pinot Noir.

Winemaking

Summer dreams's Chardonnay has a smooth start. After gentle pressing and settling, the wine is transferred to oak barrels of various sizes and large puncheons for fermentation. Using a variety of container sizes rather than a single standard is a way to preserve a rich texture without allowing the oak aroma to become overly prominent.

Pinot Noir wines are also aged in oak barrels, but this winery's style prioritizes fragrant aromas and a silky-smooth texture over heaviness.

Woodbridge does not handle the entire process alone. Ashley Holland, who worked as an assistant winemaker at Three Sticks in Sonoma for three years, works alongside him as the winemaker in charge of white wines.

The collection, name by name

Pinot Noir carries the Summer dreams product line. Golden Hour, Twilight, Super Chill, Halley's Comet, Stargazing, Wedge, and Flash are all released as separate bottlings, each associated with a different Sonoma Coast vineyard. Flash is the first estate-grown Pinot Noir.

The white wine lineup includes The Sun Also Rises Chardonnay, produced from Heintz Vineyard and the company's own estate vineyard, Lazy Lounging Chardonnay, and Afterglow, which is the first Chardonnay produced from estate owned vineyards. Walking On Venice Beach is made from Sauvignon Blanc.

Two additional wines round out the lineup: Martian Pink, a light rosé made exclusively from Pinot Noir, and a sparkling: Picnic Anyone?, a Blanc de Noir made from Pinot Noir.

These names were not chosen at random. Woodbridge took the name Wedge from the surfing spot where he first fell in love with California, and Walking On Venice Beach comes from the very first beach he walked on in California.