he story of our founder is as long as it is colorful. One of California’s first sheriffs, Agoston Haraszthy was elected the Sheriff of San Diego County in 1850. He built the first jail and served two exciting years before moving north to pursue purple gold and the perfect terroir for fine wines. He found it in Sonoma County where he established Buena Vista Winery in 1857. It is his legacy that inspired this wine and the work of sheriffs everywhere that we honor with its release.
uena Vista has been making wines under the Private Reserve name for decades. Today the winery restores this title to declare these limited production wines as the ultimate wines within the portfolio. Each represents the pinnacle of Buena Vista's winemaking craft. Using the Sonoma landscape as the canvas, our winemaking team has the luxury of sourcing from the most esteemed vineyards throughout the county to produce the highest quality wines under this label. The two cooler climate wines of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are a nice complement to the warmer climate Cabernet and Zinfandel wines, allowing you to truly taste the best the county has to offer. View All Private Reserve Wines
he Buena Vista Vinicultural Society, formed in 1863 by the winery's founder, Count Agoston Haraszthy, to further improve its winemaking prowess and expand its vineyards, has been restored as a collection of unique, small-production wines that honor the winery's pioneering spirit and contribution to California winemaking. Available only at the winery and for club-members, the diverse selection of Vinicultural Society wines explores clonal selections, varietals, vineyards and the incredible terroir of Sonoma County. View All Vinicultural Society Wines
tribute to some of the iconic wine styles from around the world that Agoston Haraszthy himself assisted in propagating in California. In the early days of Buena Vista, and what would become the Vinicultural Society, The Count and his son Arpad were commissioned by the Californian government to travel throughout Europe and bring back vine cuttings. After months of travel they succeeded in bringing back over 487 different varieties, modern winemaking techniques and styles that would go on to influence the likes of Charles Krug and many others. View All Heritage Collection Wines
he winery's colorful founder, The Count of Buena Vista, pioneered premium winemaking in California. A tireless and passionate devotee of California wine, The Count imported hundreds of premium vines from Europe, dug Sonoma's first wine caves, introduced innovative viticulture techniques, and wrote the first treatise on California wine. Buena Vista Winery honors his legacy, bold vision, and commitment to excellence through this red wine - the Founder's Red Wine.
