It sat vacant for years. Will this famed Wine Country estate finally get its second chance?
It was once among Sonoma's most popular wineries. Yet the former home of California Zinfandel pioneer Ravenswood has been vacant for years, one of the dozens of casualties of embattled real estate developer Kenneth Mattson, who was investigated by the FBI and accused of defrauding investors in 2024.
But earlier this year, wine conglomerate Gallo resurrected the famed Ravenswood brand after a five-year hiatus — and now, the derelict winery has a shot at renewal, too.
The 23-acre estate at 18701 Gehricke Road in Sonoma is back on the market, listed at $5.3 million. Located just over a mile from the Sonoma Plaza, the property includes the stone Ravenswood production facility and tasting room, plus approximately 10 acres of vineyards planted to Zinfandel, Merlot and other varieties.
Realtor Mark Stornetta, the agent representing the Ravenswood property, did not respond to the Chronicle's request for comment.
The listing comes weeks after a bankruptcy court judge approved the sale of over 150 commercial and residential properties in Sonoma County and beyond, which are owned by subsidiaries and affiliates of LeFever Mattson, the real estate investment company founded by Mattson and his longtime business partner Tim LeFever. The former partners, who had amassed a real estate portfolio valued at about $400 million, are engaged in a contentious legal battle and the controversy erupted to include an FBI probe and several additional lawsuits from investors accusing them of fraud. In September, LeFever Mattson and 57 of its entities filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy; proceeds of the real estate sales, including Ravenswood, will be used to pay off lenders and hundreds of investors.
Founded in 1976 by winemaker Joel Peterson, Ravenswood specialized in big, single-vineyard Zinfandels and quickly became one of Sonoma County's most notable wine brands. But the winery was acquired by Constellation Brands in 2001 and Ravenswood's stellar reputation faltered under the conglomerate's ownership. Constellation later sold the brand to competitor Gallo as part of the $810 million blockbuster deal that included 30 low-end wine and spirits brands. Before the deal was finalized in 2021, the Ravenswood tasting room closed and the property was sold to Sonoma's Best Hospitality Group, one of Mattson's many companies.
Ravenswood was one of several wine-related entities that Mattson, once poised to become a Wine Country power player, compiled during his Sonoma County buying spree. It was meant to be the future home of two brands: a new winery called Harrow Cellars and Sojourn Cellars, a small Sonoma Pinot Noir producer that the group purchased later that year.
According to the listing, Sonoma County approved Sonoma's Best's application to revitalize and expand the property. But construction never got underway. Ravenswood remained boarded up and untouched, as if it were frozen in time. Now, its fate awaits its next buyer.
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