History of Sonoma County and Cloverdale

The earliest settlers of Sonoma County arrived sometime between 5000 and 8000 BC. Their ancestors are the Pomo, Miwok, and Wappo tribes, who were hunter-gatherers, effectively living within the natural carrying capacity of the land for centuries. Spaniards, Russians and other Europeans claimed and settled in the county from the late 16th though the mid 19th century, seeking timber, furs and farmland. The county of Sonoma was one of the original counties created at the time of statehood in 1850. Cloverdale, Asti, and what is now Reynoso Vineyards, were all part of the long, narrow 8776 acre Spanish land grant called Rincon de Muscalon, which was deeded to Francisco Berryessa, and sold to Johnson Horrel in1851. Cloverdale was named a township in 1867.

The Italian Swiss Agricultural Colony was founded at Asti (about 4 miles South of Cloverdale, and less than a mile North of Reynoso Vineyards) in 1881 by Andrea Sbarboro and a group of unemployed immigrants from San Francisco who were looking for farming and ranching land. They selected Truett Ranch, a hilly, wooded tract of land bordering the Russian River. The Italian colonists noticed the similarities between the ranch and the wine-growing sections of northern Italy and decided to plant vineyards. In the 1900 census there were 11 “grape growers” and 8 “wine makers” in the area around Cloverdale and Asti. When Prohibition became the law in 1920, many of the the vineyards here, as well as elsewhere in Sonoma County, had to be ripped out and replanted to other crops like apples and prunes. Many of these were not replanted to grape vines until the 1970’s and 1980’s, when the area was “rediscovered” as a perfect region for growing outstanding wine grapes. Pat Paulson of “Laugh-In” eventually purchased many acres around Asti, planted vines and had a winery for many years. Joe Reynoso discovered the property in 1994 and purchased 500 acres, with 20 acres planted to vines. The ranch still bears the mark of Pat Paulson, whose name is signed in the concrete floor of our old barn.

Who We Are:

Joe Reynoso fell in love with wine while he was a college student at San Francisco State University in the 1980s. His proximity to California’s premium wine country, particularly Sonoma and Napa counties, gave him the opportunity to further develop his knowledge and passion for wines. He graduated with a business degree in 1983, and from there attended the University of Chicago Graduate School of business, graduating with an MBA in 1985. He entered the finance world, working as a trader on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. His career traveled through many iterations in the realm of financial derivatives, and he currently manages a boutique asset management firm.

Throughout his business career, his love for wine grew into the dream of getting into the wine business. After a long, well-researched investigation of properties in Napa and Sonoma counties, he finally decided upon a 500 acre parcel in the Alexander Valley that was the old Pat Paulson winery. In 2001, Elena officially entered the vineyard picture when she and Joe got married. Elena had been in the wine business in Chicago for 12 years, first in a fine-wine retail store (where she sold quite a few cases of wine to Joe), and then at a fine wine distributor, where she sold, and eventually managed a portfolio of small, highly sought-after French, Italian and Spanish wines. Though she had no formal training in viticulture, nor wine-making, she found a new passion in the vineyards and soon took over managing the vineyards and making wine. She started with small batches of Syrah and Cabernet. The Sauvignon Blanc requires more sophisticated equipment than that found in Elena’s small garage winery, so it is made under her direction at a local higher-tech facility. Joe and Elena have both remained passionate about Reynoso Vineyards and constantly strive for greater quality from the vineyards and the wines.