Ernest Vineyards / Edaphos

Introducing Ernest Vineyards / Edaphos

Ernest Vineyards was co-founded by Todd Gottula and Erin Brooks in 2012. The name of the wines and the venture were inspired by Gottula’s grandfather, Ernest, who’s entrepreneurial spirit and depth of character provided an example this husband and wife team wanted to carry forward. This earnestness drives Gottula, Brooks, and their winemaker, Joseph Ryan, in creating attainable wines of restraint modeled off of excellent Burgundies.

Ernest extends beyond the owners and winemaker in the form of their bond with the independent growers who farm the land. Hailing from agricultural families, both Gottula and Brooks rely upon these personal relationships with 15 different farmers in Sonoma County representing 17 unique sites totaling 24 acres of vines. Each site has been selected for its own unique terroir, but the common through-line is colder climate sites that historically maintain lower air temperatures during the growing season compared to the rest of Sonoma. The goal is to maintain tension in the wine, maintaining high-acid and low alcohol without losing the diversity of each site’s climate and soil. Minimal oak is used in the élevage to ensure that the wines are balanced and smooth.

The Edaphos wines are an additional label produced by Gottula, Brooks, and Ryan. Edaphos is Greek for “base,” “ground” or “soil.” So, it is appropriate that Edaphos Wines are occasionally referred to as their “sandbox.” This line of wines is a chance to work with off-the-beaten-path varietals in small lots, and provides the team to try new approaches to winemaking while opening up new possibilities for the growing community of Ernest Vineyards’ fans.