The Dutton Family

The Dutton family has been working the land in Sonoma County since the 1880s, growing everything from hops, prunes, string beans, pears, walnuts, hay, apples, and grapes. Dutton Ranch was founded in 1964 when newlyweds Gail and Warren Dutton moved to a home, now the Ranch’s main office, on beautiful farmland just outside Graton, California. Together, they grew apples and wine grapes, expanding their business over time. Warren, a fourth-generation Sonoma County farmer, passed down his passion for agriculture to his sons, Steve and Joe, who now own and operate Dutton Ranch with their mother, Gail. The ranch remains a family business, with Steve and Joe instilling their love of farming in the sixth generation: Steve’s twins Jake and Jordan work at Dutton Ranch, and Joe’s daughters Kylie and Kyndall work at Joe and wife Tracy’s winery, Dutton Estate; their third daughter Karmen recently graduated with her master’s degree and will work for a few years outside the family business. Today, the fourth, fifth, and sixth generations farm approximately 1,400 acres of sustainable wine grapes and organic apples across the Russian River Valley, Green Valley, and Sonoma Coast appellations. The grapes, grown in three of the nation’s most renowned American Viticulture Areas (AVAs), are highly sought after by some of California’s most respected wineries.