The Munselle Family

Almost 150 years ago, the Osborn family arrived in the Alexander Valley with a vision of producing fine wines from the rich soils and ideal growing climate. Shadrach Osborn was the proprietor of Alexander Valley’s first winery, Lone Pine Cellars, while Broder Frellson served as the manager and winemaker for the second winery, simply called Red Winery. As generations passed, the family shifted away from winemaking to focus on cultivating the land. Their agricultural pursuits ranged from farming grapes to hops, prunes, dairy cattle, prunes again, and eventually returning to winegrapes in 1972. Since then, for over five decades, the family has specialized in and produced premium winegrapes, contributing to numerous award-winning wines for wineries throughout Sonoma County. Today, Bret and Kristen Munselle, in partnership with parents Bill and Reta Munselle, farm 700 acres in Alexander Valley, and in 2006, they launched the limited production wine label, Munselle Vineyards, with their inaugural vintages of Wasson Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon and Coin Flip Ranch Chardonnay. Farming remains the backbone of their daily lives, and Bret and Kristen’s four daughters are now the sixth generation to grow up in the heart of Alexander Valley.