The Serres Family

The Serres family story began in 1872, when John P. Serres came to San Francisco, California, and later moved his family to Sonoma County. Between 1851 and 1857, the Serres land belonged to General Joseph Hooker (often referred to as “Fighting Joe”) and was called Hooker’s Ranch or Hooker Oaks. When Hooker took off to fight the Civil War, he sold his ranch to George Watriss, a famous hotelier from New York City who had opened the Astor House luxury hotel. Serres and Watriss knew each other for decades before Serres fully acquired the land. From 1924 to the present day, Serres Ranch has been owned and operated by family. The ranch originally operated as a dairy and row crop farm. The evolution toward grape growing began in the early 1980s after Jim Bundschu bought a piece of the ranch, planting grapes that John Serres helped manage. This led to a love of grape growing, and the family eventually purchasing the piece of the ranch back to continue the legacy of winegrowing. Sixth generation family members John, Buck, and Taylor Serres Murnig, along with their father John, continue to work on the 200-acre ranch. In addition to winegrapes, the family owns a general contracting company and farms blueberries and beef cattle. This year, Serres Ranch is celebrating its 100-year anniversary.