About Dutton Estate Winery

Dutton Estate Winery is in the Russian River Valley located near the small charming town of Sebastopol. Once a dominant apple-growing region, Sebastopol is now a destination hide-away and home to the winery’s founders, Joe and Tracy Dutton. Joe and Tracy’s agricultural heritage is deeply rooted in Sebastopol, as Tracy’s great-grandparents began farming apples in the 1920’s and today continues growing apples and grapes at the family’s recognized farm and food production facility in Forestville at Kozlowski Farms. Joe is co-owner of Dutton Ranch, which was founded in 1964 by his parents. Today, Dutton Ranch farms 1150 acres of grapes and 150 acres of apples, all within the Green Valley-Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast appellations.

Both Joe and Tracy valued their experience growing up and wanted that same experience for their three girls. They wanted a business that their three girls could be part of. Joe is a driving force in the vineyards and continues to manage the vineyards at Dutton Ranch. Tracy oversees the winery and the three girls can be seen helping out at winery events.    

Tracy Dutton was born and raised in Sebastopol, California where her grandparents, Tony and Carmen Kozlowski established Kozlowski Farms in 1949. At a young age, Tracy began working with her family, picking fresh berries and apples, making jam and baking with her grandmother. She quickly learned the many tasks of the family’s booming roadside fruit stand and farm store along a main highway passing through (the now prestigious Russian River growing region), as vacationers traveled from all over to the famed Russian River Resort areas. Tracy worked from the “ground up.” By the age of 16, she was manager of the family’s retail store that expanded from fresh berries and apples to over 70 food products produced on the family’s farm as well as fresh baked pies and a massive holiday business, shipping Sonoma County gift baskets throughout the country. As Tracy mastered the retail operations, she began regional travels after school and on weekends to promote and sell Kozlowski Farms’ products. Regional travels quickly led to national sales by the age of 18 which helped support her through college. In 1992, Tracy earned a degree in Economics from California State University, Chico and returned to Kozlowski Farms with a full-time position in accounting and sales. She soon met and married the boy from a ranch next door, Joe Dutton. As Joe managed Dutton Ranch along with his father and brother, Tracy continued with the sales and accounting position for products produced from agricultural commodities at Kozlowski Farms. After the birth of their first daughter in 1994, Joe and Tracy were inspired to start a business of their own, which their children would grow; a business to celebrate their agricultural heritage. In 1995, Tracy and Joe purchased a 20-acre chardonnay vineyard, tasting room and barn along the same highway stretching through Russian River’s Green Valley region, situated 1.5 miles north of Kozlowski Farms and two miles northeast of Dutton Ranch. The inaugural release of 1000 cases of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir was named Sebastopol Vineyards. Today, Tracy is President of Dutton Estate Winery and oversees the daily operations, as well as raising three daughters, Kyndall, Kylie and Karmen. Joe continues with his position as co-owner at Dutton Ranch Corp. and he spends his days overseeing 1300 acres of grapes and apples. Tracy’s greatest enjoyment is making a home for her family and being the “farmer’s wife.” 

Joe Dutton was born and raised near the town of Sebastopol on his family’s ranch in the Green Valley. His parents, Warren and Gail Dutton purchased their first parcel of property near the little town of Graton in 1964, five years before Joe was born and named this land DUTTON RANCH. Joe became interested in the family business as a young boy. He grew up picking apples; operating the farm equipment and helping his father oversee the orchards and expanding vineyards everyday after school and during summer vacations. Upon graduating from high school, Joe immediately pursued the family farming operation. By staying on the ranch and working beside his father, Joe’s intuitive vision to grow the family vineyard holdings was unlimited. With Joe’s tireless dedication, perseverance and hard work, today Dutton Ranch consist of eighty parcels of property, totaling 1300 acres. 1150 acres of grapes consist of chardonnay, pinot noir, syrah, sauvignon blanc, zinfandel and pinot gris grapes and 150 acres of apples, all within the Green Valley-Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast appellations. The Dutton Ranch headquarters are located on the original “home ranch”, planted to apples and chardonnay grapes, and currently grows the oldest chardonnay vines in west Sonoma County. Joe perseveres with his family in achieving to produce world-class grapes through careful use of environmentally friendly management practices. Additionally, the fruit is in high demand by the most recognized wine producers of California. Currently, Dutton Ranch sells grapes to approximately sixty different wineries; twenty of them respectfully use the Dutton Ranch designation on their label. Along with Joe’s mother and brother, Joe carries on in the footsteps of his father Warren, who died in October of 2001. Joe, like his father has been recognized as a leader in the Sonoma County farming industry and expresses his passion for agriculture through his hard work and appreciation for his family’s farming business. Noted by Joe’s wife, Tracy, “Joe is a true farmer and enjoys the fruits of his labor.”