After graduating from UC Davis in 1984, John Bucher returned to Healdsburg to manage the family dairy operation, Bucher Farms, eventually transitioning the herd to an organic dairy farm. John continued on his parent’s path of growing the dairy herd, while also looking for opportunities to diversify to higher-value crops to stay economically sustainable.
In 1997, after two years of researching wine grape varietals, analyzing soils, and talking to neighboring grape growers, John planted the first Bucher Vineyard Pinot Noir blocks for Bucher Farms. Additional plantings of Pinot Noir and eventually Chardonnay followed in 1998, 1999, 2006, 2008, and 2009. Today, Bucher Vineyard Pinot Noir grapes are sold by Bucher Farms to several notable Sonoma County wineries, including Williams Selyem, Siduri Wines, Papapietro Perry, Kosta Brown, C. Donatiello, and others.
