About Occidental
While Chardonnay is what made Kistler’s name, Occidental is currently exclusively making Pinot Noir. Kistler first became intrigued by Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast in the 1970s, while working at Ridge Vineyards, at the very start of his career. Although he established Kistler in 1978, he tasted more wines from the coastal area in the 1990s and fell for the cool-climate, Burgundian style of Pinot Noir that could be made in this extreme, maritime climate. He planted his first vines here in 1995 – a four-acre site that he named Occidental Vineyard.
