Quivira Vineyards sits on West Dry Creek Road in Healdsburg, at the base of Dry Creek Valley on an estate that has been certified organic and biodynamic for decades. The winery was founded in 1981 by Henry and Holly Wendt, who chose the name Quivira from a Native American legend describing a mythical and magical place — a fitting reference for a property that the founders saw as something to be cared for as much as farmed. Pete and Terri Kight took ownership in 2006 and continued the organic and biodynamic commitment, which now includes solar energy production and active creek restoration for Steelhead trout and Coho salmon.

The founding of Quivira and the name’s origin

Henry and Holly Wendt founded Quivira Vineyards in 1981, establishing the estate on West Dry Creek Road at the base of Dry Creek Valley. The name Quivira comes from a Native American legend describing a mythical place of beauty and abundance — a name the founders chose deliberately to express how they thought about their land. Quivira was not just a production site; it was a place that had to be understood, respected, and maintained.

Pete and Terri Kight assumed ownership in 2006, inheriting both the property and the founding philosophy. The Kights continued and expanded the commitment to organic farming, biodynamic practices, and environmental restoration that the Wendts had established, making Quivira one of the longest-running certified organic wine estates in California.

Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc from one of California’s longest-standing certified organic and biodynamic estates.

Organic and biodynamic farming at Quivira

Quivira has practiced organic viticulture for more than 40 years, certified by the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). The winery has also adopted biodynamic farming, which goes beyond organic certification by treating the vineyard as a self-sustaining ecosystem — using compost preparations, planting cover crops, timing farming activities to natural cycles, and raising livestock on the property to return nutrients to the soil.

The philosophical underpinning of biodynamic farming traces to Rudolf Steiner’s agricultural lectures from the 1920s, but the practical results at Quivira are straightforward: healthier soils, more resilient vines, and grapes that advocates say express terroir with greater clarity because they have not been treated with synthetic inputs that can mask natural flavor compounds. The winery has also installed solar panels on the winery building, generating renewable energy for production.

Creek restoration and habitat work at Quivira

One of the most distinctive environmental initiatives at Quivira is the restoration of Dry Creek, which runs through the property. The winery has worked to rehabilitate the creek as a viable spawning habitat for Steelhead trout and Coho salmon, both of which are at-risk species in California. The restoration work involves removing invasive plant species, stabilizing creek banks, and ensuring that water quality and flow conditions meet the requirements for salmon and trout to spawn successfully.

This kind of habitat work sits at the intersection of agriculture and conservation, and Quivira has approached it as an extension of the biodynamic philosophy: that the vineyard and the surrounding ecosystem are part of the same living system, and that the health of one depends on the health of the other. The creek restoration has become one of the winery’s most visible expressions of that commitment.

Pairing Quivira wines with food

Quivira’s wine program is built around two varietals that have very different food pairing profiles but share a common trait: the hallmark acidity and balance that CCOF-certified organic farming tends to preserve in grapes allowed to develop slowly without synthetic intervention.

Quivira Sauvignon Blanc, with its bright citrus and herbaceous character and high natural acidity, pairs naturally with oysters, fresh goat cheese, shrimp, and green-vegetable preparations where acidity acts as a seasoning. The acid in the wine brightens the flavors of the food the same way lemon juice does in cooking. The Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, with its more restrained, earthy character compared to heavily extracted styles, pairs well with grilled lamb, roasted pork, mushroom dishes, and strong aged cheeses. The Rhone varieties in the lineup — Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah — pair naturally with Mediterranean preparations: lamb tagine, olive-heavy braises, herbed roasted meats, and hard sheep’s-milk cheeses.

Quivira Vineyards: common questions