Eric Flanagan spent his career on Wall Street before wine took over. Through years of traveling wine regions around the world — New Zealand, Greece, Northern California — he became fascinated by how the same grape could taste so radically different depending on where it was grown. In 1999, at age 36, he acted on that curiosity and purchased 40 steep hillside acres in Bennett Valley, just east of Santa Rosa. He and his then-young daughter Riley planted the first vines together in 2001. The first wine — one barrel of Cabernet Sauvignon, made with winemaker Philippe Melka — came in 2004.

Since then Flanagan has grown steadily and purposefully, acquiring some of Sonoma County's most storied vineyard sites: Ritchie and Bacigalupi for Chardonnay, Gap's View and Platt for Pinot Noir, and a Dry Creek Valley estate with a winery originally bonded in 1885. The winery logo — three blue rivulets — represents Eric and Kit's three daughters: Riley, Lola, and Ruby. Riley has since become a vintner herself.

The philosophy at Flanagan is simple: source only from vineyards you believe in wholeheartedly, then stay out of the way. Every vineyard in the portfolio was chosen for its ability to produce wines with distinct character — cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast, mountain-grown Cabernet and Syrah from Bennett Valley.

Winemaker Isabelle Mort — a native of Montreal who trained in Germany's Mosel, Burgundy, New Zealand's Central Otago, and Australia's Yarra Valley before landing in Sonoma — joined Flanagan as assistant winemaker in 2016 and became Director of Winemaking in 2018. Her philosophy: find the wine a vineyard wants to make, and give it the conditions to do so. Science and creativity in equal measure, never dogma.

Eric Flanagan is founder, proprietor, and the driving vision behind the winery — a former hedge fund professional who traded Wall Street for steep hillside vineyards in Sonoma. Kit Flanagan co-owns the winery and is a constant presence alongside Eric. Riley Flanagan, their oldest daughter, runs wholesale sales and hosts tasting events across the country, and has launched her own label, Riley's Rows. Isabelle Mort leads winemaking. Cabell Coursey, who trained in Burgundy, Oregon, and New Zealand, continues as consulting winemaker.