winery

Donum Estate

The discovery

Single-vineyard museum without walls.

Since 2001, California’s Donum Estate has combined single-vineyard Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays in the Burgundian style with sculptures by world-renowned artists.

Das Weingut Weine entdecken

The winery

Where award-winning single-vineyard Pinots and Chardonnays meet art by Ai Weiwei, Anselm Kiefer, and Louise Bourgeois.

The Donum Estate was founded in 2001 by German winemaker Anne Moller-Racke – with the conviction that nature is a gift (Latin: donum). With dedication, she developed the now award-winning winery in the Sonoma-Carneros region and laid the foundation for a Burgundian-inspired style. Today, Donum encompasses over 25 individual vineyards, each with its own microclimate and character, noticeably expressed in its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
In 2011, Danish entrepreneurs and art collectors Allan and Mei Warburg took over the winery and established the Donum Collection. Since then, over 50 large-format sculptures by international artists have shaped the estate. Interiors and vine landscapes merge into a walkable gallery. Particularly impressive is Ai Weiwei's "Circle of Animals / Zodiac Heads," which depicts the Chinese zodiac signs amidst the vines and adorns the winery's bottle label each year. Works by Louise Bourgeois, Yayoi Kusama, Keith Haring, and Anselm Kiefer make a visit feel like a museum experience without walls.
Today, the vineyards span approximately 137 hectares – divided into four Californian regions: Carneros, Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, and Anderson Valley. Each vineyard is cultivated, harvested, and vinified individually. The goal: to bring the authentic and pure character of each site into the bottles. Every wine is a work of art, driven by a clear idea: the gift of nature, in its most beautiful form.

ROC Pioneer in Sonoma.

Sustainability is not an empty phrase at Donum, but a lived reality since day one. As one of the first wineries in Sonoma, Donum received the "Regenerative Organic Certified®" (ROC) certificate for several of its vineyards – a mark of excellence for uncompromising ecological management. Through cover cropping, composting, sheep in the vineyard, and drastically reduced water usage (50% less irrigation), the team creates a vibrant vineyard ecosystem. The soil becomes healthier and more vital year after year – a commitment that is evident in the vines and ultimately in the wines.

Those who counterfeit have nothing to do with art.

At Donum, only honesty goes into the bottle: Nothing is embellished or over-manipulated in the cellar. Spontaneous fermentation, gentle aging, and the conscious acceptance of vintage differences are integral to our philosophy: every wine is allowed to authentically tell the story of its origin. This authentic craftsmanship goes hand in hand with fairness: everyone on the team is responsible for "their" vineyard plot and receives a fair wage. Thus, at Donum, integrity is shown equally to nature and people.

Responsibility for the team in the engine room

Donum has its heart in the vineyard, but the winery also has its heart in the right place in other ways: Donum regularly engages in social and charitable causes. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, $10 USD was donated to the WHO's COVID Response Fund for every wine order. In addition, Donum supports health initiatives such as childhood cancer research with special charity wine tastings ("Pinot for PNOC"). It is part of the winery's self-conception to give back to the community, true to the motto that good wine is a gift to be shared.

"An unadulterated reflection of the fascinating Californian terroir."

2001

foundation

50+

Sculptures in the Vineyard

137 hectares

vineyard

The location

Pinot Paradise Carneros.

Carneros, located at the southern end of the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, directly benefits from its cool proximity to San Pablo Bay. In the mornings, fog and sea breezes envelop the hills in a fresh veil, before the afternoon sun provides gentle warmth: an ideal interplay for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The soils consist predominantly of clay loam with hard subsoil layers. This structure forces the vines to root deeply and stores enough moisture for a long ripening period. This results in wines with invigorating acidity and elegant fruit, in which the unique Carneros terroir is unmistakably reflected.