The Secret Life of Hop Kiln

The Landmark Hop Kiln Winery sits along Westside Road in the Russian River area of Sonoma County; a stretch that feels more rural than the well-trodden wine routes, yet every bit as captivating.  Over the years, I’ve loved this drive from Sebastopol to Windsor, the road winding between redwoods and vineyards, carrying both nostalgia and peace.

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The Hop Kiln building itself, now owned by Landmark Vineyards, is a treasure.  Built in 1905 by Italian stone masons, its three majestic stone kiln towers earned it a place as a California Historical Landmark in 1977.  Before wine, this land was known for hops; a reminder that Sonoma once brewed as much as it bottled.  Each owner since has cherished the structure and its legacy, preserving the spirit of the place.

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From a painter’s perspective, the building is irresistible.  Its stones shimmer in blues, greens, and warm yellow ochres - hues I couldn’t help but exaggerate in my painting.  The textures tell a story all their own, as if each rock remembers the hands that set it there.

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I first visited in September 2020, during the pandemic, when tastings were outdoors and the grounds quiet.  My husband and I enjoyed a peaceful afternoon on the porch, savoring Landmark’s Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  Though the interior was closed, we admired the building’s rustic charm and those nine tiny doors at the base of each tower; what I call the fairy doors.  When I jokingly asked the sommelier if fairies lived there, he smiled and said, “Who says they don’t?”

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That sense of mystery drew me back in June 2021.  This time, with the world reopening, we wandered inside and spoke with the staff about the building’s history.  After a little coaxing, we were allowed to peek downstairs, certainly an unexpected delight. The cool stone cellar still held remnants from the hop-drying days: old equipment, wooden beams, and even a vintage Singer sewing machine once used to stitch hop bags.  Standing there, surrounded by echoes of another era, I felt time blur…the practical and the magical existing side by side.

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That was the inspiration for my painting.  I imagined the Hop Kiln after hours - when the wine is gone, the guests have left, and the fairies, gnomes, and other unseen spirits emerge to play among the stones.  It’s a scene of quiet mischief and enduring joy…where history and imagination share a glass of wine together.

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Cheers!
~ Patti Copus

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Visits: Sept 25 2020 & June 11 2021
Paint Began: Mar 31 2021  Completed: Jun 24 2022
Primary Colors: Blue-Green • Yellow Ochre • White
Primary Symbols: Historic Stone Building • Fairy Doors • Rustic Charm • Fantasy Spirits • Pond • Green Umbrellas

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<--- Back to Whispers of Wine Country: Open Doors

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