Gundlach Bundschu Winery Celebrates 150th Anniversary With A Play

Winemakers celebrate their history in a variety of ways but Gundlach Bundschu, California's oldest family-owned and -operated winery, has chosen a rather dramatic method to celebrate their sesquicentennial (150 years) throughout 2008. The winery will be putting on an original, one-man play, Towle's Hill, at the winery and in several cities around the U.S.

The Bundschu family collaborated with The Marsh, an award-winning San Francisco theater company, to create Towle's Hill. Told from the perspective of fourth-generation Rhinefarm steward Towle Bundschu, Towle's Hill chronicles the history of Gundlach Bundschu, while offering insight into the dynamics of family businesses, the complexities of father-son relationships and the desire to create something meaningful from a lifetime of work. Towle's Hill debuted on May 7, 2008 in San Francisco and will tour the country with performances in eight additional cities (Houston, Austin, Kansas City, Chicago, New York, Charlotte, New Orleans and Los Angeles) during June. The play tour will culminate in a Sonoma performance in September that benefits the Boys and Girls Club Valley of the Moon. More information on tickets for the performances can be found at the winery website.