Rachel’s Story
Rachel Bordes is a California winemaker focused on crafting thoughtful, site-driven Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Originally from New Orleans, Rachel grew up surrounded by food, gathering, and celebration — experiences that continue to shape the way she thinks about wine today.
After moving to California with her family, Rachel discovered winemaking through a small home project using Pinot Noir fruit from the family vineyard in Sonoma. What began as curiosity quickly became an obsession, leading her to study Wine & Viticulture at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and pursue harvests across California.
Rachel began her professional winemaking journey on the Central Coast before returning to Sonoma for the 2020 harvest at Ram’s Gate Winery, where she continues crafting Pinot Noir and Chardonnay today. Most recently, Rachel traveled to Tasmania, Australia to work harvest and further deepen her understanding of cool-climate winemaking and global wine culture.
Alongside her work in the cellar, Rachel founded boRn — a personal project rooted in honest winemaking, thoughtful farming, and wines that feel alive, balanced, and connected to everyday moments. boRn reflects both her journey as a winemaker and her belief that wine is meant to bring people together, slow things down, and be shared often.
Her Wines
With boRn, every wine begins in the vineyard. Rachel believes great winemaking is rooted in thoughtful farming, patience, and allowing each site to speak for itself.
Sourced from the family’s sustainably farmed vineyard at Champlin Creek Ranch on the Sonoma Coast, the wines are shaped by cool coastal mornings, long growing seasons, and the natural energy that defines this region. These conditions allow for wines with freshness, texture, balance, and a strong sense of place.
Rachel’s approach in the cellar is hands-on and intentionally minimal. Rather than overworking the wines, she focuses on preserving the character of the fruit and the individuality of each vintage. The result is a collection of small-production Pinot Noir and Chardonnay crafted with honesty, restraint, and care.
Production remains intentionally limited, allowing every detail to be approached thoughtfully from vineyard to bottle. Each wine reflects Rachel’s belief that the best wines are not only expressive and age-worthy, but also meant to be shared often — around a table, among friends, and within the small moments that make life meaningful.
The Place
Nestled within the rolling hills of Sonoma County, Champlin Creek Ranch sits in a uniquely dynamic area where the Sonoma Coast, Carneros, Petaluma Gap, and Sonoma Valley influences all converge. Shaped by cool Pacific breezes, drifting morning fog, and long, moderate growing seasons, the site offers exceptional conditions for cultivating expressive Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
The vineyard’s proximity to the coast brings freshness and natural acidity, while the varied surrounding influences contribute layers of texture, complexity, and balance. Warm afternoons give way to crisp evenings, allowing the fruit to ripen slowly and evenly while preserving energy and nuance in the wines.
But beyond the vineyard itself, this land has become deeply woven into Rachel’s life and family story. It is where she grew up, where the Bordes family learned the rhythms and challenges of farming, and where countless meals, celebrations, and slow afternoons have unfolded over the years. Friends gather around the table here, dogs run through the vines, and life naturally seems to slow down.
The property is alive with energy — hawks circling overhead, deer moving through the hills at dusk, the constant coastal breeze moving through the vines. Even Fredrik, the family dog, has claimed the vineyard as his own personal paradise.
For Rachel, Champlin Creek Ranch is more than where the wines are grown. It is home, inspiration, and the heart of boRn — a place that continues to shape her connection to farming, hospitality, and wines meant to be shared with the people around you.
