The winery is located in Healdsburg in the Alexander Valley in Sonoma County , California ( North Coast region). It was founded in 1974 by Frank Woods and Thomas Reed. At first it was to be called "Woods Vineyards", but Woods' children, who were studying French, chose the original name (French bois = forest, Clos du Bois = Vineyard of the Woods). After changing hands several times, the estate was finally bought by Constellation Brands in 2007.
The winemaker since 2003 has been Erik Olsen, who previously worked at Mondavi and Simi Winery. The vineyards cover 370 hectares of vines in the Alexander Valley. Grapes are also purchased from the AVA areas of Dry Creek Valley, Knights Valley, Los Carneros, Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast (all Sonoma County, North Coast), as well as Monterey(Central Coast). The grape growers are supported in the cultivation of Clos du Bois.
Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, Shiraz (Syrah), Tempranillo and Zinfandel, as well as Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Malvasia Bianca, Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc are cultivated. The wines are marketed in the lines "Classic"(freshand fruity), "Appellation Reserve" (AVA areas) and the top line "Proprietary Series". The latter includes the long-lived Bordeaux blend "Marlstone" made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc (Alexander Valley), as well as the varietals "Cabernet Sauvignon Briarcrest" (Alexander Valley), "Calcaire Chardonnay" (Russian River Valley) and "Flintwood Chardonnay" (Dry Creek Valley).
