Kistler was founded in 1978 with the idea that excellent, terroir-driven wines could be made in California. Steve Kistler and Mark Bixler believed that remarkably good Chardonnay could be made in the state. In that way, they were ahead of their time. Bill Price, longtime owner of Durell Vineyards, purchased an interest in Kistler Vineyards from Steve Kistler in 2008. Jason Kesner joined Steve in the cellar in 2008 to begin laying the groundwork for the next forty years. Steve retired from Kistler Vineyards at the end of 2017.