South Carolina style with a Guatemalan flair blend together in great fun at Louanne and Fred Labbe’s sunny colonial estate in Kenwood.

Just two doors down from Landmark Winery, the three bedroom, three-and-a-half bath home features sweeping views of Sugar Loaf Ridge, vineyards on three sides and the Sonoma Creek—dry since last week.

The home was built in 1989 by Rolin and Pat Amic, of South Carolina from plans purchased there. The home was built almost to the plans— but not quite. They originally called for a basement and a third story, but the builder had a hard time getting permits because it was thought that it would be turned into a bed and breakfast, which was frowned upon at the time. Now, dormer windows poke out of the second story, providing storage space Fred says gets used way too much.

Inside the home, Fred’s Guatemalan heritage shows through with brightly painted walls and Spanish colonial antiques such as silver platters from the 1500s, wooden cabinets, artistic doors, tapestries and statues. Wild colors throughout blend well together, making a relaxing creative space. Watermelon granite plays off the red ceiling and green walls, and light coffee colored walls throughout the halls is calming.
Upstairs there are Asian antiques, and a German music box.

“It’s a colonial home, with an eclectic mix with all the Guatemalan things in here,” Louanne said.

The couple’s “Sonoma” terrier mix digs the place too, and the backyard shade along the creek welcomes guests with a hammock, and children with a swing and is a perfect place for entertaining.

“It’s unique because it’s the only Southern Plantation home in Sonoma.”
Besides vines, sandwiched between the vineyards and the home is an immaculate garden— a redwood grove and a formal English garden in front with heritage roses, casablanca’s, dahlias and hidden pathways with surprise antiques buried in the lush foliage.

Louanne Labbe, a retired real estate developer who spent time commuting between Hawaii and the Peninsula for her job is an avid gardener and belongs to the Santa Rosa Garden Club.

She and the garden have played host to the master gardeners three times, the Sonoma County Medical Association garden tour, and they still show it off whenever possible.

Fred Labbe is a retired orthopedic surgeon from the Peninsula. He said when they first toured the property the three- and-a-half acres of vines presented a challenge.
“When we drove in I said ‘what’s that?’” Labbe said.
“’That’s a vineyard!— I said oops, ‘what am I going to do now with this?’ It was a good challenge.”
Labbe spent two years in his retirement at Santa Rosa Junior College learning viticulture under Rich Thomas so he could tend the grapes.

“I increased the size of the vineyard, trellises, increased the production... it’s my only hobby that produces money—it is profitable if you work it yourself.”

Labbe said it takes him just a couple of hours per day in the summertime. He does the preparation and spraying all himself and has rown award winning grapes winning recognition from Wine Spectator magazine. He sells most grapes to Deerfield Winery who then turns the chardonnay grapes into champagne, and the cabernet grapes into cabernet sauvignon under a design vineyard label called Chateau Labbe.

He also keeps plenty for himself, which he makes and stores in his wine room on the property.