California Wine Spot

HOLDING ONTO WINE HERITAGE AT ROTTA WINERY

Name:   Rotta Winery, Giubbini Vineyard
Location:  Templeton, Paso Robles
Established:  1908
Owner:  Mike Giubbini
Winemaker:  Marco Caporale
Annual Case Production:  17,000
Website:  www.rottawinery.com
CWC wines featured:  2005 “Paso Robles” Cabernet Sauvignon; 2006 “Monterey” Chardonnay

GOT HISTORY?
During winters as a 12-year-old, when Mike Giubbini was elbow-deep in cold soapy water cleaning glass jugs for Rotta Winery, he never imagined that the winery owned by his grandparents would one day become his life’s focus.  Located mid-way between Los Angeles and San Francisco in Paso Robles, Rotta was one of the first three wineries in a region that now boasts more than 200+ wineries. 

A Frenchman named Adolph Siot started the winery in 1856, then sold it to Joe Rotta in 1908.  In turn, Joe sold it to his brother Clement Rotta in the 1920s.  In the 1930s, Clement applied for a bond and began making robust Zinfandel from his old vines.

Mike’s grandparents operated the winery until the 1970s when they sold it.  “They didn’t want their grandchildren having to work so hard,” Mike says.  “In the ‘50s, ‘60s  and ‘70s, wine here wasn’t what it is today.  And our family already had its hands full since we farmed 600 acres of barley and also had a trucking business.”

Today, a modern winery is rising beside the old cistern and foundation walls of the original stone building that was one of the first pioneers in Paso Robles.  No one would be more surprised at Mike’s resurrection of Rotta than his late grandparents.

IN THE BLOOD
With a winery in the family, wine was on the table as Mike grew up.  “I remember my grandma would use her cane to walk over to the tasting room 50 feet away to get a half gallon of wine out of the cellar.” Mike’s uncle would give the kids 7-up with wine.   A little wine at lunch and dinner was a good prelude to the hard work that would follow.  “They were good old Italians, from the old country, and they worked like hell,” Mike recalls.  So did Mike.  “I learned to drive the tractor, and later, my son did too.  We heard the stories of how Grandpa Clement would work the vineyard with mules, and when it was lunchtime, those mules knew to head right to the barn for their feed.”

In the days when wine was barely on the radar in Paso Robles, the family tended their 40 acres of vines, including the old vine Zinfandel that was their hallmark.  When it came time to sell the place, Mike never imagined it would one day come back to him….

A NEW DAY FOR ROTTA
Rotta’s buyers ended up not paying for it, and in 1985, the family took it back.  At the time, Mike was a fire captain for the California Department of Forestry. In 1990, he returned to the property with his wife and children and began the long, slow process of reviving its neglected vineyard.  “Most of the Zin had to be replanted, and we also planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.”  He also has rights to farm five acres of 60-year-old Zin planted by the Pesenti family.  From 1992 to 2002, Mike sold his Zin to Niels Udsen at Castoro Winery.  “He made Giubbini Vineyard kind of famous, with a vineyard designate.  But I always told Niels once I got my winery going, he probably wouldn’t get any of my fruit anymore.”

That day has come…

THE OLD & THE NEW
After 33 years as a fire captain, Mike is now full-time at Rotta as he works to complete a new 5,000 sq. ft. crush facility.  It includes a tasting room with a window for viewing cellar work that will replace his current site on hwy. 46 west.  Though Mike had to tear down most of the old winery due to earthquake codes, he plans to rebuild the winery much as it was in 1909.  At Rotta, you will find the old and the new, side-by-side, along with Merlot, Reserve Merlot, Zinfandel, Zinfandel Rose, Muscat Canelli, Zinfandel Port, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon (our CWC selection), Chardonnay (our CWC selection) and Black Monukka dessert wine.  “As far as I know, we are the only ones that make Black Monukka, a grape that came from Spain to the Central Valley in the early ‘40s.  It’s won quite a few gold medals.”

Mike sources his wines from his estate, Paso Robles and Monterey County.  Marco Caporale, a local winemaker who has a degree from U.C. Davis, advises Mike and his cellar master, Mike Sanchez, on every step of production.  “Marco grew up in Paso Robles and knew my uncle when he was making wine here,” notes Mike.  It’s another thread of history at Rotta, where a family’s wine heritage lives on!  Before June, visit Rotta at their tasting room at 3750 Hwy. 46 West, Templeton, CA 93465, (805)237-0510. After June 2008, drive to their tasting room at 250 Winery Road, Templeton or email info@rottawinery.com.  Salud, to history!

BALANCE & SUCCESS AT MADROÑA VINEYARDS

Madroña Vineyards
Location: El Dorado County
Established: Vineyards planted in 1973
Winery built in 1980
Owner: The Bush Family
Winemaker: Paul Bush
Annual Production: 12,000 cases
Website: www.MadronaVineyards.com
Our CWC Wines: Madroña 2006 Estate Grown Zinfandel; Madroña 2006 Cardanini Vineyards Syrah

AWARD-WINNING VARIETY
The little winery in the woods above Placerville in El Dorado County’s Gold Rush country founded by Dick and Leslie Bush in 1980 and featured by CWC several times since, has grown up. Madroña Vineyards, named for the majestic Madrone tree that dominates its vineyard, is still the tiny family winery hidden amid the cedar and Ponderosa pines. Set in the high-elevation foothills just 50+ miles from the ski runs of South Lake Tahoe, Madroña produces wines that express the amazing diversity of this region’s terroir, and judges are taking notice. “Our Gewürztraminer and Zinfandel are perfect examples,” says owner/winemaker Paul Bush. “In the past, Bon Appetit picked the Gewürztraminer as one of the “Top 25 White Wines of the World”, and it grows a mere 18 feet away from our Gold Medal-winning Zinfandel. Where else is this possible, growing both a warm and a cool climate grape literally side-by-side? That’s what’s so special about El Dorado County.”

Currently, Madroña produces 23 wines, covering Italian, French, German, and Portuguese varieties. “All are small-lot, hands-on productions, so our favorites change day to day,” says owner/manager Maggie Bush. “It really depends on what we’re having for dinner.” No matter what their choice,the wines are usually award-winners. Madrona’s Quintet (a Bordeaux blend), Merlot and Port have recently led the way with top kudos from prestigious competitions.

SOMETHING NEW
Madroña wines have also won the hearts of a loyal group of followers who are ever ready to experiment and try something different. They’ll certainly find it among the 23 wines Paul makes. New on the block are his sparkling Yellow Muscat aperitif, Viognier and new clones of Syrah and Zinfandel (our CWC selections) with which he’s always wanted to play. “We’ve been making Zin since 1979, but I haven’t used this clone before. It’s more fruit-oriented, with a great mid-palate. The Syrah is also different than our cool-climate standard; it has the great blueberry flavors in the forefront rather than our traditional spice characters.” Recently, Paul also added a “Black Label” line of bottlings selected from “special barrels.”

BALANCING ACT
Madrona has indeed matured, but it hasn’t come without effort. Paul and his wife, Maggie, are raising two small children as they operate the winery his parents built. They manage a staff of 13 and oversee 32 acres of vines around the winery; a 10-acre site next door; and 35 acres in Pleasant Valley
nearby. In 2002, Paul took over the winemaking, with former Madroña winemaker Hugh Chappelle consulting. “We wanted to get the winemaking back into the family so we could focus on the style that identifies our philosophy. And since we grow all of our own fruit, we are in the luxurious position of being able to craft a wine we truly believe in.”

With their success has come the pressure to expand Madroña’s 12,000-case production. They could easily do so, since they have only planted 35 acres of the 240-acre Pleasant Valley vineyard. “Yet, there is a sanity in remaining small. Just as there is a balance in the bottle, you have to have balance in the family too. We’d much rather have time for doing things with our kids while they still want to do things with us,” Paul laughs.

SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE
Keeping the winery small sustains a lifestyle the Bush family treasures. Sustainability is also on their minds in the cellar and in the vineyard. Paul works to reduce the winery’s “carbon footprint” (the measure of how much carbon dioxide a business releases into the atmosphere) with fixes like converting to 100% solar power, electric forklifts and even planting avocado trees to absorb carbon dioxide. In addition, through careful planning, Madroña’s solar system not only produces electricity but also insulates the wine storage building from direct summer sun and harsh winter storms. This in turn saves even more electricity. Out in the vineyard, Madrona sets up owl nesting boxes, recycles wastewater for irrigation and relies on moisture probes. “This year, we had to water the vines only once,” states Paul. “It’s incredibly fulfilling to know that conservation makes great business sense as well.”

UNUSUAL WINE COUNTRY
While Madroña’s tasting room bustles, so do neighboring fruit and vegetable stands, Christmas tree farms and jam and jelly counters of this unusual wine country. “The strength of our region is its diversity,” Paul says. “Cherry lovers buy wine. Wine lovers buy apples. It’s an agricultural ecosystem of sorts that allows small, family farming to prosper in such a beautiful setting.”  The cornucopia of the land’s bounty continues to spill forth, making a harvest visit to Madroña a time for peaches and apple pie as well as Syrah and Zinfandel. The Bush family is ready to greet you, with a glass of outstanding wine, at 2560 High Hill Rd.,Camino,CA, (530.644.5948). Salud!

25 Years of California(Fine Wine) Dreamin’at Chateau Julien

A Dream Realized

As the sun rises on a summer morning in Monterey County’s Carmel Valley, a storybook chateau awakens to the dawn. Touched by the sun’s first rays, it glows pink as the ocean mists rise above the vineyards andanother day begins at Chateau Julien. Twenty-five years ago, this little castle with its cellarful of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Syrah, Sangiovese, Pinot Grigio and Zinfandel did not exist. Today, Chateau Julien celebrates a quarter century with founders Bob and Patty Brower, folks from back East who were among the first to dream of making wine in Monterey County. Winemaker Bill Anderson has been with them every step of the way, realizing the dream with three tiers of Chateau Julien wine: Private Reserve, Estate Vineyard and Barrel Selected. “For our annual Winemaker’s Dinner this year, we uncorked 25 vintages of Chateau Julien wines,” Bob says with a grin. “We didn’t have enough of the really old vintages to open them in advance to see if they were still drinkable. And to see
that the wines survived 25 years and were just drinking incredibly well is a great note to Bill from day one producing great wines. I think in chapter two, we are doing even better. There are plenty more exciting things for us to do. We’re not done yet!”

Miles & Milestones

During these 25 years, Bob, Patty and Bill have scored some home runs at Chateau Julien. Locating their winery in Carmel, so close to its tide of visitors, was a coup, as was their chateau winery design based on a castle they saw at the Swiss-French border. The winery’s chai (pronounced “shy”) came from those travels, too. This high ceilinged barrel house set amid the vineyards is a charming venue for events of all kinds. The establishment of their 246-acre vineyard in Lockwood, in southern Monterey County, was another milestone, as was their planting of Pinot Grigio in 1996. “Hot, hot wine. We can’t even keep it in stock,” laughs Patty.“We were doing Pinot Grigio before most wineries were willing to try it. Ours is a beautiful wine,with no residual sugar. That was another wine that Bill and Bob predicted years ago. We won’t talk about the ones we tried and failed,” she chuckles.  “If you don’t fail, you aren’t trying,” says Bill.

Signature Hospitality

As Chateau Julien’s wines have evolved from their first wine, and flagship varietal, Merlot, to their 25th Anniversary bottling called “Bravura”, a top end Bordeaux blend, so has its hospitality program. Chateau Julien’s line-up of events is a signature of this friendly family winery and one that has garnered many awards. Patty and her team,including longtime marketing director Kristin Horton, are always creating something new, like the Intricacies of Tastings and the annual preholiday,sold-out, a cappella Chorale concert in the winery chai. Chateau Julien’s visitors are always pleased that there is no tasting bar—you are free to stroll around the Great Hall, glass of wine in hand, just like home.

Savvy Consumers

Spurring Chateau Julien’s efforts to make the best wine are savvy consumers. “People know the difference between ordinary and extraordinary,” says Bill. “You can’t merely get by. You have to do something spectacular in today’s marketplace,” adds Bob. “When we started Chateau Julien, we were the 400th winery in the state of California. There are now 5,400 wineries in the U.S. and 45,000 vineyard acres in Monterey County alone. It can no longer be just a one dimensional wine. We are continually striving to do that.” Are they succeeding? Bill tells a story about pouring Chateau Julien wines at the Masters of Food & Wine event in Carmel. The winery booth was placed next to “Chateau X, a famous chateau like Mickey Mantle to me.” Bill had some charts and was describing how he had crafted Chateau Julien’s “Bravura” wine, blending small amounts of CJ wine from vintages 1982 to 2004 with the best of the current vintage. Suddenly, he noticed the Willie Mays winery “looking over my shoulder wanting to know what we were doing. It gave me chills.”

Chateau Julien’s goal of making the best wine possible “is exactly what we talked about 30 years ago, at our start,” says Patty. Charting its course through fine wine, one vintage at a time … at a charming little castle near the sea … that’s a dream realized, at Chateau Julien. Come enjoy the reverie with Bob, Patty and Bill.

www.chateaujulien.com

75 and Aging Beautifully at Bargetto Winery

When the Bargetto family celebrates their winery’s birthday in 2008,the cake will blaze with 75 candles. In the glow of candlelight, surely they will feel the spirit of all those Bargettos who worked to build their successful family winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Occupying a place of honor among them will be Giuseppe Bargetto, a peasant with scarcely an education who joined Santa Cruz’s burgeoning wine industry in 1890. Toasting his memory will be a host of relatives, including Philip and Uncle “Barba” Giovanin, who ran the original Bargetto winery in San Francisco from 1910-1917; Silvia Bargetto Nolan, who ran their Santa Cruz retail shop from 1934-1955; John Bargetto who oversaw the winery’s expansion after WWII; and John’s son, Lawrence, who labored in tough times during the ’60s and ’70s to position the winery for the success it enjoys today. Lawrence has passed on, but his sons John (Vice-President/Director of Winemaking & Vineyard Management) and Martin (President) and daughter, Loretta (Administration), continue to upgrade operations.

Their wine line-up has evolved to include their upper level “LA VITA” wine as well as a bevy of estate wines from the Santa Cruz appellation. Adding to the continuous improvement is more and better cellar equipment. “Last year, in the middle of harvest, we installed a 12,700 gallon tank, the largest in Bargetto’s history,” notes John. “We had to dismantle part of the winery building to move it in, because it would not fit through the door.” Bargetto’s Carignane, was bottled and labeled by a new bottling line “twice as fast as the old line,” John adds. “Most importantly, the wine enters the bottle in a much more protected way with much less oxygen pickup.” But the winery’s forward momentum isn’t confined to the cellar…

Out at Bargetto’s 50-acre estate, the Regan Vineyard, near Corralitos about 15 miles southeast of the winery and just seven miles from the ocean, Bargetto leads the way in the use of alternative energy for agriculture. A year ago, John installed sixteen panels that comprise a 3.0kw photovoltaic system. This system is one of the first to be used in a California vineyard where electricity is needed for well pumps. While solar power is gaining ground in winery facilities (at Schaefer and Grgich Hills, for example), these vineyard panels are something new and have earned John speaking engagements at major seminars like the recent Ecological Farming Conference in Asilomar, attended by more than 1,000 participants eager to “go green”. “These solar panels are just the latest in our sustainable winegrowing efforts as we strive to be good stewards of the land,” explains John. “For me, it’s exciting that we are doing our small part for the planet.”  Bargetto’s ongoing commitment to sustainable winegrowing can be tracked each month on its website, where it posts the earth-friendly practices currently in use, from barn owls for gophers to erosion control.

And every day, it’s solar power… Every day, Bargetto’s solar panels generate electricity that then goes into the local PG&E power company grid. By irrigating at off-peak hours, John buys his electricity cheap (8 cents per kilowatt hour) and sells it at four times the price (37 cents), from May through October. Did the family resist this $25,000 investment? “Since I’m the managing general partner, I have autonomy, and autonomy is a beautiful word,” John chuckles. “Basically I only have to answer to myself on this baby.” The answer is sounding sweet; Bargetto will recoup this solar investment in seven years and meanwhile earns significant tax breaks for its alternative energy from the federal government and California. Moreover, during its 25-year lifetime, this little system will avoid putting 200,000 pounds of carbon dioxide/greenhouse gas into the environment. “I found that to be astounding,” says John.

With panels in place, John and vineyard foreman Jesus Figueroa are free to focus on making the most of Bargetto’s 36 acres of vines in the benchlands of Corralitos. With its fog and cool summer, the estate is ideal for Pinot Noir, and as that variety races past Merlot in consumer popularity, the Bargettos are grafting Pinot Noir to Merlot vines (a pile of Pinot Noir vines are kept comfy at 39°F in Bargetto’s guesthouse refrigerator!)

Upon their 75th anniversary, the Bargettos see their Regan Vineyard as a key to their success. “It allows us to get back to our roots, to have eight Santa Cruz Mountain estate wines, to control our grape sources (the most important part of winemaking) and to hone our identity,” says John. Focused, and moving forward with “green energy” at Bargetto!

Join Bargetto during its celebratory year at its tasting room, 3535 N. Main Street, Soquel, CA 95073, 831-475-2258, or at their Monterey tasting room, 700-L Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940, 831-373-4053.

La Famiglia Winery Spotlights Italian Wines in Dry Creek Valley

Name:  La Famiglia Winery

Location: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County

Owners:  Steve and Bruce Cousins, Bob Fruguli

Winemakers: Jessica Disney Boone; Jeff Gaffner, Consultant

Established: 1994

Annual Cases Produced:  15,000

website:  www.lafamigliawines.com

"La Famiglia” is a name that easily evokes a beautiful image of a family gathered around the dinner table. The sounds of laughter mix with the clink of wine glasses raised in a toast. This is family, and this is the idea behind La Famiglia, as conceived by Robert Mondavi, a winery making fine Italian wines to be enjoyed by his famiglia and poured with pride.

When Robert Mondavi Winery and its subsidiaries were purchased by Constellation Brands, Steve and Bruce Cousins and Bob Frugali of Armida Winery seized the opportunity to buy La Famiglia. “La Famiglia wasn’t a corporate idea. It was Robert Mondavi’s personal project and it was started and nurtured extremely well,” says Steve. La Famiglia could be easily managed inside their existing winery in Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley, begun in 1990, and today home of the popular “Poizin”, a killer Zin, as well as a bevy of stunning single-vineyard Zinfandels, Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays from renowned Dry Creek, Russian River and Alexander Valley growers. Armida and its tagline, “Italian Roots, California Soil” tips the hat to its three founders’ Italian heritage. With La Famiglia, they can amplify their celebration of Cal-Ital wines.

La Famiglia’s new owners, like Robert Mondavi, share a tradition of home winemaking that predates today’s wineries and served as the root for their current passion. “My grandpa, Ceasar Ciardelli, and his friends made their own wine in their garages. He lived into his 90s,” recalls Steve, “and there are many stories … When I got into the wine business and started to learn about wine in the mid-’70s, I realized grandpa’s wine was pretty bad,” Steve laughs. “So I started to pay attention to what he was doing, and I could see neither he nor his friends had the cleanliness thing down. I told him, hey, your wine could be a lot better. We have this piece of equipment at the winery called a membrane filter … he finally let me
take one of his four barrels to try it out.” Steve grins at the memory. “I emptied the barrel down the drain and re-filled it with Zinfandel. When he tasted the wine, he immediately asked if I would do the same for his other three barrels, and I did this for years! He never knew…” Years later, who can say that grandpa, now gone, doesn’t know the truth and smiles down upon his grandsons and their La Famiglia?

“OLD WORLD WINES” & A NEW DESTINATION RESORT, AT MOUNT PALOMAR

Name:     Mount Palomar Winery
Location: Temecula Valley, 1 hour north of San Diego
Owner:    Lewis Darwish
Winemaker:    Etienne Cowper
Established:    1969
Annual Cases Produced: 15,000
Website:   www.mountpalomar.com

The Next Chapter Begins

Mount Palomar Winery in the Temecula Valley, Southern California’s premier winegrowing region, is a well-known friend to my wife, Pam and I.  We first tasted their wines in 1993 and have loved every bottle since. 

Begun in 1969 by John Poole, the winery pioneered many grape varieties here, including Syrah and Sangiovese. The eldest son of John and Olivia Poole, Peter, took the reins as General Manager in 1978. In 1991, winemaker Etienne Cowper joined the venture and the result has been a loyal Mount Palomar following.  In 2006, Lewis Darwish purchased Mount Palomar and its estate vineyards.  Today, this pioneering Temecula winery is about to embark upon another venture as bold and exciting as its ground-breaking.

A Vision for Visitors

With sweeping changes in land use regulations now in effect, sleepy Temecula wine country has woken up to a new world for wineries.  To protect loss of agricultural land to development, winery owners are now allowed to develop up to 50% of their property, as long as 50% remains in vineyards.

Following those guidelines, Mount Palomar’s new owner, assisted by Director of Operations and real estate expert Kris May, has created a plan for the new Mount Palomar that will set the standard for the region’s wine country resorts.

It includes a new winery on a hill paired with an Italian resort featuring a first-class hotel, a six-acre lake, a restaurant, spa, shops, outdoor amphitheatre for concerts, and more, as well as 63 proposed homes on one-acre lots.

The Wine’s the Thing

Central to these new plans is the evolution of Mount Palomar winery itself.  Already known as a pioneer of high quality wines with the flavor of the Old World, featuring wines like Viognier and Cortese,  the winery will focus on Rhone, Italian and Bordeaux varieties as it expands its offerings.  This expansion will include room for Mount Palomar favorites, like Sangiovese and new wines, like Muscat Frizzante. 

Mount Palomar was the first to plant Sangiovese in the Temecula Valley.  “Our region’s long growing season allows Sangiovese to develop its fullest flavors,” notes Winemaker Etienne Cowper.  Meanwhile, Etienne’s Muscat Frizzante is new this year, a semi-sparkling, off-dry, dessert wine, is described by those who’ve tried it as “very romantic” and “stunning.”  It is called Muscato di Amore … no translation needed!

Vine Velocity

“For now, we’ll keep the exciting styles of wine we have, with the same winemaking but with more resources to make our quality even better,” adds Etienne. 

Those resources will include not just more new oak barrels and top-of-the-line cellar equipment, but also, more vineyards.  To meet the land use edict requiring that 50% of the property be planted to vines, Mount Palomar will increase its vineyard acreage from 40 to 155 acres.  The goal is all estate wines, from Sangiovese to Meritage blends. Not to mention a cellarful of fun ways to experience them…

Ultimate Wine Country Experience

Owner Lewis Darwish and Kris May are primed with ideas for the ultimate wine experience at Mount Palomar. Among their plans are wine education, with a very friendly feel, about aspects of Mount Palomar such as its sherry program.  Few realize that the Mount Palomar sherry you buy today contains residual sherry from 1978, the winery’s first production.  Learning about sherry where it is made is just one window on wine that will soon open at Mount Palomar.

Mount Palomar visitors can look forward to component tastings, walkabout tours, bootcamp style winemaking seminars, teambuilding seminars, wine and food pairings and culinary weekends.  The new management promises a wine experience like no other.  Recently, Mount Palomar converted its cave into an events area that can handle up to 40.   It also offers multiple outside and inside spaces for weddings, corporate meetings, family reunions, parties and tour groups that could accommodate up to more than 400 guests.  Mount Palomar is ready for visitors now…and its wines, as always, are eager to dazzle you. 

Experience a touch of Old World hospitality in the New World of Temecula winemaking … at Mount Palomar, a destination wine resort second-to-none, coming soon!  You can bet Pam and I will plan another trip in the near future.

Visit Mount Palomar at 33820 Rancho California Rd., Temecula, CA 92591, 800-854-5177, www.mountpalomar.com.

Gainey Vineyards

This month my wife Pam, and I hopped in the car to visit our longtime friend Dan Gainey at Gainey Vineyards.  We first introduced our wine club members to Gainey wines more than 10 years ago and since then, have never tried a Gainey wine we didn’t love.

Here is a little history on the first Santa Barbara winery to own estate vineyards in both the east and west sides of Santa Ynez Valley:
   
The Gaineys purchased their spectacular 1800-acre property on the eastside at the foot of the Santa Ynez mountains in 1962 and turned it into the Santa Ynez Valley’s largest diversified farming enterprise, running cattle, raising Arabian horses and cultivating vegetables and fruits. In 1983, Dan and his father began planting their first vineyard, The Home Ranch, now 85 acres of Bordeaux and Rhone varieties.  In 1984, they built the Gainey winery facility with its Spanish décor.

In the 1990s, the Gaineys bought the 120-acre Evan’s Ranch and planted Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah.  Today, estate vineyards give Gainey maximum control of quality.  Vineyard manager Jeff Newton enhances that quality with sustainable viticulture, including cover crops and organic sprays.  From horses to vineyards, east to west, Gainey continues to cultivate quality in the Santa Ynez Valley.

Such farming expertise has enabled winemaker Kirby Anderson to create wines anyone can be proud of, like the Gainey Merlot that the Wine Enthusiast named among its “Top 100 Wines of the Year.”  A new gravity flow winemaking facility built in 2003 makes Kirby’s job even easier, and the results are in the bottle.  “Our most highly decorated Pinot Noir ever was our 2003 Pinot Noir made with just gravity flow and no pumps,” Kirby notes.  “The new winery also allows us to whole berry ferment all of our reds.  So the starting point has much higher integrity. We can ferment and preserve more fruit character.”

No wonder Gainey wines have secured a loyal following.  “Our Limited Selection wines have gotten so popular that the only way to get them is to join the Gainey wine club,” laughs Dan.  “In 2006, the entire state of New York only got 20 cases.”  So, will Gainey be growing to meet demand?  “We do have a fair amount of land appropriate for vines, but we want to keep the winery small.  We want to focus on quality.”   

That’s Gainey Vineyard, and family farming in Santa Barbara County.

Visit them at 3950 East Highway 246,
Santa Ynez, CA 93460 phone: (805)688-0558 or online at www.GaineyVineyard.com.

Bruce Boring, Proprietor of The California Wine Club, will write about a different California winery each Monday. 

A HARVEST OF CHANGE AT VENTANA VINEYARDS

Name:  Ventana Vineyards
Location:  Monterey County, Arroyo Seco appellation
Founders:  Doug and LuAnn Meador
Owners:  Consortium of Monterey growers
Winemaker:  Reggie Hammond
Established: 1972
Annual Cases Produced:  25,000
Website:  www.ventanawines.com
Featured Wines: 2003 “Monterey, Arroyo Seco” Chardonnay Gold Stripe; 2004 “Monterey, Arroyo Seco” Syrah

Harvest of Change
Though dormant during the winter, vineyards come to life again in the spring, delight us with fruit by summer’s end and rustle with dry leaves in the fall.  Just as a vineyard changes, so can a winery, and the winds of change have blown into Ventana Vineyards.  In October 2006, the winery Doug and LuAnn Meador pioneered in the Arroyo Seco appellation of Monterey County in 1972 took on new ownership.  But in passing the baton to Ventana’s buyers, Doug Meador turned over more than just the keys to the winery and tasting room.  Doug gave them a wealth of experience earned through more than 30 years of innovation and experimentation at his 400+ acre vineyard 30 miles south of Salinas.

A Gift From the Gods
When the Meadors planted their first vines in the early 1970s, Monterey County had not achieved acknowledgment as a “world class” winemaking region. Doug has been instrumental in turning that tide.  “I mid-wifed the birth of Monterey County. Lots of folks said it couldn’t be done here, but we turned Ventana into a research station and developed a whole new paradigm of viticulture.” 

After graduating from the University of Washington in mathematics and econometrics, Doug served seven years as a naval officer and aviator, flying fighter jets for two combat tours in Vietnam.  In over 300 missions, more than once Doug's plane caught fire and sustained major enemy gunfire.  After guiding a wounded jet back onto an aircraft carrier, Doug saw winemaking as a somewhat easier way to make a living.  He went after the target of terrific wines in cool climate Monterey with the same disciplined intensity logging thousands of miles worldwide to explore French, Spanish and Italian winegrowing.  On the dry, rocky alluvial plain of Ventana’s Arroyo Seco appellation, Doug pioneered vertical trellising, close vine spacing, introduced various clones and the county’s first Syrah planting.  He even established a small grove of French oak trees for the ultimate production of barrels.  The result is an estate that has yielded 29 consecutive years of Gold Medal-winning wines and earned the title of “the Most Award-Winning Single Vineyard in America” – and satisfaction beyond measure.

“It’s been a gift from the gods to let me exist during the time of the development of a great wine region,” Doug notes, “where you can see it from its rough infanthood to its teenage years to its maturity. You couldn’t ask for anything more for a lifetime experience. And to do it in a profession where the only purpose is to bring pleasure to people … what a gift!”

Stewards of the Land
Viewing himself as a steward of the land, Doug was determined to find buyers for Ventana who held those same values and would appreciate the viticultural foundation he has built.  He is delighted that the next generation shares the vision and excitement for the Arroyo Seco region.  “I only look 28!” he laughs.  “Like I do, the new owners believe in Monterey County and in the Arroyo Seco and will continue the research projects in process.  They recognize the value of Ventana and have the energy to continue to build it.” 

The four buyers are from the Monterey area.  One is the third generation of a Salinas farming family and two bought and preserved the old Mirassou property.  Among them are Steve MacIntyre, who owns Monterey Pacific, a farm management company that oversees about 7,000 acres of vineyards in the county. Stewardship lives on, at Ventana.

The Book of Knowledge
Ventana’s new owners will have plenty of help.  Doug will stay on in an advisory capacity.  LuAnn will continue to manage winery administration and marketing.  Winemaker Reggie Hammond, who has been with Ventana for over a decade, will lead the winemaking team.  “His passion for winegrowing is evident in the quality of fruit from the vineyard and the beautiful wines from the winery,” notes Doug.  “Reggie has devoted his talents to crafting complex, full-bodied red wines as well as expertly producing fine white wines from magnificent Monterey to your table.”

Doug will still craft small production artisan wines under his own brand, Meador Estate Wines, now in its ninth year.  Also, wineries are knocking on Doug’s door to ask for viticultural advice. “To the extent that young Turks want to listen to an old guy, I do have some knowledge of viticulture that is not in books,” he laughs.  Though it is in one book -- the “Book of Knowledge” on Ventana’s label.  An enduring legacy to help another generation continue Ventana’s extraordinary Monterey County winemaking adventure!  Salud!

To contact Ventana Vineyards, go to www.ventanawines.com, or email info@ventanawines.com.

EDNA VALLEY’S “HIDDEN WINE COUNTRY” GROWS SUCCESS AT BAILEYANA

Name:  Baileyana
Location: The Edna Valley, San Luis Obispo County
Owner:  The Niven Family
Winemaker:  Christian Roguenant
Established:  1991
Annual Cases Produced:  15,000
Website:  www.Baileyana.com
Wines Featured:  2002 “Edna Valley, Firepeak Vineyard” Estate Bottled Syrah; “Edna Valley, Paragon Vineyard” Estate Bottled Sauvignon Blanc

OUT OF SIGHT
Though many wine lovers have heard about California’s Central Coast, few can pinpoint its eight-mile long Edna Valley, an exciting wine region just 45 minutes south of Paso Robles (mid-way between San Francisco and Los Angeles) where 22 wineries share the territory with Baileyana.  Folks touring the Central Coast wine country tend to miss Edna Valley as it is out of sight just a few miles off the main highway 101 and minutes from San Luis Obispo.  Only two miles away, “San Luis” is a charming and historic California town where, hundreds of years ago, Spanish friars were making wines good enough to command a rich payment of otter pelts from thirsty itinerant Russian traders.  And the history of the region goes back even farther…

BIRTH OF A UNIQUE TERROIR
The relaxation we feel enjoying a glass of Baileyana Syrah is in sharp contrast to the birth of the Edna Valley and the winery’s Firepeak Vineyard 25 million years ago.  The terroir of this lovely wine was forged of fire and lava from a trembling landscape.  Long before man walked this valley, volcanoes spewed orange sparks while earthquakes rocked the hills just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean.  Eons later, the oceans surged in to blanket the region, finally pulling back to leave millions of shells and marine traces as an ancient calling card.

Volcanoes and earthquakes, primordial seas and marine life … this is the stuff of Baileyana’s Firepeak Vineyard and its unique terroir at the foot of Islay Peak, a prehistoric mountain and the most southerly of the seven extinct volcanoes now known as the Seven Sisters.  Vines march up its sides, so stressed by its Diablo series “dirt of the devil” volcanic soils that they can’t help but produce deeply flavored fruit.  A chilly blanket of fog persists into the morning making the Edna Valley growing season one of the longest in California.  Now, eons after its first beginnings, the Edna Valley is coming into its own for wine.

PIONEER VINTNERS
Helping it along the way were Baileyana founders Catharine and Jack Niven, who planted the valley’s first vineyards in  the early 1970’s. The couple’s selection of the unproven Edna Valley was a very educated guess based on the recommendations of top professors at U.C. Davis and CSU Fresno who they hired to research winegrowing potential on the Central Coast.

They named their winery after the San Francisco Bay Area neighborhood where they met and planted their first vineyard, Paragon, on the valley floor outside of San Luis Obispo.  Firepeak Vineyard soon followed.  “I think we surprised people with the quality of our Sauvignon Blanc (our CWC selection),” says John Niven, Director of Sales & Marketing and grandson of the founders.  “After growing Syrah (our CWC selection) for 7 years, we’ve found cool climate Syrah is just dynamite here as well.”

MORE PLUSES
With the passing of Catharine and Jack, ownership of Baileyana fell to the Nivens’ children.  Today, their sons, John, (C.F.O. and C.O.O), and his brother James, (CEO), work with the third generation, John Niven, (Director of Sales & Marketing), and his cousin, Michael Blaney, Director of Operations.  Together, they craft Baileyana’s 15,000 cases of single vineyard Firepeak Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah as well as Sauvignon Blanc from their Paragon Vineyard. 

Added to their world class vineyards is a world class winemaker, Christian Roguenant who joined the team in 1998.  A native of the Burgundy region of France and enology graduate of the University of Dijon, Christian has made wine on five continents.  As head enologist for France’s Champagne Deutz, he came to California to begin that winery’s U.S. venture, Maison Deutz, joining the Baileyana team in 1998. “His handprint on our wines is an Old World style,” says John.

CELLAR WITH A VIEW
Christian’s handprint is also seen in the spectacular winery he so carefully designed for Baileyana.  This state-of-the-art facility allows Christian to keep wine lots separate in many small open top fermenters.  Four  climate-controlled cellar rooms add to the winemaking possibilities.  But its crowning touch is the glass wall from floor to ceiling at each end of the winery that allows an incredible view of the Edna Valley vineyards, mountains and sunsets.  At Baileyana, attending to the needs of the workers, as well as the wines and vines, is growing success on  the Central Coast.  Find the “hidden” Edna Valley wine country and experience the pleasure of Baileyana just two miles from San Luis Obispo, 4915 Orcutt Rd., San Luis Obispo, CA (805)597-8200. Cheers!

BAILEYANA WINE CLUB
Receive two bottles of Baileyana wines six times a year, including new and current releases, library wines and limited production bottlings.  Enjoy 20% discount on all wine and merchandise plus an informative newsletter. Call 805-597-8200 or visit www.baileyana.com.  Salud!

IN THE WINNERS CIRCLE WITH ANDRETTI WINERY

Name: Andretti Winery & Vineyards
Location: Napa Valley
Owner: Andretti Wine Group (AWG Limited), a publicly traded stock company
Winemaker: Robert Pepi
Established: 1996
Annual Cases Produced: 42,000
Website: www.andrettiwinery.com

Grape Expectations
The velocity and brilliance of Mario Andretti’s racing career has always left spectators breathless. If Mario could drive it, he would drive it into the Winner’s Circle, whether at the Indy 500, the Daytona 500, the Formula One World Championship or the Pikes Peak Hillclimb.  The name Mario Andretti is iconic, recognized worldwide and forever associated with victory and velocity.

So it’s no wonder, then, that when this world-class champion started his Napa Valley winery near Yountville in 1996, people took notice. They expected Mario to be driving a winner.  Andretti Winery has fulfilled those expectations, and more!

Happy 10th Birthday
Last summer, Mario celebrated his winery’s 10th anniversary by inviting several hundred of his “best friends” over for a party at his beautiful Napa Valley Italian style facility.  They arrived in Porsches and stock cars, bearing bottles of Andretti wines, racing forms, books about Mario and other memorabilia for him to sign. Beneath an umbrella with a glass of Andretti Sangiovese at his side, Mario put his John Hancock to it all, meeting and greeting folks from throughout the U.S. and listening to their recollections of “that day at the Indy 500”.

“Race fans come from all over the country to our winery, and there’s no question that has worked for us,” says Mario.  “But what has kept interest growing in Andretti Winery is the fact they, and others who may not have an interest in racing, like what they drink.  Curiosity will get you here once.  Our responsibility is to have wines people will enjoy, and our winemaker, Bob Pepi, carries it gallantly.”

Speaks Sangiovese
Bob Pepi was part of the party that day, holding forth in the cellar over a barrel, with wine thief in hand, describing the wine to every guest who wanted a taste.  Bob and Mario work well together, for a cluster of reasons.  Both are of Italian heritage and both have a special affection for Sangiovese.  In fact, Bob was the first to make a California Sangiovese at the winery he and his dad, Robert, started together. Father and son grew grapes in the Napa Valley for 15 years, giving Bob “a feel for what’s happening in the vineyards.  You have to know when to ask for certain steps in the viticulture, not just for quality but for style,” he says. 

With his years among the vines, Bob is the perfect choice to oversee Andretti’s 53-acre Oak Knoll vineyard (43 acres planted) surrounding the winery. He also locates outstanding non-estate grape sources for Andretti’s two wine tiers:  the easy-to-drink Selection Series and the more limited production Montona wines. “Most of our vineyards are within a mile or two of our own estate. For our Selection Series, we use other parts of California as well in the Central Coast and Northern California.”

Winemaker Jeff Booth helps Bob make Andretti’s 42,000 annual cases of Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and other wines, including their most recent addition, a Zin-Primitivo.  From vineyards to cellar, the Andretti motor is purring…

Up 29% … and Growing
When Bob and Mario sit down together to evaluate their wines, they are always looking for the Andretti style that has made the Andretti name emblematic for quality.  Their success has spelled success for Andretti Winery.

“I’m enjoying the winery more than ever now,” Mario says.  “The continuity of our wines and the fact that Bob has mastered his job beautifully are points of pride.  Our wines are very well received now.”  So well received, that Andretti’s sales are up 29%.  It’s a fact that no doubt pleases Joseph Antonini, former president and chief executive of Kmart, who initially formed Andretti Wine Group with Mario, the winery’s other investors and any wine lover looking for reliably outstanding wines at a good value.  So step up to the tasting bar and into the “Winner’s Circle” with Andretti wines!  Visit the winery at 4162 Big Ranch Road Napa, CA 94558, open daily from 10-5, 707.261.1717 or online at www.andrettiwinery.com.