vineyards of the north state

Transcription

A Special Supplement To After Five Magazine
Shasta-Cascade Viticulture Association Presents
VINEYARDS OF THE NORTH STATE
Wine Tastings • Complimentary Fare • Restaurant Sponsors • New Vintages
Autumn 2006
Page 2 • Shasta-Cascade Viticulture Association
Navy retiree making sure grapes are shipshape
Nestled into the southeastern edge
of the pecan orchard lies a neat pocket-sized vineyard called “The Vineyard at Creekside Pecan Gardens”
with a street sign hanging from a far
corner post displaying, “S. Vinedo
Ave.”
The sign was puschased for Greg
and Kathy Butler by Mr. Butler’s son
and daughter-in-law in December
2005 at a city auction in Pasadena.
The Butlers were both born and
raised in Red Bluff and went to high
school together where they met.
Mr. Butler joined the reserves and
continued his education and graduated from Chico State. Continuing
in the Navy an additional 25 years,
he served as captain of an amphibious ship. He retired from the Navy as
deputy chief of staff for Amphibious
Forces in the Seventh Fleet.
Following retirement in 1995, the
Butlers put their house up for sale in
San Diego and purchased their home
in Redding in 1996.
They envisioned the surrounding
land producing pecans as a business
venture in 1997. The pecans, however, did not meet expectations and
they knew they had to come up with
another plan. (They continue to sell
their pecans at a roadside stand.)
In 1996, the Butlers planted table
grapes, which grew very well with
little care.
They saw an ad in a newspaper
about a wine tasting adventure in
Paso Robles and they spoke to several growers, leading to their conclusion that growing wine grapes could
be profitable.
In 2002, they attended a workshop
about growing wine grapes by the
Northern California Intermountain
Grape Growers Association, later
changed to Shasta Cascade Viticulture Association.
Mr. Butler was elected in 2005 as
President of SCVA. He gives full attention to his farming operation and
in his crops. Butler won a Blue Ribbon at Shasta District Fair in 2004
on his Petite Sirah, only a second
year wine grape. He has obtained all
his education on the wine making
development through workshops, a
one-day vineyard management class
at UC Davis, reading books, and his
most valued source of infomration,
through friends and members of the
association.
He considers himself akin to other
growers and notes the minerals and
nutrients found locally in the ground
insure big vines growing quickly and
beautifully.
Those soil conditions, however,
won’t guarantee the superior grapes
needed to make a superior wine.
That’s where the grower makes the
difference.
He attributes his grapes having an
advantage growing in soil next to a
creek, leading to his Blue Ribbon
honor. He grows Petite Sirah, Petite
Verdot, and Sangiovese, all the while
still maintaining his pecan orchard.
Mr. Butler deems a good wine
comes from a good grape and that
grapes have to be treated right.
“What makes a good wine? The
treatment of the grape, and what
makes the treatment right is the grower having to stress them and encourage them.”
There is minimal feeding to maintain the vigor and there is balance in
preserving the vegetative growth and
maintaining the grapes that are hanging on the vine.
The grapes have to have enough
sugars by receiving enough balanced
nutrients and the proper care to acquire such a brix, to give that just
perfect grape taste for making that
perfect tasting wine.
He believes a crop is best after
seven years, which brings a consistent quality.
Also, the grower knows his crop
and what his crop needs to grow
healthy higher-quality wine grapes.
His favorite part of the process drinking his wine as well as the wine
of other local growers. He also enjoys
the culture practice of pruning, training, and learning how to grow a good
grape. His least favorite chore is the
mowing due to the deer fencing obstacles, among other things.
Any technical decisions such as
punched-caps, submerged caps,
pumpovers, racking and fining that
are made are through experience
rather than instinctive.
Personal experience may lead a
grower to try something new, but the
grower still has to do the basic procedures in the process of creating a
good wine.
A grower might try to make the
wine differently to get a different flavor or taste.
For those who want to get into the
vine wine growing and wine making
business for personal use or commercially, “one must understand the
basics.”
He recommends the book, “From
Vines to Wines” by Jeff Cox, de-
Contact Person: Greg Butler
The Vineyard at Creekside Pecan Gardens
P.O. Box 315, Palo Cedro, CA 96073
(530) 226-9021
Email: [email protected]
Varieties: 60 Petite Verdot, 50 Petite Sirah, 40 Sangiovese
Total Vines: 160
Pecan Trees: 45 Mahan Variety, 80 Pawnee Variety
Total Pecans: 125
scribed as an easy read and a good
start.
Another important feature, he emphasis, is to become a member of the
SCVA and to attend the workshops.
There are a lot of small growers
whose only interest is growing grapes
as a hobby.
For those smaller operations, there
are wineries such as Matson Vineyards, which may buy grapes from
the smaller growers. Not everyone
who grows grapes has to make the
wine.
For questions about growing vines,
making wines or becoming a member of the association, telephone
Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to
5 p.m. at (530) 226-9021 or email:
[email protected].
-Kat Andrews
Family history of winemaking begins with him
Although there is no family history
of wine growing or making in John
Letton’s past, he figures he can begin
the future prospect.
Letton and his wife Elena grow
grapes for wine for their personal
use on 4½ acres of his 93-acre Indian
Creek Ranch property. There are no
public sales through this vineyard.
Planting a vineyard was something
that Letton has wanted to do since the
early 1980s, but he never seemed to
find the time to begin the process.
That is until 1999 when he planted
his first 2½-acre crop of Gewurztraminer. Letton’s second ¾-acre crop
planted was Chardonnay, and then in
2000, the third variety was 1¼-acre
crop of Pinot Noir.
Letton says that one acre can
produce anywhere from 2-5 tons
of grapes for making wine. He also
states that he can produce 50-60 cases of wine, which are about 600-720
bottles per ton of grapes.
Letton likes to share in how the
growth of the grapes can affect the
quality of the grapes within wine itself. He also takes into account when
Contact Person: John and Elena Letton
Indian Creek Ranch, P.O. Box 1028, Weaverville, CA 96093
Phone: (530) 623-3383
Visiting hours: Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Varieties: 1800 Gewurztraminer, 600 Chardonnay,
900 Pinot Noir; Total Vines: 3,300
to irrigate and when not to irrigate,
when to pick and when not to because
this is important in making the difference for quality.
The grapes have their own special
brix (sugar) content, and this is vitally
crucial to know for the how much alcohol content the grape will produce.
For instance, with the white wines
the brix should be around 22, whereas, the reds more around 25.
In any given variety, whether
speaking about Pinot, Chardonnay,
or Cabernet, in any variety, will really depend on the root stock, what
clone the grape came from, climatic
conditions, soils, farming techniques,
including pruning and irrigation.
Letton’s favorite part of the wine
process, as with others, is harvest
time, while protecting against frost
and getting up at 3 a.m. are his least
favorite times of the season.
In the near future, Letton would
like to add another 300-400 more
vines for his and his family’s personal
use.
While Letton’s wine is made for
non-commercial use and an unlabeled bottled wine which is not sold
to the public, his average day still entails hard work in keeping his stock
pruned for the winter, frost protected
for the spring, thinning in the summer, and harvesting in the fall.
Letton does not mind if spectators
want to visit his vineyard and has
more than welcomed his guests when
they do.
He enjoys giving answers to the
many questions visitors have had.
Visitors can experience the differences in grapes with the help of Letton’s
expertise.
He said that if one “has an interest or wants to get in the hobby of
wine making, then keep it at a hobby
level.
It does not take very many vines
to have more than enough grapes to
make your own wine. If one wants to
go into this business commercially,
don’t rush in, develop a good business plan, he said.
-Kat Andrews
Shasta-Cascade Viticulture Association • Page 3
Mutual love of wine
fuels friendship of
Cottonwood firm
Tom Burnham and Jim Tomasini
have been buddies for years, and a
mutual love of wine has fueled the
friendship. For proof, look no further
than the fact that they blended their
last names for the title of their rural
Cottonwood winery.
“We started making wine together
17 years ago and it kept evolving as a
hobby,” Burnham recalled. By 2000,
the hobby had become a full-fledged
business and Burnsini Vineyards became the first bonded winery in Tehama County.
The partnership includes both
men’s wives: Joy Burnham and
Deanna Tomasini. Kids and grandkids have also been known to pitch
in and help at various times during
the year.
Currently there are seven acres
planted in grapes, with five acres in
production. An acre of Merlot vines
are two years away from production
and an acre of Sangiovese vines need
another four years before they are
ready, Burnham said.
Burnsini Vineyards is bottling five
varietals and one blend, selecting
fruit from 1,200 Zinfandel vines; 928
Merlot vines; 900 Cabernet Sauvignon vines; and 1,000 Petite Syrah
vines.
In their first year, they bottled 350
cases and had sold out by March.
Since then, Burnham said their production has been increasing by 200 to
300 cases a year. They are currently
selling the 550 cases that represent
their 2003 vintage.
Burnham ages his wine for two
years in barrels made of French and
American oak and takes the barrels
out of service after four years when
they’ve lost most of their flavor. To
help extend their inventory, Burnham
and Tomasini came up with Tehama
Red, a blend of Zinfandel and Cabernet that does not need to be aged for
the full two years.
“It keeps us in wine most of the
time. Eventually we hope to age that
for two years, too,” Burnham said.
A retired millwright who worked
for Simpson Paper, Kimberly Clark
and McColl Dairy Products, the
good-natured Burnham said he takes
pleasure from all aspects of the wine
business. “I find it very enjoyable,
from growing the grapes to selling it.
Our sales have been really easy. I’ve
never had to go out and really hustle
it. I’ve done a lot of wine tastings for
different groups, and no matter how
many you do, you always find somebody who says ‘I didn’t know there
was a winery out here.’”
Burnsini Vineyards’ Tehama Red
retails for $10.95 a bottle; Zinfandel
is $12.95; Merlot and Chardonnay
are both priced at $14.95; and their
Cabernet Sauvignon sells for $16.95
a bottle. “I have some people from the
Bay Area, who live in Napa County,
and they buy it. They just like our
wine,” Burnham said. “I ship four
cases of Petite Syrah to New York every year. It’s a standing order. It’s all
pretty well received. It’s pretty easy
to sell the first bottle, when it counts
Burnsini Vineyards, LLC • 19535 Hammers Lane, Cottonwood, CA 96022
Contact: Tom Burnham 530/347-4765 or 917-0089 cell, [email protected]
Varieties: 1,200 Zinfandel, 928 Merlot, 900 Cabernet Sauvignon,
1,000 Petite Sirah, 920 Sangiovese
Total vines: 5,000
is when you sell the second.”
Burnham said he also enjoys the
friendships and socialization that
seems to revolve around the wine
business. When it comes to wine,
there is never a shortage of helping
hands. “We were picking the Caber-
net last year and we called 35 people
and we had 60 people show up. We
have a breakfast, drink some wine
and have a good time. It’s like locusts
– bam, bam and they’re all picked.”
Burnsini Vineyards is a civicminded affair and proud of its Tehama
County roots. As one of the sponsors
of the recent Cottonwood Wild West
Art & Wine Festival, they produced
a specially labeled Trail Boss Tom
Petite Syrah and donated part of the
proceeds to local charities.
-Jon Lewis
He built a library about wine
Ernie Neveu was a college biology
professor in San Diego for 23 years
before he retired in 1991.
A few years after retirement, Ernie
and his wife Mary Ann came north
looking for a place to live, and settled
on what Ernie describes as a “most
beautiful” piece of land in the town of
Montague, approximately eight miles
northeast of Yreka.
“We found this piece of property
for less than what we could have
bought a garage for in San Diego,”
Ernie explains.
The 27 acres of land had a 100
year-old house on it, “With a view
looking straight at Mt. Shasta,” Ernie
says. A setting perfect for their dream
home – and, something else.
As they began remodeling the existing house, they wondered what
to do with the rest of the land. They
started planting trees.
“We began with pistachios,” Ernie says. “But you need a lot of trees
to make that work. Then, we grew
apples – Fujis, which were magnificent.”
But, the problem with apples, Ernie
says, is that they can’t be stored. “So,
we pulled out the 300 apple trees,”
and gave many of them away.
At the same time Ernie, the retired professor, began taking college
classes in viticulture (the cultivation
of grapes for wine-making) and horticulture.
“I was traveling down to UC Davis, and up to Oregon State College
in Corvallis,” Ernie says.
“Going back and forth. Taking a
large number of these classes, and
building a library about wine.”
He describes his wine library
as containing books on wine from
coffee table book, to academic research books, to “how to” make wine
books.
“But, our learning curve is still
up,” Ernie says.
Their first grapes were planted in
1995,and the land was favorable to
their enterprise.
“It turned out that I had picked a
spot that lends itself to growing good
grapes,” Ernie says. “I have a wonderful hillside at 3,000 feet (elevation). It was quite serendipitous” that
they found that particular piece of
property.
After three years, the Neveus hired
a consultant who helped them determine the best places on the land to
plant, and advised them on the best
use of their limited water supply.
One good location was a hillside
where Ernie had first considered
planting vines, but decided against
it due to the steepness of the hillside,
not sure that his tractor could handle
it.
“The consultant later asked why I
didn’t plant on that hillside.” Ernie
explains that the hillside where he
had thought about planting grapes
was a good location.
The winery has been “commercial”
since 2000. Since wine is an alcoholic beverage, it is strictly controlled
by the government, even down to the
labels on their wine bottles.
Today, the winery is run almost entirely by Mary Ann and Ernie, with
only occasional, part-time help. “It’s
hard finding dependable help,” Ernie
explains.
“My wife works full time for the
(Siskiyou) county. It’s a seven (day)
twenty-four (hour) operation. I should
have at least two full time workers,
but I don’t.”
After growing the grapes, and
making the wine, it is not a simple
matter getting the wine bottled, and
the labels on them, and then to sell
the product. It is all highly regulated.
“When you get your licenses to sell
the wine, you have to describe what
you’re going to do,” Ernie explains.
“The label is a legal document.
There are things you cannot say.” A
winemaker cannot make a mistake in
Neveu Vineyards • 4839 Ager Rd., Montague, CA 96064
530/459-3906, cell phone: 530/905-0116
email: [email protected] • Contact person: Ernie Neveu
Varieties: Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Tempernello, Zinfandel
Nebbiolo, Cabernet Sauvignon. Total vines: 7-1/2 acres
even the grammar of that legal bottle
label,” Ernie says. “We even had a
label that was not approved due to a
description error.”
Ernie says he does not mind the
regulations. “They are actually a good
thing. It’s consumer protection.”
The winery’s first commercial line
was produced and ready for market
in the year 2000. Today, they have
7.5 acres in cultivation, and the facility includes a tasting room and an
outdoor wine tasting area, “With that
view of Mt. Shasta.”
Neveu Vineyards is located approximately eight miles northeast of
Yreka, on Ager Rd., in Montague.
-Laurance Wright
Man on a mission
in perfect place
Roger Matson is a man on a mission – he wants to change how people
think about wine.
He’s in the perfect place to do it.
The son of celebrated Shasta County
winemaker Oscar Matson, he’s now
in charge of the venerable Matson
Vineyards and free to experiment
with different grapes, flavors, varieties and cultivation techniques.
With a bachelor’s degree in fermentation science from the University of California at Davis and several years of experience at Mendocino
County wineries, Matson is all about
following his muse and exploring the
exceptionally large world of wine – a
world that happily extends beyond
Chardonnay and Merlot.
Take a stroll through Matson Vineyards in east Redding and Matson
will soon be pointing out varieties
like Aglianco, Tannat and Tempranillo that he’s hoping will gain a
foothold in the north state, both because of their character and the fact
that they do well with Redding’s hot
summers.
“I think we’re missing the boat in
this type of climate by not attempting to grow these different varieties,”
Matson said. Plus, with more varieties on hand, there are more opportunities to mix and match and develop
intriguing blends. “I don’t know why
there isn’t more curiosity about the
way flavors come together.”
In addition to the five acres of vineyards in Redding, Matson Vineyards
is expanding with an acre of vines in
Inwood, a small valley at about 2,000
feet elevation near Shingletown. Matson has planted Viognier and Cabernet there and has hopes of eventually
building a tasting room on the property, which he refers to as Wisteria
Vineyards.
Shasta Claret, a lively blend of
Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah, Ruby Cabernet and Petite Sirah grapes, has
been the workhorse for Matson Vineyards and remains its biggest seller.
Other blends include Shasta Glacier,
a white table wine, and Stellar Red,
a wine created in tribute to the late
Stella Matson, Oscar Matson’s wife,
who passed away in 1992. Stellar
Red combines Merlot, Zinfandel,
Grenache, Barbera, and Valdiguié
grapes.
In 1999, shortly after returning to
the north state to help his father operate the winery, Matson bowed to
entrenched consumer demands and
introduced three varietals: Zinfandel,
Petite Sirah and Shiraz.
Matson has not lost his enthusiasm
for mixing and matching and this fall
will introduce Shasta Ensemble, a
blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
and late-ripening Petit Verdot grapes.
Oscar Matson planted the first vines
in 1981 and established the winery in
1984, making it Shasta County’s old-
est winery. A former Shasta College
instructor of German, French, Spanish and English, the senior Matson
would frequently have his winery
be the focal point of social gatherings where many a song – and a few
glasses of wine – were shared.
Community involvement has always been a big part of life at Matson Vineyards, including an annual
harvest feast to thank the friends who
pitch in each year to help with harvest
and the crush.
Matson is joined in his efforts by
Contact: Oscar and Roger Matson
Matson Vineyards
10584 Arapaho Drive, Redding, CA 96003
(530) 222-2833 • email: [email protected]
Varieties: Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier, Petite Sirah
Total vines: 3,600
his wife, Keiko Goto, a food scientist and nutritionist who will begin
teaching at Chico State University
this fall. For the winery, Keiko serves
as a wine analyst and marketing manager. She has a keen interest in pair-
ing Matson wines with foods from
her native Japan. The couple have a
daughter, Erika.
-Jon Lewis
Learning from his professor
uncle garnered his interest
in farming, growing grapes
John Alger’s uncle was a professor
of horticulture in the 1950’s. Raised
in San Francisco, he worked with his
uncle in the summers and became interested in the growing of grapes, and
farming in general.
“My ancestors were farmers all the
way back into the 1850’s,” John says
from his winery in Manton, California. “And, I carried the love of it with
me.”
In 1992, John and his wife, Linda,
bought an existing winery. They immediately improved and expanded
the facility. “The altitude of the vineyard proves cool nights during the hot
summer growing season,” a brochure
explains. “The vines are planted in
well-drained, volcanic soils on arid
slopes. As a result, the grapes have
great tannic structure and firm fruit
acids.”
“When we first bought it, it was 21
acres of Petit Sirah grapes,” John explains. “We took out ten acres of the
Sirah grapes, and replaced them with
12 acres of Syrah grapes.” John explained that Sirah and the Syrah are
two different grapes.
“From there we’ve added approximately ten acres of varietals,” he
added.
The Algers’ winery markets its
products to “stores that cater to wine
people,” John says, and through the
Internet on their own company web
site. Their wines are featured at the
California Kitchen website, and, of
course, are available at the tasting
room.
The tasting room that is open from
noon to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays and
Sundays. It includes a gallery that
showcases local artwork and pottery.
“We offer and promote the work of
local artists at the store,” John says.
John is especially proud of the
award they won in January from the
San Francisco Chronicle recently.
The Algers offer a wine club. “We
charge a one-time fee of $100,” John
says. “And, they get two bottles of
wine, two wine glasses and a basket.
After that, all wine tastings are free,
and there is a ten percent discount on
all wine purchases.”
A typical wine tasting includes a piece of chocolate, a piece of
cheese or a cracker. Each highlighting a unique taste of the wines that include Petite Sirah, Syrah, Zinfandel,
Cabernet, Malbec and Merlot. The
tasting room is upstairs in the back of
the winery. The facility includes an
outside tasting area, and a small seating area that overlooks the vineyards.
Visitors can see evidence of a grass
fire last year that burned a section of
the vineyards, but those have been replanted. John explained that the fire
spared the buildings.
The winery showcases what
they call “The Vineyard Experience,”
that cinsists of four gourmet wine
dinners served throughout the summer and fall. Prepared by executive
chef Paul Trout, the dinners include
six courses paired with five different
wines, John explains. Three remaining dinners will be served Aug. 19,
Sept. 9 and Oct. 21. Cost is $75 per
person.
Manton is not an easy place to
locate, but you get there by driving
through some of the most beautiful
scenery in Northern California. From
Redding, take Interstate Five approximately 30 miles to Shingletown, and
look for Wilson Hill Rd. Take that
south about 10 miles and after a few
twists and turns you’ll arrive at Manton. Drive approximately one mile up
Forward Road and look for the signs
on the left.
From Red Bluff, take SR 36 – another very scenic, Northern California roadway – to Manton Road. Drive
approximately 25 miles to Manton,
then the one mile drive further east
on Forward Rd.
-Laurance Wright
Alger Vineyards & Winery
P.O. Box 624 • 31636 Forward Rd., Manton, CA 96059
530/474-1014, 530/474-wine(9463) wine tasting,
474-1018 (fax) • email: [email protected]
Contact person: John Alger
Varieties: 7,800 Petite Sirah, 6,800 Syrah,
3,300 Zinfandel, 3,300 Cabernet, 1,000 Malbec,
1,000 Merlot • Total vines: 24,000
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Playing a large part in
north state wine map
is Lassen Peak label
It’s full speed ahead at Lassen Peak
Winery, the Shingletown-area operation that has played a big hand in putting the north state on the winemaking map.
“The winery is growing by leaps
and bounds,” said Mike Boehlert,
who operates the winery with his
wife, Deanne, and sons Shane, 12,
and Brian, 18. In addition to renovating a 150-year-old pioneer ranch
home into a tasting room he hopes to
open this fall, Boehlert and his wife,
Deanne, are planting different types
of vines and experimenting with new
blends and varietals.
“We’re trying to widen the breadth
of our offerings. It’s fun for me as a
winemaker to work with different varieties and flavors,” Boehlert said.
Lassen Peak Winery is situated on
42 acres in Inwood, a historic farming
community nestled in a valley near
Shingletown, perfectly positioned at
about 2,500 feet elevation to benefit
from valley heat and cool mountain
evenings. Rich volcanic soil helps the
cause as well.
Boehlert is busy establishing a
second winery on land he purchased
about 2 miles from his existing operation. The new winery, which currently has three acres of vines, will
be the home base for a pair of new
labels. One will be a limited-production premium wine – planned offerings include a Bordeaux-style red
– that will sell for about $20 a bottle,
primarily through sales at the adjoining tasting room.
The other label will feature lower-end Cabernets, Merlots and a
Gewurztraminer that will retail for
about $8 a bottle, “for the thriving varietal market,” Boehlert said. Lassen
Peak wines are priced “in the middle
of the road” at about $10 a bottle.
Boehlert started 25 years ago by
planting about 17 different varieties in
a test plot of about a third of an acre.
He pared down his offerings based
on what grew well and what varieties
wineries wanted to purchase.
For a number of years, Boehlert
was strictly a grape producer, selling
his grapes to a prominent Mendocino
County winery. Lassen Peak’s first
vintage from Shasta County grapes
was in 1985.
In the ensuing 21 years, Boehlert
has added and deleted varieties as he
continued to experiment. Lassen Peak
currently offers Merlot Rose, Estate
Viognier, barrel-aged Chardonnay,
barrel-aged and reserve Merlot and
their flagship, gold medal-winning
Tres Rojas – a blend of local Merlot,
Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander
Valley and old-vine Cabernet Franc
grapes from Lodi. For the 2006 vintage, Boehlert expects to bottle close
to 5,000 cases in total.
Lassen Peak also recently introduced Kay’s Syrah Shiraz, a blend
Boehlert named after his wife,
Deanne, whose middle name is Kay.
Boehlert said one of the many
challenges in the wine business
comes from trying to match production with what sales will be like three
years down the road when the wine
is ready.
“We won a couple of golds and
best-of-shows for Tres Rojas in our
first year and it sold out unbelievably
quickly,” said Boehlert, who handles
all of Lassen Peak’s marketing, sales
and distribution chores. “When you
finally gain some shelf space at markets, they get upset if you can’t keep
it filled the whole year.”
Boehlert admits that in the grand
scheme of things, having occasional
difficulty keeping up with demand is
not the worst problem a business can
have. With new varieties and labels
coming out soon, Lassen Peak is sure
to be busy meeting an even larger demand for its quality wines.
-Jon Lewis
Contact: Mike & Deanne Boehlert
Inwood Springs Vineyards -- Lassen Peak Winery
Location: 7878 Oak Lane, Shingletown, CA 96088
Varieties: Chenin Blanc, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Roussanne,
Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon (1/2 acre)
Viognier (1 acre), Chardonnay (3 acres), Merlot (39 acres)
Total vines: + or – 35,000 (42 acres)
Note: soon to decrease Merlot acreage by 7, and increase
Chardonnay, Viognier, Syrah, as well as add Pinot Grigio,
Albarino, Verdejo, and Grenache.
Nice little mom and pop winery
Little slice of winemaking heaven in Montgomery Creek
Cove Crest Vineyards • Griggs Winery
P.O. Box 123 • 21599 Hinds Road
Montgomery Creek, CA 96065
530/337-6681 • email: [email protected]
Contact person: Allan or Mineca Griggs
Varieties: 500 Chardonnay, 100 Viognier,
100 Pinot Gris, 500 Merlot, 200 White Riesling
Total vines: 1,400
A nice little “mom and pop winery.”
That’s how Allan Griggs describes
the little slice of winemaking heaven
he operates with his wife, Mineca,
and he’s pretty much right on the
money.
The aptly titled Griggs Winery was
licensed and bonded in July by the
U.S. Tax and Trade Bureau, clearing
the way for the couple to produce and
sell wine on a commercial basis.
Currently the Griggs have three
acres in production, including 700
Chardonnay vines; 100 Viognier;
100 Pinot Gris; 600 Merlot; and 200
white Riesling.
Griggs said there is another 1,000
vines in the nursery and that eventually his Cove Crest Vineyards will
cover about five acres. They are currently licensed to bottle 5,000 cases
a year.
Griggs said his interest in winemaking started 35 years ago when he
was living in Lake County.
“At that time, they didn’t even
have a winery there and now they
have about 12.”
Griggs did not grow any grapes of
his own so he would go around and
glean leftover fruit from old vineyards and make his own wine.
He got a little more serious in 1993
after buying 22 acres on Cove Road
between Big Bend and Montgomery
Creek.
Griggs planted Chardonnay and
Merlot “at a time when they were
drastically overplanted, but now the
market has stabilized and they are viable.”
For red wine, Griggs prefers Merlot. For whites, he leans toward Chardonnay.
However, “I am getting a lot of
pleasure from Pinot Gris and Viognier and my next acreage will be Cabernet Blanc. I’m the kind of guy who
likes to drink good wine.”
Griggs is interested in more than
just his personal wine-drinking pleasure – he wants to put Shasta County
on the winemaking map.
Three years ago, he hooked up with
Bob Hooper to form the Shasta Cascade Viticulture Association with the
goal of promoting north state wines.
“We wanted to make people aware
that Shasta County is a viable grapegrowing area.
We want to make people realize
that we can grow our own grapes and
make our own wines,” Griggs said.
Wine from the Intermountain area
benefits from grapes that bask in valley heat during the day before settling
in for nights bathed in cool foothill
air – all while being nourished from
roots deep in sandy loam soil.
“We can do it all right here in the
Intermountain area. I think people
will find we produce a very distinctive character of wine and a very high
quality wine,” Griggs said.
The word is getting out.
“When we started, there was only
one: Matson. Then another one got
started, Lassen Peak, and then Bursini, and then myself. I’m the third
winery to be bonded in Shasta County,” Griggs said.
The association also has members in Siskiyou, Trinity and Tehama
counties.
A supportive Shasta County Board
of Supervisors has helped the north
state’s fledgling wine industry along,
Griggs said.
Board members – especially outgoing Supervisor Trish Clarke – took
a proactive role and enacted an ordinance that promotes small wineries.
Griggs also grows blueberries and
blackberries for fresh market sales
and plans to dedicate a third of an
acre for table grapes.
-Jon Lewis
Weaverville doctor has plans on doubling
his vine count to 40,000 within 5 years
Contact Persons: Randall Meredith or Mike Dodd
Meredith Family Vineyards
Post Office Box 107, Hyampom, CA 96046
(530) 623-2885 or (530) 410-1851
Location: End of Olsen Creek Road, Hyampom
35-acres of varietals: 7 acres Chardonnay, 5 acres Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, and Cabernet
5 acres Cabernet Sauvignon, 8 acres Merlot, 10 acres Sangiovese
Total vines: Approximately 20,000
Dr. Randall Meredith is a man
of charisma and distinction who not
only is a family practitioner, also is
a hobbyist, a wine grape grower,
a producer, an educator, husband,
father and a well-known friend
throughout Trinity County.
He graduated from UC Davis
medical school in 1978, obtained
his license and started practicing
medicine in 1979.
He opened his practice in
Weaverville in 1981. Meredith said
he loves his job and would always
continue to practice good medicine,
even after retiring.
Meredith started by being a hobbyist wine maker back in 1976 and
continued, learning the wine trade
through experiences and from others.
At one point he decided to grow
grapes commercially.
His property now is home to
20,000 vines with plans on doubling that within five-years to
40,000 vines.
He first planted his vines in
1986 on 35 acres of his 120-acre
chronological farmstead located in
the lustrous valley of Hyampom.
Meredith believes what makes
his vineyards and winery unique
from others locally is the coastal
range.
Divided by Humboldt and the
California coast, Meredith’s collected works are compiled of
warmer days to cooler nights during the summer months to facilitate
the wines in profundity of colors
and extraordinary flavors all their
own.
Meredith focuses on producing
a rich, but smooth tasting wine with
the microclimatic mountain soils
and instead of having numerous
grapes on his vines he has fewer.
“If one wants a great wine then
one has to have a great grape,” he
said.
Meredith says having smaller
grapes tends to make the fruit produce less juice, but more of an unfathomable flavor. Meredith said
that the winemaking business is a
blend of science and art.
Meredith makes and bottles all
of the wines at his winery.
His wife Kate will be working at
their tasting room in Weaverville on
the corner of Highways 3 and 299,
expected to open this summer.
Meredith enjoys and looks forward to going to Hyampom every
weekend and on weekdays when he
is not working in his practice.
His son Orion, 20, also helps his
father in the vineyard.
He has learned the critical information when it comes to vineyards
and wineries. The least preferred
work of Meredith’s winery is the
industrial portion and the cleaning
of the tanks.
Meredith says for those interested in wine commerce, have a
passion for wine and be financially
stable because it can be expensive.
-Kat Andrews
Their wine journey led them to Manton
Fred and Donna Boots became interested in the wine making process
where they grew up in the Vacaville
area near the Napa Valley.
His parents would have out-oftown family members visit and they
would drive to Napa Valley and experience wine tasting in the different
wineries.
Mr. Boots was able to share in
tasting wine as a child. In 1977, he
worked at a nursery that was getting
out of the grapevine business and
Boots took a bunch of leftover vines,
planting them at his father’s home.
But the area wasn’t suitable for
planting and the vines all died. His
interest, however, never left as he
continued as a worker in wineries,
including a contstruction stint that
began in 1988.
Gaining experience and knowledge, he notes he insulated the refrigeration mechanical systems in half of
Napa and Sonoma wineries.
He also met and became friends
with the cellar men where he learned
more about getting his own trade
growing.
Mr. Boots moved to the city of
Napa, then back to Vacaville with his
wife Donna before purchasing property in Cottonwood in 1982.
They continued living in Vacaville for another 10 years before picking up stakes and relocating in Cottonwood.
There they planted their first
wine grape crops in 1996. They had
100 Cabernet, and 100 Merlot in
their backyard and made homemade
wines.
Mr. Boots always had a passion for
growing his own grapes and drinking
the wine as its rewards.
The couple moved from Cottonwood to Manton where they started
the wine process over again.
Their first year as a bonded winery
was in Manton in 2004. They planted
the first vineyard in 2000 on six acres
of their 10-acre property now in Manton called Indian Peak Vineyards.
They consider their winery different from other vineyards due to the
soil conditions and their microclimate.
Boots believes that the volcanic
soil in Manton drains better and he
knows that the soil has less clay.
This is easier to work with and
he hopes to produce a better tasting
grape.
At 2,200 feet in elevation, the
nights are cooler, and that is better for
the fruit, he said.
Compared to most vineyards in
northern Shasta, the Manton valley
cools with a nice gentle breeze down
to 50-60 degrees.
The cooler climate in the evening
gives the grapes a longer time to mature.
The longer that takes the more
character and flavors the grape will
have, unlike the grapes, he says, in
Lodi, which are in the heat all day
and night.
The Boots are still at the testing
stages of this property’s soil into producing a high quality grape.
“Only time will tell,” said Fred.
The Boots are well known for
their expertise in the wine making
trade, offering advice of viticulture
knowledge to other vineyards and
wineries throughout Shasta, Tehama,
and Trinity counties.
Their vineyard/winery is a wine
production facility and is not usually
open to the public.
Visitors who would like to see
their place or have questions, however, can call for an appointment.
The couple say it takes lots of experience and tasting to know a high
quality wine.
Fred’s favorite wine to drink is
Cabernet, which has to have a lot
color, a lot of flavor, and depth.
He does not care for much white
wine, but he will drink a little white
occasionally that has a fruity crisp
taste like Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blanc.
The Boots’ favorite parts of the
wine trade are harvest time and drinking the wine, as Donna and friends
cook the meals.
The least favorite is dealing with
the government, and lots of hard labor that covers about 10-12 hours a
day.
Fred and Donna’s advice to those
Contact person: Fred and Donna Boots
Indian Peak Vineyards/Winery
31559 Forward Road, P.O. Box 604, Manton, CA 96059
(530) 474-5506
Varieties: Cabernet 2,793, Merlot 2,280, Sauvignon Blanc 342
Pinot Noir 175; Total Vines: 6,590
who would like to start a winery or
grow a vineyard:
“You are crazy!” they quipped.
One really has to enjoy and have
a passion for wine, and want to do it
on their own.
They are hoping by December
to sell three different varieties from
their Manton property.
Telephone 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday to set up an appointment.
-Kat Andrews
What’s in a name? Only
his tie to industry he loves
Contact Person: Robert S. Hooper
Intermountain Vineyard and Winery
12230 Intermountain Road, Redding, CA 96003
(530) 223-3303
Varieties: 30 Wine-Table-Black Monukka, 100 Flame,
150 Merlot, 15 Cardinal, 150 Zinfandel, 5 Lady Finger,
200 Muscat-Alexandria, 75 Perlette, 40 Canellie, 75 Christmas,
70 Orange, 75 Kyoho, 30 Chardonnay, 7 Tokay, 75 Sirah,
20 Interlaken Seedless, 25 Concord, 375 Viognier
Total Vines: 1517
In 1988, Robert Hooper bought
his property and immediately planted 5-10 grape vines. Since then, his
five-acre property has evolved to four
acres of 1,517 planted vines, a variety of some of the best grapes around
Redding.
Not only does Hooper have wine
grapes, he also carries table grapes,
blackberries, and pears.
Mr. Hooper’s family was never
involved in the wine business, but
his name derives from family in England in the towns of Bristol and Bathe
back in the early 1800s.
The last names Hoops and Hooper
were the creators of the hoops, which
went around the barrels to keep them
snug and tight.
Another ancestor is Mary Riddles.
The process for “riddling” the wine is
in order to get the sediment of dead
yeast cells into the neck of the bottle
so it could be removed without the
time consuming task of decanting
each bottle.
Hooper was a co-founder and the
first president of the Grape Growers
Association in 2002 and his partner
was Allan Griggs. In 2005, Hooper
won first place for his raspberry wine
at the Shasta County Distinction
Fair.
Mr. Hooper is now working on
his winery, which will have a tasting
room and the plans are to open next
year.
Hooper worked in Weaverville in
1963 for 17 years where he taught
students in industrial arts, such as
woodshop, drafting, and metal shop.
His students built a canoe that
was used in a Hams Beer commercial
photographed in Trinity County in
the 1960s.
He also was a construction worker
in 1985 and ran his own business in
Redding called the Hooper’s Home
Repair.
In 1997, he began to get serious
about his vineyard and noted this is
what got him out of bed in the morning. He thrives in his vineyard everyday.
Mr. Hooper feels what makes him
different from other wine makers and
growers is that he has vines of Viognier, which not many people have in
this area.
He also has Muscat to help blend
certain wines to give a better tasting
wine.
In addition, he grows table grapes,
peaches, raspberries, blackberries,
pear, fig, peach, and is now working
on pomegranates for making wines.
He sells the fruit to the community for people to either handpick or
for purchase at his fruitstand near his
vineyard.
Mr. Hooper believes that a good
wine comes from the fruit, which is
grown with perfection.
When everything comes together, acids, sweetness, and alcohol, it
makes for a good tasting wine.
Hooper also makes fruit wines,
which he has perceives as becoming
a popular wine in today’s society. He
makes everything from raspberries,
blackberries, peach, to fig, and much
more.
A good fine wine starts in the
vineyard; if one has a decent grape,
one is likely to have a decent a tasting wine.
Mr. Hooper gains knowledge
by reading and doing. He also took
a class back in 1997 and gone to
workshops associated with the Grape
Growers Association.
But he has learned a lot just by
speaking to other wine growers and
makers.
Hooper’s favorite part of the process is growing the grapes and making the wine. He is 69 years old and
does all the work, from pruning to
harvesting, all on his own.
His spouse, Pat, helps when she is
able. Hooper’s least favorite task is
pounding in the stakes.
He advises those who want to become a grower to do a lot of studying
and research. Try taking a few classes, and become involved in the Grape
Growers Association, he said. Do not
try to reinvent the wheel, and talk to
many people.
He also shares that the community
feels Robert’s Viognier is the classiest grape to grow and makes the finest of all wines.
Mr. Hooper will have tours and
wine tasting once the county approves his permit and signs a bond to
sell to the public.
Listed as a personal vineyard, his
place is open to appointments only,
seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. He does sell table grapes to the
public beginning in August to October.
-Kat Andrews
They had a vision of seeing people sitting on a
porch swing holding a glass of wine - their wine
Contact Persons: Ernie and Kristel Bell
Onemaple Vineyard and Winery
Post Office Box 636, Lewiston, CA 96052
(530) 778-0714
Varieties: 6 acres of Chardonnay, 3 acres of Merlot, 3 acres
mixed of Cabernet, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and
Tempernello; Total vines: 9,000
Ernie and Kristel Bell had a vision,
and that vision was seeing people sitting on a porch swing with a glass of
wine (Ernie’s wine) in their hands
overlooking a dazzling and stunning
vineyard, or a natural picturesque
scene.
Onemaple Vineyard is located in
the plenteous water area of Lewiston.
The Bells started preparing 12-acres
of their 35-acre property for growing
in 1997 and planted a year later.
The name Onemaple came from
a time Ernie went back to his hometown back east about 30 years ago.
He brought back several maple
trees from Vermont and New Hampshire, and only one survived.
The one that did was kept in a pot
for many years and now overlooks
their vineyard.
Ernie became interested in the
wine making business after years
of working as a real estate agent in
Weaverville.
As he grew tired of working for
other people, he decided he wanted
to work for himself, and he knew he
wanted to make wine for people to
enjoy.
He also knew that he wanted this
vineyard and winery to become com-
mercial, but also to be able to share
his expertise and his fine tasting
wines with family and friends.
The couple obtain help from their
family and friends, but Tony Miller,
their son-in-law, is very active in this
business and they consider him their
vineyard manager.
Miller oversees harvest time and
much more.
Ernie and Kristel took classes at
UC Davis and also rely on their consultant Keith Groves of Alpen Cellars
for knowledge.
After years of becoming educated,
the Bells began selling their grapes to
businesses such as Alpen Cellars and
Rutherford Wineries, formally known
as Round Hill, from Napa. They also
decided to open up a tasting room.
The Bells new winery has been
certified and bonded and is “just coming up out of the ground,” Ernie said
with excitement.
They plan to open the doors this
summer to their winery and their tasting room.
The tasting room will be in an
enjoyable area alongside the Grass
Valley Creek, with a little walkway
along the creek, a lawn area, a nice
open area for people to sit and relax,
enjoy the scenery and taste wine.
The Bells feel their favorite part of
the whole process would be harvest
time.
However, the least favorite is the
rigorous and time consuming work of
pruning, especially when it is cold.
After the accumulations of hard
labor and sore fingers, they are then
rewarded with a good fine wine.
The Bells note what others have
said about venturing into the wine
business.
Make sure you have a deep pocket
book. For those wanting it as a hobby,
keep the vineyard to one acre, and not
over two.
Looking into this as a business retrospect, it is a long-term investment
and a lot of work. Plan to keep busy
in this field, but, they added, the enjoyment and rewards are plentiful.
Ernie and Kristel would like the
public to know they plan on holding
special occasions at their winery and
vineyard.
They urge people to stop by, feel
comfortable, go fishing, and enjoy
the views.
-Kat Andrews
Montague
Klamath River
Yreka
Tule Lake
97
8
Lava Beds
National Monument
5
Alturas
Fort Jones
Mount Shasta
3
395
89
Dunsmuir
299
Trinity
Center
10
6
299
Weaverville
11
Hyampom
Redding Palo Cedro
1
Igo
15 Anderson
13
Burney
Lewiston
12
36
Fall River Mills
Montgomery
Creek
5 Shingletown
3
Manton
4 Cottonwood
Eagle Lake
44
2
44
139
7
Lassen Volcanic
National Park
36
Red Bluff
0
25 Miles
North State
Vineyards
& Wineries
0
25KM
Parallel scale at 39˚N 0˚E
0
25 Miles
0
25KM
Parallel scale at 35˚N 0˚E
32
9
99
5
14
Chico
1. Oscar and Roger Matson • Matson Vineyards • 10584 Arapaho Drive, Redding 96003 • (530) 222-2833
Jack & Barbara Maraglia • Bella Vineyard • 12110 Kern Drive, Redding 96003 • (530) 549-5762
Dan and Lisa Harvey • Bear Mountain Vineyards • 20545 Chipeta, Redding 96003 • (530) 275-0640
Robert S. Hooper • Intermountain Vineyard and Winery • 12230 Intermountain Road, Redding 96003 • (530) 223-3303
Dr. Robert P. Stellato • Eqwine Ranch Vineyard • 12115 Kern Drive, Redding • (530) 549-5550
Gary and Linda Venable • Salmon Creek Vineyard • 11511 Nevada Trail, Redding 96001 • (530) 549-4849
Mike Baker • Whispering Oaks • 16827 Ski Way, Redding 96003 • (530) 209-2331
2. Greg and Kathy Butler • The Vineyard at Creekside Pecan Gardens • P.O. Box 315, Palo Cedro 96073 • (530) 226-9021
3. Rob Early and Janet Anderson • Jare’ Vineyards • 17201 Olinda Road, Anderson 96007 • (530) 357-4803
4. Craig and Linda Lingo • Lingo Vineyard • 20077 Gas Point Road, Cottonwood • (530) 347-4354
Tom Burnham • Burnsini Vineyards, LLC • 19535 Hammers Lane, Cottonwood 96022 • (530) 347-4765
5. Mike and Deanne Boehlert • Inwood Springs Vineyards - Lassen Peak Winery • 7878 Oak Lane, Shingletown 96088
Nels Larson and Christine O’Neill • Albireo Vineyards • P.O. Box 46, Shingletown 96088
Eric Fitz • Fitz Vineyards • Shingletown
6. Allan and Mineca Griggs • Cove Crest Vineyards - Griggs Winery • 21599 Hinds Road, Montgomery Creek 96065 • (530) 337-6681
Diane Eastman and Gary White • Cove Woods Vineyard • 21537 Hinds Road, Montgomery Creek 96065 • (530) 337-6285
7. John Alger • Alger Vineyards and Winery • 31636 Forward Road, Manton 96059 • (530) 474-1014
Fred & Donna Boots • Indian Peak Vineyards • 31559 Forward Road, Manton 96059 • (530) 474-5506
Alain Teutschmann • Mt. Tehama Vineyard • P.O. Box 620, Manton 96059 • (530) 474-3304
8. Ernie and Mary Ann Neveu • Neveu Vineyards • 4839 Ager Road, Montague 96064 • (530) 459-3906
9. James Terry and Darleene Larsen • Red Rock Vineyard • 19260 Ridge Road, Red Bluff 96080 • (530) 527-2146
10. Mark and Keith Groves • Alpen Cellars • 2000 East Fork Road, Trinity Center 96091 • (530) 266-9513
11. John Letton • Indian Creek Ranch • P.O. Box 1028, Weaverville 96093 • (530) 623-3383
12. Ernie and Kristel Bell • Onemaple Vineyard and Winery • P.O. Box 636, Lewiston 96052 • (530) 778-0714
13. Randall Meredith • Meredith Family Vineyards • End Olsen Creek Road, Hyampom • (530) 410-1851
Ray and Robin Merlo • R. Merlo Estate Vineyards • Lower Southfork Road, Hyampom 96046 • (530) 224-1537
14. Norm Rosene • Bonded Winery & Tasting Room • 6237 Cohasset Road, Chico 95973 • (530) 891-9463
15. Willy Brown • Crystal Crest Vineyard • 8002 Archer Road, Igo 96047 • (530) 945-0596
Ernie and Sue Odell • Ono Vines • 11379 Rainbow Lake Road, Igo 96047 • (530) 396-2719
HAND MADE
WINES
GROWN, PRODUCED
& BOTTLED IN
CLEAN AIR OF THE
SHASTA CASCADE MOUNTAINS
Find us at the Saturday Farmers Market
Redding City Hall Parking Lot
Griggs Winery, Montgomery Creek, CA
[email protected]
[email protected]
TELEPHONE 530.224.1537
CELLULAR 530.520.1955
TOLL FREE 866.222.3313
FACSIMILE 530.222.2983
191 HARTNELL AVE
REDDING, CA 96002
WWW.RMERLO.COM
WINE GRAPES
Chardonnay • Merlot • Muscat of Alexandria
Muscat Canellie • Syrah
Viognier • Zinfandal
TABLE GRAPES
Black Monukka • Cardinal
Concord - Purple and Red
Flame • Interlaken
Lady Finger • Muscats • Perlette
12230 Intermountain Road
Redding, California 96003
Three miles east of Shasta College
Telephone
Vineyard 530.549.3894
Evenings 530.223.3303
Open Every Day 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Former smoke jumper, nurse team up for
growing Sangiovese, Tempranillo, others
Rob Early is a pleasurable Irish
man and Janet Anderson an astounding Swedish woman, both with many
talents to share with their surrounding communities.
Mr. Early, born in Torrance, has
worked as a professional smoke
jumper for 22 years stationed in Redding.
His wife was born in Lassen County and worked as a nurse for 27 years
in Redding. Both were interested in
growing grapes for some time.
In 2001, they bought 3.39 acres in
Anderson and are using three acres
for their vineyard.
They also plan on purchasing two
more acres behind their property to
grow more wine grapes.
They named their vineyard, Jare’
Vineyards, with the “J” taken from
Janet, the “a” for Anderson, the “r”
for Rob, and “e” for Early. The apostrophy after the “e” is to give the
name an eloquent twist, they said.
Albeit they are not a commercial
winery, they have the makings for becoming one.
Early and Anderson originally
wanted to grow grapes and sell them
to Napa Valley, but they changed their
minds when they saw an announcement in a newspaper for a viticulture
meeting in 2002 at Robert Hooper’s
vineyard.
They knew they were hooked after
attending the meeting. They wanted
to be a part of the association and
Early is now on his second term as a
board member.
He feels what makes his vineyard
different from others is that he will
not grow the usual grape stock that
is grown in the Northern California
area.
Some of the vines that have been
planted and will be planted will be
Sangiovese, Nebiollo, and Tempranillo.
Early’s friend, Rod Kelly, who is
a dirt scientist, told him the couple’s
property has ideal soil to produce a
high-quality vineyard and any other
produce he decides to grow.
Early and Anderson consider a
superior wine comes from a good
quality grape, which comes from the
grower.
They know from experience that
an excellent cultivator has to have
passion for the job and a wealth of
patience.
They consider motivation along
with attitude and experience a very
important ingredient to growing a
fine grapevine.
Without these factors, a grower
can easily fall behind and desires and
interests can put a stop to it all and
make a bad wine grape, Early said.
He notes the process is becoming
experimental and instinctive, and he
realizes there are plenty of trial and
errors in the future.
Early has a scientific background,
which is helpful in making wine.
Both he and Anderson have been
self-taught for four years, by reading
books, magazines, talking to people,
and becoming members of the Shasta
Contact Person: Rob Early
Jare’ Vineyards, 17201 Olinda Road, Anderson, CA 96007
(530) 357-4803 or (530) 356-3585
Varieties: 100 Syrah, 100 Zinfandel, 100 Chardonnay, 40
Miscellaneous; Total Vines: 340
Cascade Viticulture Association’s
workshops and meetings.
Early and Anderson put a great
deal of passion and care into their
crop and they are still learning as they
continue to grow flavorful and superb
grapes.
They are proud to say they use all
grape stock vines, grafted from rootstock, which helps prevent damages
that may arise from certain pests and
critters.
After three years, the root establishes a better root foundation for a
good stable base which, in return,
makes a better grape.
Their favorite part of the business
of making wine is the grooming of
harvest time.
Friends and family come over and
they make the event a jovial pleasurable time.
While the labor is intense, they still
enjoy the process because the social
gatherings bring laughter and cheer.
Their least favorite time is keeping
up with the weeding and maintenances of the vineyard. Dealing with the
elements of the unpredictable Mother
Nature can be burdening and stressful
on a grower, he said.
Early and Anderson would like
those who are interested in growing
their own vineyard or making their
own wine that it takes lots of money.
One has to have plenty of money,
passion, patience, and not to expect
much money in return.
However, the rewards come from
watching the vines turn green and
producing a fine grape, and then continuing the process into making the
fine grape into a great tasting wine.
This leaves the grower in a position of looking forward to starting
the process all over again for a better
crop and better tasting wine for the
next season to come.
For tour information on Jare’ Vineyards, call 356-3722 or 356-3585, or
email: [email protected]; M-F, 7 to
10 p.m. by appointment only.
-Kat Andrews
Bear Mountain first harvest in 2008
Contact Persons: Dan and Lisa Harvey
20545 Chipeta Way, Redding, CA 96003
(530) 275-0640
Varieties: 100 Cabernet Sauvignon
200 Cloned Old Vine Zinfandel; Total vines: 300
Visiting areas such as Sonoma,
Napa, and other winery areas intrigued Dan and Lisa Harvey.
They have always had an interest
in grapes and were eager to make
their own wine, so they did.
They purchased grapes, and then
brought them home.
Dan made the wine for the first
time and described it as “Tasting
very, very good!”
He made wine a second time, but
realized they had purchased bad
grapes, adding, the grape has to be
good to make a good wine.
From that point, the two learned
their true desire was to grow grapes,
but on a larger scale.
The couple moved to Redding in
1996 and purchased their 2.19 acres
of property in 2002.
While they love and breed Mane/
Coon cats, their heart is in the winemaking.
They are eagerly waiting for their
one-acre crop of Cabernet Sauvignon
and Cloned Old Vine Zinfandel to
produce wine grapes, so they may
get started with the wine making process.
Bear Mountain Vineyards is set
up for a winery and has a 20-by-30foot shop, with cemented floor and a
drain.
While winemaking is in the near
future, this winery will be set up for
their personal use only.
Dan’s interest took
him to classes at UC
Davis, and he went to
an outreach program at
UCD.
With the education
now behind them, Dan
and Lisa’s aspirations
for making wine from
their wine grapes will be fulfilled.
The Harveys’ rootstock vines are
still young and maturing to produce
their perfect grape, which Dan said
will take until 2008.
With their plants hand-planted and
in the ground since May 2005, their
anticipation for what they have been
waiting for is in the makings and the
feelings of zeal are real.
The Harveys feel it is plausible
to have the “best of the best in more
than one wine.” They have great concern for the environment and their
crops will all be organically grown,
Dan said.
While raising their vines they will
use potential insect killers such as
Praying Mantids, which eat grasshoppers, crickets, locusts, maggots,
and flies.
They will also use the legendary
Ladybird Beetle, which thrive on
plant lice, scales, mealy bugs, leafhoppers, mites and other soft-bodied
insects and their eggs.
The beetles do not eat vegetation,
which make them the perfect insect
killer for crop growers who do not
want to use pesticides.
All the weeding will be hand done
by both Dan and Lisa. The Harveys
claim it will be hard work, but well
worth the effort.
Their favorite part of this development of wine making is drinking the
product and making their wines into
gifts for friends and family.
Their least favorite is the hard work
that entails planting and growing the
wine grapes.
The Harveys share with those who
want to get into the wine making
business to acquire a lot of research
beforehand.
Be ready for hard work, find out
what kind of plant you want to grow,
and if you want to produce grapes
commercially or for private use, and
have the finances.
-Kat Andrews
He’s planted his 5 acres of vines, now
awaiting first harvest couple of years away
Contact Person: Jack or Barbra Maraglia
Bella Vineyard, 12110 Kern Drive, Redding, CA 96003
(530) 549-5762
Varieties: 180 Mascato Giallo, VCR5 Clone, 110R Rootstock
180 in 2005, 286 in 2006 of Syrah, 877 Clones, 110 Rootstock
300 Cabernet Sauvignon, 337 Clones, 110R Rootstock
215 in 2006 of Viognier, TCVS A Clone, 101-14 Rootstock
Total Vines: 1161
Jack Maraglia’s grandfather, Luigi,
used to own 40 acres back in 1910 on
Cyprus and Hilltop to Churn Creek
and Cyprus, which was all vineyards
around the 1970s. The land was later
sold in 1972.
Jack lives on 26 acres of his Bella
Vineyard property that has also been
in his family since 1963, and which
was the site of his marriage last February to Barbra.
Tragedy struck seven years earlier when Jack lost his home, stables,
barns, and fencing that held the 50
horses that he boarded, all the result
of the Jones Fire. His home burned,
leaving nothing but ruins.
Jack decided he needed a new trade
and his father told him to try planting a vineyard, which he first planted
in 2005, adding 600 more vines last
March.
Jack is waiting until 2008-09 before he produces his first crop, which
he is planning for commercial sales.
He uses five acres of his property
for his crops that are divided into sections of a half-acre for Mascato, 1
acre for Cabernet, 1½ acres of Syrah,
and 1 acre for Viognier.
What makes Jack’s vineyard different from others, he says, is his stock,
planted from commercial grafted
rootstock.
As Jack describes, most vineyards
use cuttings obtained through another
vineyard, stuck in the ground and
grown.
Jack’s reasons for using rootstock
vines are to protect against a parasitic
louse, which can harm the roots of the
plant. This louse is not in the Shasta
County area as of yet, but has been
found in the Fall River area, he said.
The American vine that is native to
North America is resistant to that, but
the European wine grape vine is not
resistant. So most cuttings put in the
ground are not protected.
The American rootstock and the
European vine are grafted together,
which means everything below the
ground is protected against the bug.
Jack feels if the louse comes to this
area, he will be one of the few, if not
the only vineyard around that will be
protected.
His favorite part of growing is the
people he meets through the subculture that he is now involved with in
the winemaking. His least favorite
part of the winemaking is digging
holes.
Jack’s average season consists of
spring weeding between rows, summers of paying attention to water
and pests, harvest time in the fall,
and winter mainly relaxing and later
pruning the vines.
Jack’s advice if one wants to get
into the winemaking business is that
one is never too old.
The outcome of seeing green is
very satisfying, compared to the land
that existed with dry grass and weeds.
To see the green rows is a real beau
ideal.
Jack wants the public to know that
he plans on holding special occasions
and tours on his vineyard.
The gates to his property are open
by appointment, and he enjoys inquires.
-Kat Andrews
In retirement, he’s splitting time among vines, art, horses
Contact Person: Dr. Robert P. Stellato
Eqwine Ranch Vineyard (Casa Bianco Label)
12115 Kern Drive, Redding, CA
(530) 549-5550
Varieties: 75 Merlot, 75 Muscato, 50 Cabernet
Total Vines: 200, Producing approximately 800 bottles.
Doctor Robert P. Stellato, 71 is a retired oral surgeon from the Bay Area
who moved to Redding in 1995.
A man of many talents and interests, he not only produces fine grapes
for his personal wine but is also an
artist.
He paints with oils, does woodworking, and raises and teaches
steed to behave in ways acceptable
to people, especially by repetition or
practicing without harsh and cruel
punishments.
Stellato’s vineyard name, Eqwine,
describes the true meaning of his interests.
Stellato visited many wineries
throughout his life and both of his
grandfathers and grandmothers hail
from the northeastern part Maples in
Italy.
As a child around four years of
age, he used to help harvest the
grapes, worked in the wine cellars,
helped with pressing the grapes and
even tasted the wines. His family
made table wine from their cellar,
with nothing sophisticated about the
making, he said.
His grandfather had wine sent
from the West Coast (Vacaville was
the first to ship out of California) on a
newly invented refrigerated ice train
in the early part of the 1900s.
The family, including sons, and
daughters would all go together to get
the grapes at the train station.
These memories are part of the
foundation Dr. Stellato came about in
starting his own vineyard.
In 2001, Dr. Stellato planted his
first vine and last year saw his first
production where he bottled a little
more than 200 galloons. He says he
doesn’t look for quantity, but rather
quality in his wine.
He believes that what makes him
different from other vineyards is his
methodical approach.
Stellato feels that this method sets
him aside from most commercial
vintners who go for quantity rather
than quality.
He believes firmly that the vineyard is where the good wine is started, where the grapes are grown, the
land that the grapes are grown in, and
the climate. That is step one in making good grapes, he says.
Then it goes into the wine making
process, fermentation, how one treats
the wine, the sanitation in the winery, the attention that is put into the
fermentation, and how dedicated one
has to become into making the wine.
Stellato studies from books and is
an academician.
He has attended Shasta College for
a class in winemaking and production
and also has attended classes about
wine at UC Davis.
In ranking wines, Stellato feels
that depends on what wine is being
grown.
For instance, Muscat makes a
wonderfully fragrant, crisp, and clear
wine, he says. It has a tendency to
have a little sweetness to it, so one
can enjoy drinking it any time of the
day.
One can have Muscat with a breakfast of eggs benedict, pears, peaches
and melons, and for lunch with sandwiches and cheese, and later for dinner. Stellato takes pride in preparing
his food just right to have with his
wines.
He is aware that one enhances the
other and believes wines are made
to enjoy with friends and special
people.
Special occasions require special
wines. He strives not for the market,
but for what he enjoys.
Stellato has no favorite part of the
wine making process. He enjoys it
all.
He looks forward to waking in the
morning and being in his vineyard,
training horses, or spending time pursuing one of his artistic talents.
Stellato would like to share his
knowledge with others and urges
people to call ahead or email him
with their questions.
-Kat Andrews
Gentle, sloping
hill is setting for
this winery just
north of Chico
The Odyssey Winery is located
northeast of Chico, on a gentle sloping hill with a view of the valley. The
main building was designed and then
co-built by John Papadakis, a retired
architect, and former WWII navy carrier pilot.
The building is white, of Greek
design, the main entryway that greets
the visitors from the driveway is a
stunning introduction to the wine
tasting room.
The winery is owned and operated
by Norm and Janice Rosene. The former aviator who designed the winery
is Janice’s father.
Norm and John still work together
on the continuing construction of the
facilities. Janice explained the history
of the land and the establishment of
the winery.
“We do everything here, just the
three of us,” Janice says. “It took a
while to establish, because Norm and
I are both working.” Norm practices
dentistry in Chico, Janice explains,
and she works in his office.
Janice and Norm were both zoology majors at UC Davis, and graduated in the early 80’s.
Norm went to UC San Francisco
for dental school, Janice received a
Masters Degree in special education.
After they finished, they returned to
Chico.
“In 1978 we had taken an elective
course in viticulture,” Janice says. “It
was an introduction to grape growing
and winemaking. We decided we’d
have a winery some day.”
Two years after moving back to
Chico, the Rosenes bought the property in Chico where the winery now
stands.
“It used to be a lumber mill,” Janice
explains. “They used to harvest trees
up in the city of Cohasset, then bring
them down to this site and rough cut
the wood.”
The Rosenes “cleaned up” the
property, and planted their first vines
in 1991.
“We poured the foundation for the
tasting room in 1992. With the help of
a friend, we finished the major part of
the construction, and got it finaled in
August of 2003.”
The tasting room was opened in
December of that year.
The tasting room not only displays
their wines, but is a showcase for
some very interesting artwork.
“The function of the tasting room,
of course, is to serve our wine,” Janice says.
“And, some local products such
as olive oil, baseball caps with our
names on it. The art we sell is by local artists, most of whom we know
personally.”
Janice describes the art as “modern,” which includes paintings and
ceramics. Selected pieces, she says,
are for sale. “The art happens to
be part of the décor of the tasting
room. It definitely makes our winery
unique.”
Two very large ceramic pieces
even adorn the walls of the two restrooms.
Odyssey’s special variety of wine
is called “Symphony,” from a white,
Muscat wine grape variety.
“It was developed in 1948 by Dr.
Harold Olmo, who died just last
week,” Janice says.
“He was a Ph.D. at UC Davis
who researched genetics. He created
hybrids from different, traditional
grape varietals to solve a problem:
the ‘symphony’ is a white wine grape
designed to tolerate the Sacramento,
Chico, climate.
It was a hybrid plant of Muscat of
Alexandrea and Grenache Gris grape
veritals.”
That wine, Janice says, sold out
completely, but it will be available
again in the spring of 2007. “We are
the only local winery that has Symphony.”
Norm is the winemaker, and Janice
takes care of the grapes, she says.
“Only two days a year do we have
someone from outside to help. That
is in the winter for pruning, and at
harvest in the fall. My dad helps with
everything else, such as bottling and
labeling.
The winery is open from May
through December. The Rosenes do
no formal advertising. It is all word
of mouth.
“We’re content with that. When
small groups come, we can talk with
them and show them around.”
Odyssey bottles about 500 cases a
year.
“But, each bottle is touched by us.
We put the wine in the bottle, and put
in the corks. We don’t want to be a
huge winery. I’m proud of our product.”
To date, Janice says, their wines
have won seven medals in national
and international competitions.
Most recently, the ’99 Cabernet
won a silver ribbon at the American
Wine Society Competition at Las Vegas, and a bronze medal at the Florida
State Fair, International Wine Competition.
Their wines can be found in Chico at Vino100, the Mangrove Bottle
Shop, and Noel’s Wine Shoppe in
Paradise.
The winery is located approximately two miles northeast of the Chico
Airport on Cohasset Road. From SR
99, take the Cohasset Road exit away
from downtown. From the north, the
winery can be reached from SR 99
at Keefer Road. Drive east approximately eight miles to Cohasset, turn
left.
The tasting room is open daily,
1–6 p.m. For more information, telephone (530) 891-9463, or via email at
[email protected].
-Laurance Wright
Odyssey Winery
6237 Cohasset Rd., Chico, CA 95973
Contact person: Norm Rosene
Varieties: 2 Acres of Cabernet Sauvignon,
1⁄2 acre of Symphony,
1⁄2 acre of table grapes
Total vines: 3 acres
Bonded winery and tasting room
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From Afghanistan, selling Christmas trees to making wine
Alain Teutschmann’s Mt. Tehama
Vinyard is in a wine growing area
near Manton, which is approximately
10 miles south of Shingletown, in
the hills southeast of Redding. Alain
bought the land in 1982, and first began planting Christmas trees on 20
acres. Soon after, he purchased another 10 acres.
Teutschmann is originally from
Geneva, Switzerland. His speech
is flavored with a Swiss accent. He
moved to the U.S. from Afghanistan,
where he had been manufacturing
clothing, and selling Middle Eastern
antiques to galleries in the states. Because he had those business contacts
in the U.S., and had been to Manton,
he decided to move there.
He grew and sold Christmas trees
from the property as late as 2005. He
had a lot in Redding. But, he said, he
wanted to get into the wine business.
“I first started growing Christmas
Trees,” Alain says. “Then, started
planting grapes in 1999. We prepared
the land, and put in four acres of Syrah grapes.”
Over the next few years, he planted Petite Syrah grapes, a variety that
grows well in the hot, California climate, he says. A year later he added
another four acres of Syrah. “Just this
month we finished planting another
three acres of the Petite Syrah.”
His winemaker is Richard Bunch,
an experienced grower, who currently
works at the winery with Alain. The
plan is not to have a store, or a wine
tasting room. His operation will always be wholesale, Alain explained.
“My goal is to just make an excel-
lent wine: by growing good grapes,
and selling the wine at a reasonable
price to restaurants and stores.”
Alain loves the area, and wants to
support the wine growers and other
businesses in the area.
“I want to help put Manton on the
map,” he says. “Create something
for this little area here. We have fish
hatcheries, a couple fishing clubs.
And, it seems wine is something that
will further enhance this little valley.”
There is at least one other small
winery close to Alain’s property,
a mile east of Manton (see related
story on the Alger Vineyards), and a
much larger grape grower has vines
all along the road to The Mt. Tehama
and Alger wineries.
“My philosophy is simply to make
a good wine, and price it right. Put a
good product out there. If you do that,
it’s going to sell.”
Alain says that he’s been already
contacted by area restaurants that
have asked for his wine. “They want
me to sell them wine. I guess that’s
what I’m going to do. When the wine
is ready.”
He has contacts and mailing lists
from his Christmas trees list. Those
on the list he will contact first when
he’s ready to market his wine.
The biggest hurdle to selling wine
is the government regulations. He is
currently working on labeling for his
bottles. Gram Posner, a friend, has
designed both his bottle labels and
the company website (see address
below).
The Mt. Tehama Winery is totally
organic, Alain says. “We are certified
by the CCOF (California Organic
Certified Farmers). There are at least
four different organizations that will
certify a winery. Every year I have an
inspection to show that I am complying with the rules.”
Being organic means that Alain
and his winemaker use no chemicals
for either fertilizer or to combat diseases or insects. This makes it a safe
and clean environment to work in, he
says.
“And it makes a product that is
cleaner than one that is sprayed with
chemicals,” Alains says. “That’s what
I believe. That it’s a clean environment here on the farm.” Growing
organically, Alain adds, means that
as soon as they see a problem, they
“take care of it right away.”
“For instance, if we have bugs, we
introduce bugs that are their natural
enemies.” Alain says that is just one
of the many different approaches that
an organic farmer takes.
One benefit for wine growers in
the area, Alain says, may be the elevation. “We are at 2,600 feet. The
winters here get cold, and bad insects
probably get killed off by the frost.”
Syrah are red grapes, popular with
the growers here in the north state.
The Syrah and Petite Syrah are from
the Rhone Valley in France, Alain
explained. “That’s where they originated.”
Alain plans to introduce Viogner, a
white wine to his lists. “With a white
wine, I may blend it with the reds.
That’s something I may do.”
-Laurance Wright
Mt. Tehama Vineyard
P.O. Box 620, Manton, CA 96059
Contact person: Alain Teutschmann
Varieties: 2,800 Syrah, 2,800 Petite Sirah,
Total vines: 5,600
We Salute The
Shasta-Cascade Viticulture Association,
Grape farmers and local wineries
JUDY CLARK
SHAKLEE PRODUCTS
www.justhealthstuff.com
1-877-335-2988
IMPRESSIONS LIMOUSINE
SERVICE
(530) 528-2859 Chico
TCP11704-P
Website
SEAB’S TRUE VALUE
HARDWARE
115 North Main Street
Alturas • 233-4686
CARPENTER’S TRUCKING
& VOLCANO ROCK
44534 Highway 299
McArthur • 336-5256
impressionslimousineservice.com
PIT RIVER CASINO
20265 Tamarack
Burney • 335-2334
pitrivercasino.com
LA FOGATA MEXICAN FOOD
37063 Main Street
Burney • 335-3338
THE PETAL PUSHERS
FLORAL GIFT SHOP
& Kathi Corder Photography
44160 Highway 299, Suite 4
McArthur • 336-6148
FALL RIVER LODGE
43288 Highway 299
Fall River Mills • 336-5678
DEUEL’S DINER
37314 Main Street
Burney • 335-9300
He got his start with the help of others
Mike Baker grew up in the San
Joaquin Valley and became interested
in grapes through a friend in Fresno
that grew Thompson Seedless table
grapes back in 1972.
His wife, Guadalupe, grew up in
Bakersfield. Her father, Jose Castillo,
a farm worker taught Lupe as a child
to work in the fields for grape vineyards of all kinds. Lupe’s 73-year-old
father still works in the fields locally.
Lupe went on to college, earned
her degree in Law Enforcement, and
began working as a dispatcher in
Arvin, near Bakersfield.
Both Mike and Lupe have worked
for the Justice Department for many
years, working in Los Angeles, and
later moved to Redding in 1996. They
purchased their home and 40-acre
property in Redding in 1997.
The Bakers wanted to do something with their property besides
growing the overgrowth of Manzanita brush for birds (and more remotely,
bears) that feast on the edible berries
that grow on the vines.
With both Mike and Lupe being
self-taught by local growers, knowing people with wineries, and Lupe’s
father having field experience, they
wanted to began their foray in wines.
They met another in 1999 who assisted them, Robert Carrillo, who is
the manager for Dobson Vineyards,
with more than 300 acres of vines in
Manton.
Carrillo grew wine grapes and
Mike began asking many questions.
This then lead Mike into clearing his
property of the brush. He purchased
their first cuttings from Carrillo and
planted in April 2001.
The Bakers and their co-partner,
Connie Ericsson, do not make wine
on the Bakers’ property, but do have
a contract to sell their wine grapes to
Indian Peak Vineyards.
They sell their product and split
the profits and if they want wine to
drink, they buy it back.
Mike plans to retire in a couple
of years and plans to build a 4,000square-foot building for making his
own wine in his own winery, and
will have a tasting room. This will
be completed, he estimates in three
years.
Baker feels his winery is different
from others because of the area where
he lives.
The climate is hot during the day,
but in the evening, a cool breeze
flows from the south to the north,
straight through his vineyard, which
cools his grapes.
He said the purpose of how his
vines are positioned for the cool
breezes also ventilate the grapes.
Cooling down the grapes helps make
the sugars sweeter. The Bakers use
limited pesticides, Provado, and they
like to use lady bugs.
Baker thinks every wine has its
own unique taste, and being a wine
maker requires its own talent. He
Contact Person: Mike or Gadalupe Baker
Whispering Oaks Vineyard
16827 Ski Way, Redding, CA 96003
Res. (530) 209-2331 • Cell (530) 241-4169
Variety: 3300 Syrah • Total Vines: 3300
feels that growing a vineyard is an
art and one has to have a skill to get
good quality wine grapes. He likes a
nice healthy looking cluster with a
high sweet-tasting substance at the
end of the year with the sugar content
at 26-27.
Whispering Oaks Vineyard has 10
acres of Syrah, 100 vines of Zinfandel, and 60 vines of Merlot.
Baker’s favorite part of the process is picking. He enjoys working in
his vineyard because it is not stressful.
On a nice sunny day, no cell
phones are ringing, and pagers are
not going off. Baker feels this is a relaxing time to spend in the field picking and crushing grapes.
His least favorite is training the
plant all the way up to the cordon
wire, and fighting the rabbits and
all the other critters from eating the
crop.
He offered some advice for people
interested in the wine making business.
Don’t think of it as a get-rich
scheme, adding, the process does not
happen overnight.
It takes lots of patience and hard
work. However, the enjoyment of
growing is the enjoyment and rewards of drinking your wines.
Baker would also like the local
community to try more of the local
wines. He is sure one will like the
tastes.
For those who would like to tour
or ask questions about Whispering
Oaks Vineyard, they are urged to call
between 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. Monday-Sunday or email: mbdiablo@aol.
com.
-Kat Andrews
This family prospecting
a different gem from soil
Contact Person: Mark and Keith Groves
Alpen Cellars
2000 East Fork Road, Trinity Center, CA 96091
(530) 266-9512
Varieties: White Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
(from ranch) other wines are Pinot Gris, Merlot from Trinity County.
Total vines: 11,000
Keith Grove’s great-grandfather
and family moved to Trinity County
around 1900 and worked as gold
prospectors.
Keith’s father, Mark, was born
in Los Angeles, but his grandfather
worked as a miner, as did Mark in his
youth.
Mark became a forester and
moved back to Trinity County in the
1950s. In 1973, he bought his 15-acre
property, which was an old ranch
founded in 1855.
The property is located in the enthralling mountain terrains near Trinity Lake.
Keith Groves graduated Trinity
High School in 1976, unsure of his
future plans.
While contemplating his future,
he decided to work for his cousin,
Richard Delos Reyes, who was in the
wine making business in the Fresno
area.
Keith’s interests became an educational experience and he obtained
his degree in winemaking at Fresno
State while continuing to work with
his cousin.
Keith continued his education,
working in the Sonoma and Napa
counties for Korbel Champaign and
Round Hill Cellars for approximately
13 years.
Mark and Keith’s winery is one of
the oldest wineries in Trinity County
and they make a living out of their
winemaking. They are the only winery, to their knowledge, obtaining
power from other than the state’s
electrical grid and use a hydroelectric
system for all their energy needs.
They consider their competition
coming from businesses in New York,
Washington, and British Columbia,
but not many if any from California.
They produce wine from dry
whites, sweet whites, rosés, light
reds, to heavy reds.
Keith and Mark planted their first
grapes in 1981 on Mark’s property.
The winery started producing its first
wine in 1984. The father and son
team feels that here in California they
have a unique growing area in the
mountains that makes them different
from other wineries/vineyards. They
note the cold nights help hold in the
flavors in the grape.
Keith, as a professional winemaker believes the colder climate areas
are good for much more of a Northern European taste, which brings different flavors.
This results in the wine producing
a different flavor each year.
“It is never the same,” he said.
To get the best out of the fruit, the
techniques used each year are numerous. The standard time before a grape
can be picked and begin the processes
of becoming a fine wine is three to
four years.
Ideally, Keith says, the grapes do
their best at seven to ten years in the
ground if they are pruned and cared
for properly.
Keith’s favorite part of the job is
meeting his consumers, about 3,000
people a year.
The least palpable part of the business, he says, is government compliance and government regulation. But
he recognizes it is all part of the process.
An Alpen Cellars season consists
of harvest time in the fall, which is 10
to 14 hours a day of labor.
Winter consists of pruning and
bottling, and in the spring, frost control and getting the vineyards ready
for growing season. The summer
months consist of sales, working 1012 hours a day.
Alpen Cellars sell bottles commercially, and has begun distributing their wines to Chicago. They also
have another eight acres of grape production.
Keith wants readers to know that
if they want to get into the winemaking business, one needs to have a love
for it and have large financial backing.
On a broad spectrum, the Far Northern California Wineries have come a
long ways. “I would like to see more
people try wines from this area,” and
notes that Napa and Sonoma are not
the only areas to get a fine wine.
Alpen Cellars is open to the public
from Memorial Day through Labor
Day, seven days a week, from 10 a.m.
to 4 p.m., and the rest of the year by
appointment.
-Kat Andrews
Father-son teams grow
their grapes for others
Contact Person: Willy L. Brown
The Browns Family Trust
Post Office Box 155, 43197 River Street
Fall River Mills, CA 96028
Crystal Crest Vineyard, Post Office Box 4, Igo, CA 96047
Res. (530) 945-0596
Variety: Zinfandel; Total vines: 2950
Mr. Willy Brown was born and
raised in Shasta County. His wife Susan was born in Redding and raised
in Igo. Since the early 1920s, they
had a homestead of 400 acres with
her uncle Frank Write. The estate
now houses grazing cattle, and 2-½
acres of vineyards for budding wine
grapes, 2,950 vines to be exact. Willy,
Susan, and her brother inherited the
property after her parents, the Grays,
passed away.
Willy married his wife and
changed her name from Gray to
Brown. Susan’s mother had a maiden
name of Rust. With this color scheme,
Susan wanted to name their first son,
Rusty Gray Brown, but settled on
Russell Harvey Brown after Willy’s
grandfather.
Before Mr. Brown’s wife passed
away in 1978, Willy’s son was concerned that his father would not have
much to do to keep himself occupied.
In 1998, Willy, Russell, and partner George Peters, and his son Greg
began the development of their vineyard. In the middle of it sits a large
oak tree with a trunk that measures
five feet in diameter.
Mr. Brown says what makes his
vineyard different from others is
choosing only one variety of grape to
grow, which, in his case, is a Zinfandel. The vines are planted in a sandy
soil that is rich in nutrients.
The crops are planted on slopes,
which make a great drainage system,
preventing root rot. Before the vineyard was planted, the homestead had
row crops of vegetables and fruits.
The products were sold at a roadside
stand down the road from the property in the 1940s.
Mr. Brown credits a good quality
grape to good irrigation, accurate fertilizations, proper pruning, and pruning and more pruning. He also places
their wine in a charcoal oak barrel for
aging. When the grapes reach their
suitable sugar content they sell the
grapes to a broker in Yuba City.
Mr. Brown’s favorite part of the
process is right after harvesting the
grapes.
He likes to lock the gate and
leave.
His least favorite is being at the
vineyard all day. While Mr. Brown
appears not to show he really cares
for what he does here at the vineyard,
one can hear when he tells his stories
that he is a proud owner of his highquality grapes.
For instance, the water pump that
is hauled down to Andrews Creek is
connected to other pipes that pump
the water up the hill to two holding tanks, which hold 4,900 gallons
of water. Then he pressurizes all the
lines, makes sure everything is work-
ing right, and drip feeds to the crop.
Then they pressure the tanks for about
an hour for dripping.
Mr. Brown’s season consists of
draining water out of the lines to prevent freezing or spoilage during the
winter, and pruning. Spring is fertilizing, neutralizing and weeding. In the
summer, they wait for the budding
of grapes while training the vines to
make the perfect canopy to keep the
grapes protected from the sun’s hot
rays, checking the drippers constanty
to make sure everything is getting
water. For the fall, they harvest the
grapes at the time when the sugar is
right and the grapes are sweet.
When Mr. Brown is not playing
in his vineyard, he has other toys that
are his pride and joy. He owns antique vehicles, including a few Model
As, and an old tractor.
Mr. Brown is a fun man and he
feels that if anyone wants to get into
wine making, to think hard before
pursuing this as a business. To occupy their time, the hobbiest should
stay at one acre or less because the
production is costly.
Crystal Crest Vineyards in Igo is
available for touring on Saturdays between 10 a.m. until noon. Mr. Brown
can be reached at his home in Fall
River Mills at (530) 945-0596.
-Kat Andrews
Retired Weaverville teachers enjoy wine,
decided to grow grapes along rolling hills
Ernie and Sue Odell are retired
teachers from Weaverville.
They moved to Igo in 2001 and
liked wine so much that they decided to grow 2½ acres of wine grape
vines on their 40-acre property in
the beautiful rolling hills of Igo.
Prior to moving to Igo, the
Odells had a quarter-acre vineyard
with a couple of hundred vines
in Trinity County on Rush Creek
Road in 1995.
Not only does this couple love
growing grapes, they also love raising and showing fine quality Miniature Mammoths.
What makes the Odells’ vineyard different from other vineyards
is they are one of the first Ono vineyards on the west side of Redding.
Construction of a building to
process their own wine began in
2004 using Styrofoam walls and is
nearing completion.
The Odells sell their grapes to
Matson Winery in Redding and
they have impressed Matson with
their expertise in growing fine wine
grapes.
The Odells think that what
makes a fine wine is having good
fruit and that all wine is unique.
All wines have different characteristics which distinguishes each
from one another.
The Odells make an effort to
stay as organic as possible and they
do all the pruning themselves.
They feel that soil, weather, sunlight, water type, north and south
exposure, wind, drying vines and
climate are a few important factors
to making a fine grape.
These are just some of things
where a vineyard grower has little
control.
A grower does have control over
how the vine is pruned, how tightly
spaced the vines are planted from
one another, and when and how
much water to apply.
The microclimate in Igo is cooler than Redding, but hotter than
Weaverville.
The Odells have one acre of
Cabernet, one-half acre of Petite
Sirah, and one acre of Syrah.
When they planted, they planted
rootstalk using their own roots.
They describe their favorite part
of the process as the fruits of the
labor; this is the exciting point of
Contact Persons: Ernie and Sue Odell
Ono Vines, 11379 Rainbow Lake Road, Igo, CA 96047
(530) 396-2719
Varieties: 600 Cabernet, 600 Syrah, 100 Cabernet Franc,
100 Petite Sirah; Total Vines: 1500
the wine making development for
the Odells.
When the fruit is in the barrels
and safe from the rabbits, the deer,
the bacteria, the fungus, the birds,
the bears, the raccoon and the coyotes, then they experience the joys
and the rewards of making great
tasting wine.
Ernie Odell has a minor in
chemistry and has taught himself
to do the chemical analysis of his
wines. He tastes his wines with every opportunity he gets.
While Mr. Odell says he has
more to learn in this field but retirement offers him the time to delve
into the business.
Growing grapes and wine making are things both Ernie and Sue
enjoy and both plan on increasing
their knowledge for many years to
come.
They consider themselves on an
adventure and enjoy the process to
completion.
The Odells have some advice
for people who want to grow a
vineyard in this area.
Put up a fence first.
For those wanting to know about
a working ranch with the vineyard
and winery, they are urged to call
ahead.
The Odells welcome all visitors
to their Ono Vineyard and Misty
Meadow Miniature Mammoths
property.
-Kat Andrews
Hyampom Valley home to their 45,000
vines producing a variety of wines
Over the years, Ray and Robin
Merlo have visited Ray’s family in
Genoea, a small northern town of Italy. There they have a family legacy of
more than 400 years that brings viticulture offerings from growing wine
grapes to making trendy wines from
their own backyard.
The couple have a great interest
in growing grapes and Hyampom is
were it began for them.
Most of the self-learning processes for the two came with assistance
from Weaverville doctor and grape
grower Randall Meredith. Ray Merlo
has a science background, with a major in biology that has helped with
his business. He also has a minor in
theology.
Both Merlo and Meredith went to
school together and both are family
practitioner doctors and serious grape
wine growers.
Merlo notes Meredith planted his
first vineyard in Hyampom in 1985.
Robin and Ray visited Meredith over
the years and said they learned an
abundance of knowledge.
This is when they became interested in growing wine grapes themselves and in 1998, Meredith took
Ray Merlo in as a joint partner in the
business.
The two split their partnership in
2001 and Ray and Robin invested in
their own winery.
Two years earlier they purchased
their property and planted their first
vineyard in 2000. They have about
1,200 plants per acre, which calculates to about 45,000 plants producing a variety of admirable tasting
wines.
The couple have a 130-acre ranch
in Hyampom, known as R. Merlo Estate Vineyards of which 47 acres has
a rich abundant natural acidity soil.
In return, this crop produces some
Contact person: Robin Merlo
R. Merlo Estate Vineyards
Lower Southfork Rd., Hyampom, CA 96046
Business number: 224-1537, Winery 628-5381, Vineyard 682-5305
email: [email protected], or [email protected]
Vines: Syrah 15,750, Pinot Noir 2,600, Zinfandel 8,000, Chardonnay 8,300, Merlot 4,500
Total vines: 39,150
of the finest elegant fruit for wine
throughout northern California.
Ray and Robin have another 10
acres of planted stock in the Hayfork
area of Trinity County.
They built their winery in Hyampom which was bonded in 2003.
Ray Merlo says what makes his
grapes different from other vineyards/
wineries is the climate and elevation
where they are located.
The climate change in temperature
dropping to 45 to 50 degrees at night
is a major factor in grape quality, the
intense color and the acids.
They consider their wines not a
typical Californian wine but more of a
European wine, which is heavier and
bolder because of the fruit they grow
and from where they are located.
He believes that a grape reaches a
certain quality that is similar to a musical instrument or a stereo system,
and that they reach such a high quality that the taste comes down to one’s
personal taste or experience.
The Merlo philosophy is that
they want their wines to taste like the
grapes.
They want their wine to be the varietal as it is.
If it is a Cabernet, then it should
be a Cabernet. They do not blend
their fruit, and the flavor of their wine
is the grape flavor that is grown in the
fields.
The Merloes said that their wines
are not stripped and recreated, but
taste like the terrain, interpreted to
mean one can actually taste the valley in their wines.
The couple’s favorite part of the
process is harvest time. They know
harvest takes a lot of work, but the
enjoyment is working hard with their
hands. Their least favorite is the bee
stings and the long learning process.
They leave all the technical decisions to their production manager Vix
Lane.
He is the main creator of growing
their grapes and making their wines.
He does everything using bench trials
and through an instinctively learning
process along the way.
He also does all the chemical
analysis.
For a high quality wine, Lane
looks for balance and tannins structure. Lane’s advice to people who
want to get into the wine making
business is figure out what you think
you can grow and start with half. The
Merloes add, have a big bank account.
Ray and Robin would like people
to know that it is imperative in letting the communities understand and
know what kinds of wines are coming
out of Hyampom Valley.
People will be surprised if they
take the time to come to Trinity
County and try the wines.
It will be well worth the drive.
-Kat Andrews
Visting wine country is
now only a step away
For years, Diane Eastman and husband Gary
White lived and worked in the San Francisco
Bay Area and made weekend trips to the wine
country in Sonoma County.
They’re retired now, but still working – only
this time they’re toiling in their own vineyard
and to visit the wine country, they need only
step outside their Cove Road home.
Eastman worked as the financial manager in
the Santa Clara County Office of Education and
her husband was employed in the electronics
field in Silicon Valley. Big fans of the Napa Valley wine country, they started to look for some
property, “but it was very pricy, and that was
several years ago,” Eastman said.
The couple would frequently vacation in the
north state and a realtor started showing them
some property and in 1998 they settled on a 40acre parcel of rolling woodlands off of Big Bend
Road about eight miles from Highway 299.
They planted 500 Pinot Gris vines and 200
Merlot vines, and just recently added some Zinfandel. Eastman then presided over the two-year
remodeling of an old cabin on the property and
by 2000 they were settled in. By 2003, Cove
Woods Vineyard had its first vintage bottled.
Eastman now refers to herself as a vineyard
manager. Even though it’s an acre – about
enough grapes to bottle five cases a year – Eastman said it’s a lot of work. But it’s not without
its rewards.
“Aesthetically, vineyards are very pleasing.
It’s just nice to be able to look out there, see the
vineyard and know that they are finally producing. It’s just a good feeling,” Eastman said.
Ultimately, Eastman said she’d like to produce enough grapes to be able to sell grapes to
her neighbor, Allan Griggs, who recently had
his boutique winery bonded. “It was never our
intent to have a large winery. Our plan was to
just make some decent wine for us and perhaps be able to have a boutique winery. I had
much larger plans when I first started,” she said,
laughing at that initial bout of enthusiasm.
Eastman said she bottles Merlot and Pinot
Gris from their own vineyard and they have
made some Zinfandel using grapes they bought
from friends.
Eastman and White are charter members of
the Shasta Cascade Viticulture Association and
they are also longtime members of the Shasta
County Suds’ers and Valley Vintners, a group
of winemakers and home brewers.
-Jon Lewis
Cove Woods Vineyard
P.O. Box 39 • 21537 Hinds Rd., Montgomery Creek, CA 96065
Contact person: Diane Eastman
Varieties: 500 Pinot Gris, 200 Merlot
Total vines: 700
They planted
their first vines
just last year
Gary and Linda Venable have a
place in their hearts for wine and this
is where it all starts in becoming a
passionate and prominent wine grape
grower.
The Venables used to go to all the
wineries in the Bay Area, and they
attended many of the wine festivals.
Mr. Venable used to make blackberry
wine in Sunnyvale in 1978.
The couple bought their 5.7-acre
property in Redding in August 2003
and planted their first vines two years
later.
Their first cuttings came from
Robert Hooper, the former president
of Shasta Cascade Viticulture Association.
Their 220 vines consists of 40 percent table grapes and 60 percent wine
grapes. The couple anticipates their
first harvest.
Gary Venable is retired and enjoys
his time working on his home and in
his field of grapes.
He also keeps busy as a member of
the board of directors for the SCVA.
Linda Venable works part-time at
Shasta College in the admissions office. On her days off, she maintains
an immaculate home and incandescent landscaping, working at making
the surroundings more beautiful than
the year before.
When the Venables decided they
wanted to grow grapes they knew
they needed more education.
In 1968, Mr. Venable graduated
from De Anza Junior College in Cupertino studying chemistry.
Prior to planting the first vines,
Mrs. Venable spotted the SCVA in a
newspaper. They determined if they
ran into a problem or needed help
they could turn to the association.
Both Gary and Linda have taken
vintners classes at Shasta College and
are continuing to attend the “Winemaking and Marketing Certificate”
classes.
Also, being affiliated with SCVA,
which holds its own workshops and
the members themselves are there to
answer questions on anything that
pertains to the winemaking business
and more.
The Venables feel that what makes
their vineyard different from others
is the microclimate. Their vines are
next to Salmon Creek which makes
a cooler climate, at least 7-9 degrees
cooler than the city of Redding.
They don’t do anything fancy or
special to their vines but are attempting to to stay as organic as possible.
They note it costs more to maintain
an organic vineyard and that it is best
to stick with what has already been
tested. Experimenting will only cost
more money and time, they note.
Mr. Venable said, “Can’t make a
good wine without Sulfite.”
The Venables’ favorite part of the
process is at the “end of the day,
Contact Person: Gary Venable
Gary and Linda Venable • Salmon Creek Vineyard
11511 Nevada Trail, Redding 96007
(530) 549-4849
Varieties: 40 Flame Blanc, 40 Black Monukka,
36 Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 Viognier, 40 Merlot, 34 Zinfandel
Total Vines: 220
walking through the vineyard with a
glass of wine, looking over the vines
and talking about what needs to be
done next,” said Linda.
Both even enjoy taking the time
picking the weeds as they pass by
them. Walking through each row,
bending over to pull up an overgrowth
that doesn’t belong there or seeing an
out of place cordon wire that a vine
sits on and needs straightening.
All of the passion, patience, and
care that the Venables bring to their
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vineyard comes from their heart, the
reason they continue and for the love
of wine.
“I like putting together the chemistry, doing the process, stemming,
crushing, watching the grapes sit,
sampling, and of course tasting along
the way,” Gary said.
The process is an experience one
will truly take pleasure in when the
grapes brix are ready to be harvested.
Their least favorite part is dealing
with the pests. When Linda is describ-
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ing the rabbits, she squints her eyes in
detest as she looks out and sees a rabbit munching on a leaf or two.
Both describe the hot sun taking its
toll as they get older and becoming
harder to keep up with the work. But
their passion is stronger than the sun
and they continue until dusk.
The Venables advise new growers
to join a wine growers organization in
the grower’s local area.
Such an organization helps with
equipment, sharing costs of pesticides, vines, love, and members are
there to anser questions.
This shows new growers they are
not alone.
“For someone who has never
grown grapes and is worried they
can’t, (we’re proof) anyone can!”
For more information, telephone
549-4849, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.,
Monday through Saturday.
-Kat Andrews
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vineyards of the north state

Transcription

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