Own-Rooted Vineyards - List and Thoughts?

I’ve been intrigued by own-rooted vineyards for a while now, and have been trying to compile a list of them for reference. Below is a short list of those I know about. I would love it if folks can chime in with more (from any region). For the moment, I only have a list of domestic vineyards. Some of these are listed by producer, however their estate vineyard may be a mix of grafted and own-rooted vines, blocks, etc.

Oregon:
Bethel Heights
Bishop Creek
Maresh Vineyard
Abbey Ridge

California:
Carmody McKnight
Pisoni
Ukiah Cemetery?
Evangelho

Washington: I’ve been reading the majority of Washington vineyards are own-rooted? I’d be curious which producers have instead grafted vines. Is Cayuse own-rooted?

In Oregon,
Eyrie
Some of Brick House
Oracle
Some of Winderlea
Some of Ana (?)

In addition, I understand that a number of yineyards in the Lodi area are own-rooted.

In California most own-rooted vineyards are found in CoCo, Lodi and Amador, though we also have a Riesling vineyard in Cienega Valley (south of Hollister near Calera, planted in 1963 on its own roots).

CoCo (essentially all old vineyards here are own-rooted in sand)

Evangelho
Pato
Salvador
Oakley Road
Big Break
Bridgehead
and more

Lodi- most old vineyards are own rooted due to sandy soils. Some planted on St. George but most are not due to St. George’s poor nematode resistance.
Kirschenmann
Schmiedt
Katusha’s
Stampede
several more but that gets the list started

Amador- own rooted but many are starting to dwindle due to phylloxera
Story
Sadie Upton
Esola
old vines at Eschen I believe
more…

Dan, you can pretty easily drive to two own-rooted vineyards that do not get a lot of respect but are listed by the Historic Vineyard Society–Lopez and Galleano. These are both located in the Cucamonga Valley. The Galleano winery, located in Loma Linda adjacent to the same-named vineyard, produces darned good Zinfandel bottlings with fruit from both vineyards at very reasonable prices. Carol Shelton annually has a bottling from Lopez.

Pratt Vineyard (between Sebastpol, Freestone and Occidental) has some own rooted Pinot Noir that I get. Not all of Pratt is own rooted, but some is including the Pommard 4, 23 and 9.

Lots of own rooted parcels in Germany, but not entire vineyards due to flurbereinigung.

Many own-rooted vineyards in southern Italy due to the sandy nature of some of the volcanic soils. The entire ‘Campi Flegrei’ DOC, for example, is own-rooted. There is speculation that own-rooted vineyards ripen fully at lower sugars than grafted ones do, and it’s interesting that the wines from the Campi Flegrei are picked in late September in a hot climate but end up at 12% or 12.5%…

Keith Levenberg compiled a great list severals years ago, can’t seem to find it. Maybe he will chime in.

Clos Saron Home Vineyard is another in California.

ArbreVert PinotNoir in OR
RorickVnyd Chard in CalaverasCnty
Tom

There are lots more in California with at least some blocks that are own-rooted. I’ve run across them in many growing areas of the state. It would take quite awhile to compile a list, certainly more time than I have right now…

I’ll see if I can at least add some vineyards this evening.

Hmmm, Dan…doesn’t the ORVS (Own-Rooted Vineyard Society) have a comprehensive list of these vnyds??
Maybe you should found the ORVS, Dan. It could carry you to fame & fortune…just like the HVS did for MikeDildine!!!
Tom

Some own rooted stuff down here in Santa Barbara County as well, but mainly blocks within vineyards and not entire vineyards. Plenty of sandy vineyards here including Larner and White Hawk, though not sure either has any own rooted stuff . . .

Thanks all for the responses… I’ll update the list with the additions later today.

I’d love to try some Rieslings - is their any designation made on the label for these?

Robert - I love Clos Saron, but wasn’t aware of this, thanks…

Tom – Strange comment, thanks for the laughs though… That sounds like a lot of work. I’m not looking for F&F, just seeking out new interesting wines to try. Feel free to do whatever you’d like with the list!

No formal designation for German Rieslings. You have to be in on the secret. Should have time later to mention some.

Any vineyards that have own rooted vines won’t necessarily have ALL own rooted vines. Maybe just the oldest block. So it’s a little hard to inventory exactly what part(s) of a given vineyard and then where that fruit goes.

This is true of Crowley Station vineyard here in Oregon. I work with the oldest block, all own rooted Pinot Noir. Planted '99 and/or '00. Bottled as my single vineyard bottling. The rest of the vineyard is on rootstock.

The oldest vines at Wahle vineyard are in grafted, planted in the '70s. Meredith Mitchell is I believe all own rooted, planted in '88. Many more if you dig around…

Kathryn Kennedy Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard in Saratoga is own-rooted…

Tom

The list in Oregon is fairly extensive. Not much resistant rootstock prior to 1990. Many more vineyards are planted after that date but certainly a lot of sites prior to 1990 are still in existence.

Pretty much every vineyard in CO is own-rooted. There are somewhere between 800 and 1,000 acres planted in Colorado.

Pisoni? Wow. Anything else in SLH? For such a new(ish) wine region seems odd that just one vineyard would be like that.

As I recall, they have volcanic soils, right?

And, yes, Keith is the man to turn to for all things ungrafted. I’ll e-mail him and let him know we need his help.