Contra Costa County Wine Heritage

[Adam Frisch]

Drew - Gary Gonsalves and his family owns Sandy Lane vineyard. They have quite a few parcels spread out. Lots of old vine Zin and interplanted stuff. In fact, one of the vineyards that is interplanted is right next to Evanghelo and is from same era. I took old vine Zin from him this year and we walked the old vineyard at night that's next to Evanghelo. Mourvedre, Carignan and Zin interplanted. All sandy soils, almost like walking on the beach. Let me know if you need his number.

[Drew Goin]

Drew - Gary Gonsalves and his family owns Sandy Lane vineyard. They have quite a few parcels spread out. Lots of old vine Zin and interplanted stuff. In fact, one of the vineyards that is interplanted is right next to Evanghelo and is from same era. I took old vine Zin from him this year and we walked the old vineyard at night that's next to Evanghelo. Mourvedre, Carignan and Zin interplanted. All sandy soils, almost like walking on the beach. Let me know if you need his number.

Thanks for the info, Adam!

I know that the Gonsalves family owns many acres of land, and I recognize that their Oakley vineyard has gone by several names. However, I always have struggled verifying the names/locations of viticultural sites specific to Antioch.


A recent article from a City of Antioch publication indicated that the "Evangehlo Vineyard" is the sole old-vine parcel in the city. That had me scratching my head. IF "Evangehlo" is the only old vineyard in Antioch, what about the "Enea Vineyard" used by Bonny Doon? The "Trembath Vineyard" (Nottingham Cellars/Vasco Urbano)? And now, the "Horse Ranch Vineyard"(Tulocay, Revolution)?

I understand that wineries are prone to adopting proprietary designations for certain single-vineyard bottlings. This had previously led me to wonder whether any of the above sites were from the "Evangehlo Vineyard", but labeled otherwise (for one reason or another).


In my years of "investigating" the locations/names/ownership of eastern Contra Costa's ancient vineyards, I found a handful of online articles that were of assistance.* The problem is that almost every piece was written over 5 years ago. If you search for more up-to-date newspaper articles or blog posts, nearly all of them are about the "Evangehlo Vineyard".

As for contacting Mr Gonsalves personally - I would love any help you might be able to provide!!! I live in Louisiana, so it is virtually impossible for me to verify any of the stuff I share on this thread through a primary source.



* I must mention that the City of Oakley's 2013 ACVP vineyard map was of immense help. Again, as the details are 7 years old, some of the survey data is prone to obsolescence. Many of the vineyard plots are owned by land development companies, and it is heartbreaking to compare the Google Earth images of 2013 with those of today. It's as though they paved paradise and...well, you know.

[seanr]

I was listening to the Bedrock 2020 Winter release podcast and they brought up that the Salvador vineyard (RIP) produced a 98 point (Parker) wine with the 2013 Turley Salvador. Aside from being bummed out that the vineyard was ripped up, it got me thinking about scores from Contra Costa. Is 98 the highest score ever for a CC wine?

Great note from RP by the way....

RP98 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Zinfandel Salvador Vineyard comes from another ancient, organically farmed vineyard, this one in Contra Costa. Its vines were planted in 1896, and the soils are pure sand. An absolutely amazing Zinfandel, this gorgeously proportioned, super-rich wine crosses the palate with a surprisingly unnoticeable 16.1% alcohol. Good acidity, a corpulent, full-bodied, multi-dimensional mouthfeel with blueberry and blackberry jam, some cassis, earth and forest floor notes are all present in this spectacular wine that again will transport a blind taster to the South of France rather than the backwaters of California. I suppose if the FX series “Sons of Anarchy” had a house wine after a long ride on their choppers, this would be it. This is pedal-to-the-metal, full-throttle Zinfandel at its greatest, what California does so well and what no other region in the world can produce. This is killer stuff and a tribute to our early immigrants, who had the foresight to plant these vines at this remarkable site. Drink it over the next decade.

[Drew Goin]

I was listening to the Bedrock 2020 Winter release podcast and they brought up that the Salvador vineyard (RIP) produced a 98 point (Parker) wine with the 2013 Turley Salvador. Aside from being bummed out that the vineyard was ripped up, it got me thinking about scores from Contra Costa. Is 98 the highest score ever for a CC wine?

Great note from RP by the way....

Jeez, way to rub it in there, Sean!


I never have had a subscription to the WA, but the scores of CoCo wines in Wine & Spirits have been few and far between - never higher than perhaps 88-90 points.

The highest score given to any Contra Costa wine in Wine Spectator has been 94 points, for the 2016 and 2017 vintages of Bedrock's "Evangehlo Vineyard" Heritage Wine. As a matter of fact, the top 4 rated Contra Costa bottlings are vintages of this wine.

The 2013 "Salvador", which Tim Fish gave 92 pts (along with the '14), isn't even the highest rated vintage of Turley's "Salvador Vineyard" Zin in Wine Spectator. The '16 bottling rated 93 pts.

Of corse, one could argue against numerical scores and differing preferences among critics, but that "Sons of Anarchy" metaphor really captivates the imagination, doesn't it!



Food and Wine
"The Battle for America's Oldest Vines"
by Ray Isle
October 31, 2015


"It would be easy to drive by the Salvador Vineyard in Oakley, California, without giving it a second thought. The plot is on a residential backstreet, 10 or so acres of widely spaced, low-growing vines. On one side, behind a wooden fence, is a cookie-cutter subdivision full of dun-colored suburban houses. On the other side, more houses. There's no office at Salvador Vineyard and certainly no winery, only a ramshackle, ranch-style building that the Gonsalves family, who own the property, use for storage. In fact, the Salvador Vineyard basically looks like a big, drab, sandy backyard, one that just happens to be filled with vines. It's the definition of unprepossessing.

"...The Salvador vines were planted by Portuguese immigrants in the late 1800s, like most of the old vineyards in Contra Costa County, a once-rural area that is now an East Bay commuter suburb. The soil they grow in is sandy, the texture of dunes; the stumpy, gray, knotted vines push their roots down through it, 40 feet or more, in order to produce tiny bunches of intensely flavorful grapes. Passalacqua uses those grapes for the Turley Salvador Vineyard Zinfandel, a fragrant red wine with a slightly feral spiciness that makes it unlike any other Zinfandel I've run into....".

[Drew Goin]

The Winter Release from Bedrock Wine Company includes the winery's other famous Contra Costa vineyard source - Pato Vineyard:

Pato Vineyard label - Bedrock Wine Co

Bedrock Wine Company Notes:

"2019 Pato Vineyard Heritage Wine, Contra Costa County

"The 2019 Pato Heritage is perhaps my favorite we have made from the site. For the first time, it includes part of the vineyard planted in the 1940s we have historically sold to Turley for their great Duarte bottling that produces some dramatic and dense Zinfandel. This is blended with the old Mataro and Petite Sirah from the site to create a deeply fruited, dark and satisfying wine. As always, this shows off the richer and more unctuous side of Oakley and will be a great drinker on the earlier side with some decanting. From own-rooted vines planted in sand."


Bedrock Wine Company website:
https://www.bedrockwineco.com

[Gabe Berk]

I was listening to the Bedrock 2020 Winter release podcast and they brought up that the Salvador vineyard (RIP) produced a 98 point (Parker) wine with the 2013 Turley Salvador. Aside from being bummed out that the vineyard was ripped up, it got me thinking about scores from Contra Costa. Is 98 the highest score ever for a CC wine?

Great note from RP by the way....

RP98 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Zinfandel Salvador Vineyard comes from another ancient, organically farmed vineyard, this one in Contra Costa. Its vines were planted in 1896, and the soils are pure sand. An absolutely amazing Zinfandel, this gorgeously proportioned, super-rich wine crosses the palate with a surprisingly unnoticeable 16.1% alcohol. Good acidity, a corpulent, full-bodied, multi-dimensional mouthfeel with blueberry and blackberry jam, some cassis, earth and forest floor notes are all present in this spectacular wine that again will transport a blind taster to the South of France rather than the backwaters of California. I suppose if the FX series “Sons of Anarchy” had a house wine after a long ride on their choppers, this would be it. This is pedal-to-the-metal, full-throttle Zinfandel at its greatest, what California does so well and what no other region in the world can produce. This is killer stuff and a tribute to our early immigrants, who had the foresight to plant these vines at this remarkable site. Drink it over the next decade.

RIP Indeed. I always buy a few bottle of Turley Salvador. It really is pedal to the metal full throttle wine which is kind of unique to CoCoCo. Reminds me of a Sonoma Valley, Napa Valley or Dry Creek kind of Zin but from the dry arid sandy soils of Antioch. I think 2019 is Turley's last vintage and I plan to buy as much as they'll let me.

[Drew Goin]

Here's an older article that discusses Rosenblum Cellars and its use of Contra Costa fruit:

Wine bottle & glass image - Pacific Sun

winebottleglass.png (73.63 KiB) Viewed 755 times

Pacific Sun of Marin
"Feature 3: Zin-mania: Spreading the Love for Zinfandel"
by Richard Paul Hinkle
May 7, 2015


"...One concern that [winemaker John] Kane faces is that some of the small vineyards Rosenblum draws from are increasingly impinged upon by the expanding demands of residential housing 'We recently lost half of one of our best vineyards (Carla’s Vineyard) in Contra Costa County when Kmart tried to buy the whole of it. We were able to retain half of the vineyard, but it was a close call. Another of our Contra Costa vineyards, Planchon in Oakley, is completely surrounded by a housing development, so we have to let the neighbors know to close their windows when we spray the vines'...".


Rosenblum Cellars currently bottles a "Carla's Reserve" Zinfandel, a "Rosie Rabbit" Petite Sirah, and an "Isabella Francesca" Malbec/Petite Sirah. A 2016 vintage "Rosie Rabbit" Alicante Bouschet is still available via retail sources.

The "Rosie Rabbit" designation may or may not be a single vineyard in CoCo. "Isabella Francesca" is a young vineyard in Brentwood that also serves as a grape source for Rock Wall Wine Company. The "Carla's Reserve" has me scratching my head.

In all appearances, the Meadows family's "Carla's Vineyard" in north-eastern Antioch, was paved over; a permanently-closed K-Mart and other commercial land occupies the spot where the vines once stood. That area is a California Designated Qualified Opportunity Zone ("Contra Costa #1 of 2": Census Tract 3060.02). The information from Rosenblum's website indicates that "Carla's Reserve" comes from a 16-year-old vineyard in Oakley. I don't know if they simply chose to rename a different site after the original vineyard or what.


Rosenblum Cellars website:
https://www.rosenblumcellars.com

[Drew Goin]

I found two articles featuring Cline Cellars and its winemaker Charlie Tsegeletos. Here's one of them...


Daily Chronicle
"Uncorked: Finding Ancient Vines in the Sands of Oakley"
by James Nokes
September 14, 2018


"...There’s beauty in the imperfections of Oakley, located in Contra Costa County.

"It’s a humble area that doesn’t have the panache of other wine grape-growing regions in California. But, it makes inspired wines from vineyards that are more than 100 years old. Planted by immigrants before the turn of the last century and preserved by Cline’s owner Fred Cline and others who have flocked to the sandy soils and sprawling vineyards that are frozen in time.

“'What amazes me about Oakley is it is just a whole different world,' Tsegeletos said. 'It only gets about 10 inches of rain per year. The rivers have deposited what looks like 30 inches of soil there over the years. It started in the early 1900s and it’s immune from phylloxera because it can’t walk through the sand. So the vines are still on their original rootstock. The fruit has developed an amazing concentration. It’s a wine that we don’t have to do a lot to. We don’t do any wine fining. We farm the vineyard like they would have 100 years ago.'

100+ year-old vines in Oakley - Daily Chronicle

"Because Cline and other wineries have supported vineyards like Oakley, the temptation to modernize has been avoided.

"'Some people think we should pull up the vineyards, put some wire out there for vines to grow on and increase the yields to turn a better profit,' Tsegeletos said. 'But these are unique wines that really over deliver. The extra work you have to do to harvest them is worth it.'"

[Drew Goin]

Photographs taken by Mr Kevin Romick of Oakley, California, and posted this morning to Facebook:

Image 1 from Kevin Romick - vineyard in Oakley

Image 2 from Kevin Romick - vineyard in Oakley

[Drew Goin]

The following is an article from Somm Journal posted to a reading-format website (issuu.com):


Somm Journal
"Sands of Vine: Cline Cellars Works to Preserve its Ancient Contra Costa County Treasures"
by Jonathan Cristaldi
June/July, 2019

[Drew Goin]

I noticed that Ridge harvested grapes from "Sandy Lane Vineyard" in 2019:

In addition to the above Twitter post, Ridge Vineyards has bottled and begun selling an "Evangehlo Vineyard" Red wine blend.

2018 Ridge "Evangehlo Vineyard":
(57% Carignane, 26% Mataro, 17% Zinfandel)

"Winemaker Tasting Notes: Dark garnet red color. Scented cherry and blueberry fruits, seductive, layered and deep. Opulent bramble fruit entry, sensuous tannins, rich and complex. EB (9/20)"


And, to confirm that this is not a one-off bottling...




Ridge Vineyards website
"2019 Harvest Report - Monte Bello"
by Eric Baugher
December, 2019

"...Our first pick was done on August 23rd, bringing in the old vine carignane from the Evangleho vineyard in Contra Costa County."

All "Evangehlo" bottlings from Ridge Vineyards: Link


Ridge Vineyards website:
https://www.ridgewine.com

[Drew Goin]

Two Shepherds is a small production winery that has offered Mourvedre wines from the "Windsor Oaks Vineyard" Russian River Valley and one of Ron Mansfield's vineyards in Sierra Foothills/El Dorado. Now, there is a very limited amount of Mourvedre from Contra Costa County.


Two Shepherds' website has announced that its 2016 "Old Vine" Contra Costa Mourvedre is temporarily back in stock:


"(For now) our last vintage of 100% Mourvedre bottled as a single variety. From 125 year old vines in the arid sand of Antioch, head trained and dry farmed. Only 3 barrels, 75 cases made. On the lighter side for Mourvedre, savory and bursting with red fruits.

"Wine Specs:
· Vintage: 2016
· Varietal: Mourvedre
· Acid: 6.3 g/l
· pH: 3.7
· Aging: 15 Months Neutral French oak
· Alcohol %: 12.7 "


Two Shepherds website:
https://www.twoshepherds.com/

[Drew Goin]

The featured "Wine of the Week" in the SF Chronicle is Cody & Emily Rasmussen's Desire Lines "Evangehlo Vineyard" Red wine, sourced from Antioch, CA:

Desire Lines Evangehlo red - from SF Chronicle

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SF Chronicle
"Wine of the Week: 2019 Desire Lines 'Evangehlo Vineyard' Red Wine"
by Esther Mobley
December 2, 2020



Desire Lines website:
https://www.desirelineswines.com/wines

[Drew Goin]

I am late in posting this September 5, 2020, email announcement from Mr Al Turner, Secretary for the Contra Costa Wine Group:


"Once again, the Contra Costa Wine Group garnered “Club of the Year” honors! We won in 2010 and 2011 and now 2015 through 2020 for 6 in a row!

"...It should also be noted that the primary shipper of our wines to this competition, Mike Orton of the Valley Vintner garnered “Retailer of the Year” as well. I believe that Mike shipped around 80 of our entries to Manchester Center, VT to WineMaker Magazine’s headquarters."


Contra Costa Wine Group profile on the WineMaker Magazine website:
https://winemakermag.com/location/821-c ... group-ccwg

The former website for CCWG is defunct.

[Drew Goin]

Drew, I was watching some news on TV yesterday and saw a story about a proposed Islamic Community Center in Oakley. The reporter was standing in front of the site and there were lots of old vines behind her - I figured if anyone here would know that vineyard, it would be you. It's at the northwest corner of Oakley Road and Neroly Road, just east of the freeway. You may have posted about this site before, but it just came to my attention yesterday.

Google Maps satellite view
Google Street View

Story about the proposed project

Can you tell us what vineyard that is?

The "Pending Plans" section of the City of Oakley's "Current Projects" page STILL lists the Ibn Sina Community Center. It has not been approved yet for construction.

The City of Oakley previously had been canvassing for potential buyers for this parcel of land for a few years.


"APN: IBN Sina Community Center Conditional Use Permit (CUP 06-17) and Design Review (DR 08-17)

"Application by Hossam Mohamed requesting a Conditional Use Permit (CUP 06-17) and Design Review (DR 08-17) for approval to establish and construct a mixed use public assembly and residential project consisting of: 100,000 sq. ft. senior housing building consisting of 200 units; a 20,000 sq. ft. private PK-12 school with an 8,000 sq. ft. gym; a 10,000 sq. ft. mosque with an attached 10,000 sq. ft. event hall and a 3,237 sq. ft. temporary shelter for families. The project is proposed to be developed in multiple phases. The project site is designated Commercial in the Oakley 2020 General Plan and zoned General Commercial (C). The Project is located at the NW corner of Oakley Road and Neroly Road. (APN: 051-210-025)."

Intersection of Neroly & Oakley Rd, Oakley, CA - from CoCo Assessors website

This land previously was listed as property of the City of Oakley. I just looked this up on the Contra Costa Assessors website. It's currently owned by Ibn Sina Community Center.


Unofficially, it's known as the "Oakley Road Vineyard".


Once & Future Wines website: "Oakley Road Vineyard"

I do not known exactly how many acres under vine in the immediate vicinity are publicly or privately owned at this time.

[Drew Goin]

The Gardiennes des Vignes Winery once specialized in old-vine Napa Zinfandel and Petite Sirah wines. Now, the old website seems to be dated, and newer bottlings appear on the Odisea/Cochon winery website.


The following info for the 2016 Gardiennes des Vignes Contra Costa "Elm Vineyard" Zinfandel is from the Trade page of the Odisea/Cochon website:


"Vineyard: Elm Vineyard located on Elm Lane just East of the town of Antioch in Oakley, is a dry farmed, head-pruned Zinfandel and Mourvedre vineyard planted in the late 1890’s. Elm benefits from the areas warm days and cool nights and the vineyards deep sandy soils and extreme low yielding vines which create Zinfandel fruit that is intensly fruited, vibrant and juicy with distinctive spice. We have been working with Elm Vineyard for several years for Mourvedre; this is the second bottling from us of their Zinfandel. We were thrilled at the chance to once again work with a little bit of this great Old Vine fruit from this historic site."


The winemaker for the Gardienne des Vignes "Elm Vineyard" Zinfandel is Adam Webb. Presumably some Contra Costa grapes were blended into Odisea or Cochon wines in the past.


Odisea, Cochon, & Gardienne des Vignes website:
https://cochonwines.com/

[Drew Goin]

The "Bridgehead Vineyard" is a Cline Cellars property that once was a fruit source for a Ridge Vineyards Mataro. Located across the railroad tracks from the "Big Break Vineyard" to the North, and Main St to the South, it is one of a dwindling number of ancient vineyards in Oakley, CA.


According to a NY Times article, the "Bridgehead Vineyard" also is capable of bending the rules of time and space!


NY Times Blog: Diner's Journal
"Greatness Within Reach"
by Eric Asimov
November 14, 2007

"...We then tasted four [Ridge Vineyards] wines from the 1990’s. The first was a rarity, a 1993 Bridgehead mataro. This wine comes from mourvèdre grapes grown in an old vineyard in Contra Costa County, which was pulled out after the 1997 vintage. Mourvèdre, known as mataro in parts of southern France and monastrell in Spain, makes spicy, peppery red wines like the best reds from Provence. The ’93 was in a sort of autumnal phase. It still showed some spice but its fruit had evolved into a dry leaf kind of aroma that was still enjoyable, but maybe not for many more years...".

· Ridge Vineyards profile: 1993 "Evangelo" Mataro

"...In the 1993 vintage, the national release comes from the Bridgehead vineyards, a quarter-mile to the east; all the Evangelo was set aside for this, our second ATP mataro."

Ridge produced two Contra Costa Mataro wines in 1993, but the winery website only provides data for the ATP "Evangelo" (sic) bottling.

· Wikipedia entry for "Schrödinger's Cat": link


From the "old" Cline Cellars website:

"The Bridgehead Vineyard, named for Bridgehead Road that runs adjacent to this treasured block, consistently produces one of our most individual and refined lots of Zinfandel. Planted by Italian immigrants well before the turn of the century, the Bridgehead Vineyard in Oakley, California is among this country's most historic. Ancient, 100 plus year old head-trained vines, dry-farming and sandy soils combine with a unique band of cooling air from the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers that favors Bridgehead Vineyard to create an incredible synergy of elements for expressing the unique character of this site."

Cline Cellars website:
https://clinecellars.com



SF Gate
"Where the Heck is Oakley?"
by David Darlington
May 22, 2003

"...The transcontinental railroad hugged the southern shore of the San Joaquin River and Carquinez Strait. In order to load trains with fruit for amateur vintners in the east [during Prohibition], Napa and Sonoma growers had to take the Vallejo ferry to Contra Costa County, adding to their time and expense.

"Oakley grapes, however, grew beside the tracks, and owing to a warmer microclimate could be harvested as early as August. Hence, according to Joe Duarte -- a local grape grower descended from Portuguese immigrants -- 'On Labor Day weekend, the streets of Pennsylvania ran red with Oakley wine.'

"...Cline Cellars continues to produce an array of wines from Oakley grapes, many originating in its Big Break/Bridgehead vineyard. Situated right on the San Joaquin River, this 140-acre property is a textbook Oakley tableau: acres of wizened, Bansai-like stumps bordered by walnuts, willows and eucalyptus, growing on what can accurately be called a beach."


Cline Cellars has made a vineyard-designated Zinfandel from the "Bridgehead Vineyard" every year from 1992 to 2016, excluding 1998 and 2000. As indicated by Mr Darlington's article above, the railroad tracks existed next to to northern Oakley vines for generations. I can find no reference to any loss in acreage of the "Bridgehead Vineyard", circa 1997.


*** Should any reader have insight into why a gathering of extremely knowledgeable wine folks, sitting down to taste rare and old Ridge wines, would result in such a specific, odd statement regarding the uprooting of CoCo Mourvedre vines, please chime in with your thoughts! ***

[Drew Goin]

In a recent Wine Berserkers thread, the question was posed: "Undervalued but not for long?"

The OP asked: "Not sure if everyone wants to give away their secrets/ speculations, but I thought this might be useful.

"What wines do you think you should stock up on now as you think they are going to jump in price?"


Mr Dildine, a cognoscente of heritage California vineyards if ever there was one, simply stated: "Evangehlo Vineyard, Contra Costa County, CA."

My response: Link


Do YOU agree that the wines produced from the "Evangehlo Vineyard" in Antioch are undervalued...for now?

Is it fated to become the last of eastern CoCo's ancient vineyards?


Historic Vineyard Society profile: "Evangehlo Vineyard"

[Adam Frisch]

It's certainly been elevated by Bedrock and Dirty & Rowdy. I can tell you that the fruit prices from the next door vineyard Sandy Lane - same age, same soil - didn't reflect a premium yet. I don't know how much a ton at Evangelho costs (or if any is available for others), but SL was rather competitive.

[Drew Goin]

Facebook post by Mr Kevin Romick of the "José/Emerson/Lucchesi Vineyard" in Oakley, CA:

Emerson Parcel Vineyard - photo by Kevin Romick

[Drew Goin]

I found a YouTube video of Mr Matt Cline of Three Wine Company touring the "Bigelow Vineyard" in Oakley, CA. Please forgive the silly vocal dub:


The Raleigh Wine Shop YouTube video:
"Three Wine Company Zinfandel"
May 10, 2020




Three Wine Company website:
https://threewinecompany.com/

[Adam Frisch]

BTW, my labels went in for approval with the text of "Contra Costa" on them an got rejected by the TTB, as Contra Costa is not an AVA. I have to put the full Contra Costa County on label. I thought it was an AVA for sure, but apparently it is not.

[Drew Goin]

BTW, my labels went in for approval with the text of "Contra Costa" on them an got rejected by the TTB, as Contra Costa is not an AVA. I have to put the full Contra Costa County on label. I thought it was an AVA for sure, but apparently it is not.

To the extent of my knowledge, "Contra Costa County" is permitted as a place of origin, but the official AVA remains "San Francisco Bay AVA" or Central Coast AVA, per the Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms' AVA guide.

LaMorinda received its own AVA status, but Contra Costa as a whole has not.



I do congratulate you on your upcoming old-vine Zinfandel, headaches notwithstanding!

[Drew Goin]

In 2020, several of California's major league wine regions suffered from risks of fire and smoke taint, unfavorable weather, etc. Be on the lookout for unconventional bottlings bearing "Contra Costa" somewhere on the label.

As devastating as the year's events were, an opportunity exists for CoCo to receive a little additional positive attention. Just as many California wineries source Carignan from Mendocino County or Cinsault from Lodi, producers may be inclined to pad their offerings with blends or varietal wines using Contra Costa fruit.


Good Times
"Santa Cruz Mountains Winemakers Grapple with Aftermath of Fire"
by Christina Waters
October 6, 2020

"...Grapes from beyond the smoke’s reach also came to the rescue for [Ryan] Beauregard, who was able to purchase Pinot Noir grapes from Hirsch Vineyard on the Sonoma coast. 'I also bought fruit to make the "Lost Weekend" wine from 130 year old vines in Antioch, plus Zayante and Regan vineyards,' he says. As for his Zinfandel and Cabernet? 'It’s not looking good,' he admits...".


I have discovered a handful of random bottles over the years that, to my surprise and delight, included CoCo grapes. Though many Contra Costa wines are capable of standing on their own merits, market volatility and vintages of varying quality could draw additional attention to the Antioch and Oakley's uniquely rewarding centennarian vineyards.

Keep your eyes peeled.

[Sean Devaney]

BTW, my labels went in for approval with the text of "Contra Costa" on them an got rejected by the TTB, as Contra Costa is not an AVA. I have to put the full Contra Costa County on label. I thought it was an AVA for sure, but apparently it is not.

To the extent of my knowledge, "Contra Costa County" is permitted as a place of origin, but the official AVA remains "San Francisco Bay AVA" or Central Coast AVA, per the Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms' AVA guide.

LaMorinda received its own AVA status, but Contra Costa as a whole has not.



I do congratulate you on your upcoming old-vine Zinfandel, headaches notwithstanding!

Interesting I have picked up a couple of Sunce wines that use the San Francisco Bay AVA. The 2018 Zin is listed as from the Gary Gonsalves Vineyard and the 2018 Carignane is listed as Sandy Lane Vineyard. As you research seems to show these are two names for the same vineyard I have no idea why they are different. No mention of Contra Costa or Antioch on either label. Both are really nice wines. I hope to find more of the Zin.

[Matt Wood]

The Gonsalves family owns a few different vineyards in Oakley. Sandy Lane is probably the most vineyard designated one but they do have others in the area.

[Sean Devaney]

That makes sense Matt. Thanks.

[Matt Wood]

I just looked on the Sunce site and they make a wide range of wines from Sandy Lane. I've gotten grapes from there a couple times but didn't realize they had Mission or Barbera or Alicante. I've only known it to have Zin, Petite Sirah, Carignane and Mataro.