Nothing in the wine world fascinates me like California’s heritage vineyards. These vineyards have it all – history, romance and most of all, they are the source for distinctively intense and delicious wines. Perhaps my favorite wines.
These historic vineyards are uniquely Californian and should be preserved and protected. My gratitude to the farmers and ranchers who have maintained these treasures and to the producers such as Paul Draper, Mike Officer, Larry Turley, Joel Peterson and Morgan Twain-Peterson who continue to make this preservation commercially possible.
I’ve put a list of 60 or so vineyards together below. Quite a diverse list. These wines are not all Zinfandel by any means. Two Acres is mainly Mourvedre. Bedrock Vineyard is less than half Zinfandel. Most of the Vineyards have a good dose of Petite plus other “mixed blacks” including alicante bouschet, carignane and “whatever.”
I have my favorites – the bright and elegant wines from Scherrer Vineyard, the lush Carlisle Vineyard wines, the powerful Hayne and the intense Ueberroth. It’s interesting none of my favorites are from the same Appellation (they’re from Alexander Valley, RRV, Napa and Paso, respectively).
What are your favorites? What am I missing from the list below?
Alegria Vineyards, RRV, 1890
Bacchi Ranch, RRV, 1914
Bacigalupi, RRV, 1920
Barracia, Sonoma Valley 1892
Bedrock, Sonoma Valley, 1888
Belloni, RRV, 1920
Big River, Alexander, 1893
Buchignani Ranch, Alexander, 1955
Caboose, Alexander, 1899
Carlisle, RRV, 1927
Dickerson, Napa, 1930
Dina’s, RRV, 1910
Dolinsek Ranch, RRV, 1910
Duarte, Contra Costa, 1899
Dusi Ranch, Paso, 1923
Fanucchi-Wood, RRV, 1910
Fava Ranch, RRV, 1922
Forchini, RRV, 1910
Geyserville, Alexander, 1880
Giuseppe and Luisa, RRV, 1899
Gold Mine Ranch, Dry Creek, 1914
Hale’s, Dry Creek, 1955
Hayne, Napa Howell, 1903
Highwire, RRV, 1913
Jackass Hill, RRV, 1899
Jackass, RRV, 1899
Jimsomere, SCM, 1900
Jolene’s, RRV, 1905
Limerick Lane, Sonoma, 1911
Lorenzo’s, Dry Creek, 1909
Lytton Springs, Dry Creek, 1900
Mazzoni Ranch, Alexander, 1910
Montafi Ranch (Tom Feeney), RRV, 1926
Monte Rosa, Sonoma, 1890
Monte Rosso, Sonoma Valley, 1886
Mounts Ranch, Dry Creek, 1952
Nervo, Alexander, 1899
Old Hill Ranch, Sonoma Valley, 1880
Pagani Ranch, Sonoma Valley, 1910
Papera Ranch (Carlo’s), RRV, 1934
Pedroncelli, Dry Creek, 1927
Pesenti, Paso, 1923
Pietro’s Ranch, RRV, 1905
Ponzo, RRV, 1952
Puccioni, Sonoma, 1904
Rossi Ranch, Sonoma Valley, 1910
Scherrer, Alexander, 1912
Seghesio, Sonoma, 1902
Shaw, Sonoma, 1882
Stellwagen, Sonoma Valley, 1899
Teldeschi Ranch, Dry Creek, 1913
Tofanelli, Napa, 1929
Two Acres, RRV, 1910
Ueberroth, Paso, 1899
Vigneto di Evo, RRV, 1898
Winberri, RRV, 1905
York Creek, Napa, 1935