NY Times
Diners Journal Blog
“A Visit to Old Hill Ranch”
by Eric Asimov
August 7, 2006
Awhile back there was some discussion about the abandoned old vineyard on Oakwild Lane, near the Piner-Olivet Area in Sonoma County. Someone mentioned it once went by the name of “Krists.” Has anyone come across any more information about that vineyard? The Sonoma County parcel map has no information and I haven’t heard back from any of the few leads I had.
It probably would be helpful to provide sources to cross-reference info from the 1895 Napa County map.
Consider the map image above. One of California’s most famous 19th Century grape growers/producers was Mr Hiram W Crabb. His “To-Kalon Vineyard”, West of Oakville, still inspires thoughts of legendary wines.
According to the Historic Vineyard Society website, the “McDonald/Horton Vineyard” is located where Crabb’s estate once stood. Robert Mondavi produces top-tier white wines from vines on another section of the former Crabb estate. The “Oakville Farmhouse Vyd” is a 90-year-old planting of ~30 different varieties on land Crabb once owned.
Internet Archive
The Vineyards in Napa County
by E.C. Priber
CA Board of State Viticultural Commissioners (1893)
- Tabulation of Vyds (total count, acreage by Districts, etc)
- “Napa District”
- “Yountville District”
- “St Helena District”
- “St Helena District: Chiles & Conn Valleys”
- “Calistoga District”
Internet Archive
Directory of the Grape Growers, Wine Makers and Distillers of California, and of the Principal Grape Growers and Wine Makers of the Eastern States
by CA Board of State Viticultural Commissioners
Published by Superintendent of State Printing, Sacramento (1893)
- “Napa County” (p.83-99)
Hathi Trust
Soil Survey of the Napa Area, California
by E.J. Carpenter & Stanley W. Cosby
U.S. Govt. Print. Office, Washington D.C. (1938)
Robert Biale Vineyards Blog
“Like Early Pioneers, Robert Biale Continues to Preserve California’s Classic Varietal - Zinfandel!”
March, 2021
Zinfandel Trail
Featured Routes:
“Exploring Napa Valley’s Zin Underground”
Historic Vineyard Society website:
https://historicvineyardsociety.org
History of To-Kalon website:
http://historyofto-kalon.com
Hi Ryan, here are the thread posts I found about the Krists parcel.
Clyde asked about a vineyard to the Northwest of the “Maffei Vyd” (aka “Jolene’s Vyd”): Link
Brian stated that the planting in question was owned by the Giovanetti family, and is known as “Krists Vyd”, and mentioned that it’s presumably Zinfandel interplanted with other varieties: Link
Clyde shared a 1998 map detail of the area depicting the “Krists Vyd”: Link
I think the address for this plot of land is
2220 OAKWILD LN SANTA ROSA CA 95401-3857
Santa Rosa ARCGIS Parcel Detail Report:
Parcel Detail Report.pdf (73.3 KB)
Perhaps more information about the location can be found using the Online tools available at the Sonoma Office of Clerk-Recorder…?
Library of Congress
Search Results:
“Landowner Maps of CA Counties, Etc.”
September 21, 2021
City of Santa Rosa
Geographic Information System (GIS) page:
https://www.srcity.org/829/GIS-Maps-Documents
Santa Rosa ARCGIS
Express Parcel Viewer:
https://maps.srcity.org/Html5Viewer/Index.html?viewer=parcel&Center=6375999,1920000
Three old Zin vineyards in Lodi that I saw in the past few days - Kirschenmann, Lizzy James, Marian’s.
Kirschenmann Vineyard, first planted 1915
Kirschenmann Vineyard, first planted 1915
Lizzy James Vineyard, first planted 1904
Lizzy James Vineyard, first planted 1904
Marian’s Vineyard, first planted 1901
Marian’s Vineyard, first planted 1901
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An old edition of the Press Democrat includes an ad from Sanchietti Farm selling chickens. The address listed was Route 1, Box 211, Santa Rosa.
I have scanned over some maps from the early 1900s, but I have not been able to locate Route 1. The old Sanchietti Farm probably was situated outside of the city limits. Route 1 may have been renamed at some point in the past 100 years.
Was Route 1 also known as Legislative Route 1, now CA Hwy 101?
Gribble Nation
“Railroad Square Historic District, US Route 101, California State Route 12; Santa Rosa, California”
by Challenger Tom
January 15, 2020
"…The creation of Railroad Square can be directly attributed to US Route 101 being moved to limited access roadways. State Highway Service in Santa Rosa began with the passage of the 1909 First State Highway Bond Act which was approved by voters in 1910. The new State Highway passing through Santa Rosa was Legislative Route 1 which was plotted from the Oregon State Line to San Francisco Bay. LRN 1 headed northbound traversed Santa Rosa using the following alignment:
- Santa Rosa Avenue to Old Courthouse Square;
- Old Courthouse Square to Mendocino Avenue;
- Mendocino Avenue, North out of Santa Rosa.
“During the era of the Auto Trails LRN 1 through Santa Rosa became part of the Redwood Highway. On the 1920 Clason Highway Map of California the Redwood Highway can be seen aligned on LRN 1 through Santa Rosa…”.
Do any locals know which street near Santa Rosa was formerly known as Route One?
Library of Congress
“Official Map of Sonoma County, California: Compiled from the Official Maps in the County Assessor’s Office, with Additions and Corrections to June 1st, 1900”
Created / Published by W.B. Walkup, San Francisco, 1900
Contributors: L.E. Ricksecker, W.B. Walkup & Co, Britton & Rey
Sonoma County Library Map Collection
“Map of City of Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California compiled from Maps of Record and Actual Surveys”
Created by L.L. Mills, 1920
California Digital Newspaper Collection
Press Democrat, Vol. 52, No. 221
Classified Advertisements: “Livestock / Poultry”
May 30, 1926
Press Democrat, Vol. 55, No. 136
“$2,002 Sought in Two Suits on Auto Crash: Couple Blame Youth in Accident at Cotati Intersection”
June 7, 1928
The above article states that Mr T. and Mary Sanchietti were involved in an accident at the junction of Redwood Hwy and “the Cotati road” (Gravenstein Hwy?). Perhaps this occurred near the Sancietti family’s farm?
Per an earlier article, dated July 8, 1926, Mr T. Sanchietti recently had purchased a “Dodge S” automobile. Unfortunately, it looks like he was not able to enjoy it for very long.
** Trivia: **
A June 3, 1927, copy of the Press Democrat announcing local marriages includes the names of a few notable grape-growing family members - Bastoni, Bondi, Martinelli, Papera, and Sanchietti.
That’s a mailing address. The main farm is on Irwin Lane in SR.
A younger version of Mel Sanchietti is in the documentary you posted about yesterday along with Davis Bynum, J Foppiano, Joe Rochioli and Burt Williams.
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The California Digital Newspaper Collection includes thousands of articles detailing West Coast grape-growing and wine production history.
Much information can be found on important regional landowners.
In the following report on the 1886 Mechanics’ Fair, held at the Pomona Grange, 16 of Sonoma County’s Zinfandel growers are identified.
California Digital Newspaper Collection
Pacific Rural Press, Vol. 32, No. 13
“Sonoma County at the Mechanics Fair”
September 25, 1886
The winning submissions of Zinfandel-based wines at the 1888 Growers Convention are named below:
Pacific Rural Press, Vol. 35, No. 11
“Awards at the Grape Growers Convention”
March 17, 1888
Pacific Rural Press, Vol. 70, No. 11
“The Best Varieties of Wine Grapes for California”
by Prof. Frederick Bioletti
September 9, 1905
CA Digital Newspaper Collection website:
Sonoma County Library
Digital Collections
Directory of the Grape Growers, Wine Makers and Distillers of California, and of the Principal Grape Growers and Wine Makers of the Eastern States
Compiled by the Board of State Viticultural Commissioners, IRS, & direct correspondence
Published by A.J. Johnson, Sacramento (1901)
Library of Congress
Geography & Map Division
“Official Map of Sonoma County, California: Compiled from the Official Maps in the County Assessor’s Office, with Additions and Corrections to June 1st, 1900”
Contributors: L.E. Ricksecker, W.B. Walkup & Co, Britton & Rey
Published by W.B. Walkup, San Francisco (1900)
Alternative Link: Official map of Sonoma County, California : compiled from the official maps in the County Assessor's Office, with additions and corrections to June 1st, 1900 | Library of Congress
Catherine Todd wrote an article for Forbes magazine last month highlighting the ancient-growth vineyards of Lodi.
Greg Lafollette of Marchelle Wines, Sue & Rodney Tipton at Acquiesce Cellars, Steve & Lori Felten of Klinker Brick Winery, and Randy Caparoso, author of a new book on Lodi wine culture, are profiled in this piece.
Forbes
“The Wine Area In California With The Most Old Vines Makes Concentrated Reds But Also Unique White Wines”
by Catherine Todd
June 26, 2022
"…Despite Lodi making their name as a red wine region, as they have the highest concentration of old vines in the U.S. with red grape varieties such as Carignan, Cinsault, and Zinfandel, the several pockets of micro-climates as well as a diverse array of soils surprisingly has made Lodi a region that can grow a plethora of grape varieties with over 125 currently in production.
“…Wine producer Klinker Brick Winery, run by Steve and Lori Felten, fifth-generation Lodi grape growers, are protectors of old vine Zinfandels that their ancestors planted back in the early 1900s. They have been guarding and managing their ancestors’ old vines as well as buying other old vine vineyards in Lodi as they know they are at risk…”.
Last year, I shared the HVS “Pagani Ranch” video recording on a separate thread. However, I thought it best to post it here as well.
The Historic Vineyard Society conducted 3 Virtual Tasting events via ZOOM in coordination with Sonoma’s Best, beginning in December with a focus on one vineyard - “Pagani Ranch” in Sonoma Valley.
The other two HVS roundtable sessions expanded in focus, encompassing geographic regions of increasing size. The second tasting, hosted online in March, explored old-vine sites in Lodi and Contra Costa. The most recent virtual tasting highlighted old vineyards from Santa Clara, San Benito, and San Luis Obispo Counties.
“HVS ‘Pagani Ranch’ Virtual Tasting with Sonoma’s Best”
December 17, 2020
Pagani Ranch was planted by Felice Pagani: 1884 and 1920/22, just South of Kenwood, CA
Total size: 181 acres, 48 acres old-vines, ~30 acres younger vines
Today, 7 different producers get fruit from the vineyard
\
Morgan Twain-Peterson (Bedrock) - Varietal History at Pagani Ranch
· 2018 Bedrock “Pagani” Heritage Wine - more varietally diverse blocks, 40-60% Zin
· The use of Lenoir rootstock, which predates St George, at Pagani Ranch is a historically reliable indicator of its elder status in the region (Monte Rossi Semillon is also on Lenoir rootstock)
· 1884 “Beltane Ranch” (across the highway) JH Drummond introduced Petite Sirah to CA; Pagani PS is from Drummond
· Cooler nights make for later ripening than most Sonoma Valley sites
· Cofermention preserves altered aromatic expression and phenolic/anthocyanin extraction
Tress Goetting (Biale) - Winemaking Style and Site Expression
· Biale 2018 “Pagani” Zinfandel - fruit is harvested by hand, gravity-fed into winery to avoid over-extraction;
Pressed at ~5° brix remaining (before dryness), limited punchdowns;
Free-run, light-press, and introduction of fractional degrees of pressed lots;
~30% new French Oak is used with Pagani fruit (versus 20% with most Biale Zins);
17 months ageing in oak before bottling (ML in barrel).
· Prior to newer replants of all Sin vines, Biale’s block had a high proportion of Lenoir, Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet, etc. Current makeup of Biale block is 80% Zin, 20% mixed blacks.
David Gates (Ridge) - Soils and Site of “Pagani Ranch”
· Ridge 2018 “Pagani” Zinfandel - 84% Zin, 9% Alicante Bouschet, 7% Petite Sirah
· Pagani rests on alluvial soils and washed down from hillsides:
/Western area: predominantly clay (oldest vines) - smaller vines
[u]Eastern area[/u]: more gravel, higher water table in winter - less water holding capacity - larger vines
The railroad tracks (built in 1860’s) that bisect “Pagani” run along the soil divide.
· ~10 years ago, 25-30 acres of new Zin/PS vines were planted at Pagani on Rupestris-blend rootstock, which are more draught tolerant than Lenoir;
110-R and 140-R are deep-rooting, are not potassium-leeching (resulting in lower pH).
MTP - Bedrock is implementing Andy Walker’s newer GRN rootstock which are deep-rooting, are not potassium-leeching, and are nematode-resistant.
Bedrock’s Pagani blocks have as many as 20 different grape varieties interplanted.
· Charles Wetmore estimated that pre-Phylloxera California vineyards were 80% Mission, 80% Zinfandel, Mataro, etc; after Phylloxera, the proportions were reversed. Wetmore personally celebrated the decline of the Mission grape in California.
Andy Robinson (Seghesio) - Vintage Differences in “Pagani Ranch” Wines
· Seghesio 2018 “Pagani” Zinfandel - 2018 was Andy’s first year, since joining Seghesio in 2003, to personally select the pick date at Pagani.
· An entire year of growing culminates in determining optimum pick dates.
· 2018: late rains in March/April, vine growth took off in May; mellow summer heat, regular ripening.
· Seghesio receives fruit from a couple of blocks with high percentages of Alicante Bouschet; fruit is kept separate from Zin ferment lots to be blended as appropriate.
· 2018 - higher acidity, lower alcohol vintage
· Seghesio usually ages Zin in barrel 14-16 months, but gave 2018’s Pagani longer (18 months); 18% new oak, mostly French with ~6% American; lower sulfur additions to allow ML to complete in barrel for a wine with softer mouthfeel.
Question & Answer Segment:
· Who determines which wineries get which blocks from the vineyard?
David Gates: Ridge started working with Pagani Ranch in 1991, which had previously been contracted to sell to Seghesio. Ridge ended up with too much fruit, so Dino Pagani (who also was vineyard manager for St Francis) took the excess for St Francis. Around 2010, St Francis discontinued sourcing from Pagani. Seghesio resumed buying Pagani grapes, joined by Biale.
Morgan Twain-Peterson: Carlisle and Bedrock teamed up to get Pagani grapes from blocks 25, 32, and 33 on the West side of the vineyard, along with a teinturier-heavy hillside block.
· Steve Ponzo (?) asked about the vines that are famously visible from Hwy 12 - if they were virused Ali Bou (judging by coloring of leaves), and how that potentially impacted winemaking.
David Gates: observed that he had seen many Ali Bou vines with similar coloring, asserted that the Pagani vines were not infected.
· Random discussion ensued about Alicante Bouschet
· Vintage variation in old versus young vines?
David Gates: old vines are more reliable and require less “babying” in the vineyard than young vines.
Historic Vineyard Society website:
https://historicvineyardsociety.org/
Bedrock Wine Co. email: profile of “Pagani Vyd”
“The second in a series of pieces on Bedrock growers by the James Beard Award winning author David Darlington is on the indefatigable Dino Amantite of ‘Pagani Ranch’. The ‘Pagani Ranch’ Heritage Wine, made from the oldest plantings at the vineyard, is part of the Winter Release…”.
Riparian Studios produced several videos for Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (ZAP) 4 years ago. California’s key Zinfandel-growing areas are examined, as are a few other wine-related topics.
Riparian Studios Vimeo video:
“Zinfandel Stories: Southern California”
"Southern California, arid and sprawling, is not a place people associate with wine. But this region has a Zinfandel Story that can only be told here.
“The ‘Zinfandel Stories’ series was created as a part of a CDFA grant given to Zinfandel Advocates and Producers, and non-profit advocating Zinfandel wine and grapes in California.”
Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (ZAP) website:
Talking about great old Zinfandel vineyards, I have seen no mention of Evangelho in Antioch. Planted in 1895, Zin mixed with Maturo (Mourvedure) and Carginan
This vineyard is dry farmed. I can only hope it is not gobbled up by urbanization.
Bedrock Wines purchase the grapes.
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Bedrock owns it!
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Yep! And for some reason, I don’t see MTP selling out anytime soon 
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Thanks for mentioning the “Evangelho Vyd”, Dennis! ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
My comments/posts on this amazing site are cloistered within the “Contra Costa Wine Heritage” thread.
Image: “1908 Map Detail of Contra Costa”
Red Circle (Viera family parcel) - Location of “Evangelho Vyd”
Many agricultural properties were rezoned for light industry or commercial use after the City of Antioch drafted its “East 18th Street Specific Plan” in 2001 and 2003’s “Eastern Waterfront Employment Area” (EWEA).
Bedrock’s portion of “Evangelho” and those grapevines situated beneath PG&E’s transmission lines appear to be the only parcels currently shielded against the pressures of suburbanization.
However, grapevines beneath power lines are not endowed with perpetual immunity to “concrete poisoning”. Recent construction work nearby has made this apparent.
Wine Berserkers
“HVS Lodi & Contra Costa Virtual Tasting w/ Sonoma’s Best video & notes”
May 2, 2021
Great list! I’ve had wine from a number of these vineyards, but not nearly all. And I hadn’t heard of Hayne on Howell mountain, which is home to some of my favorite vineyards/wines. Thanks, now I’ll look out for it.
*" Hollowed trunk of own-rooted Zinfandel in Marian’s Vineyard, originally planted in 1901"
Lodi Winegrape Commission blog
“2023 Update on Lodi Vineyards Finally Getting Their Due by Being Recognized by Historic Vineyard Society”
by Randy Caparoso
January 26, 2023
"…While the current listing of Historic Vineyard Society certified plantings is up to about 210 vineyards, there are undoubtedly hundreds more in the state that are still unrecognized. Not every owner of an old-vine planting in California has felt the need to register their property with this organization, which has no legal or regulatory authority - just the laudable desire to help preserve old vineyards and educate the world about them.
“…Zinfandel, for one, has long been considered Lodi’s pièce de resistance. Why? Because it is a Mediterranean grape (originating in the Adriatic area of Croatia and Southern Italy) that loves Lodi’s squarely Mediteranean climate and deep, rich, sandy loam soils. The grape is so comfortable in Lodi, most of the region’s vineyards are still grown on their own natural rootstocks (rather than grafted on pest-resistant rootstocks, which is standard practice everywhere else in California).”
“Dairy Vineyard, traditionally head trained, own-rooted Zinfandel planted in 1918 along the Mokelumne River (riverside treeline in the backdrop)”
“Lodi’s 16,000-plus acres of Zinfandel represents over 42% of the state’s total plantings of the grape. Most of these acres are, in fact, growing in vineyards over 50 years old (that is, planted before the mid-1970s)…”.
The blog entry lists the 23 old-growth Lodi vineyards currently registered on the HVS website. Links to their respective HVS profiles are provided.
Caparoso then proceeds to offer more detailed information on each ancient-vine planting.
Historic Vineyard Society website: “Vineyard Directory”
Save the Old website: “Vineyards”
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I just read the article on Monday. Great information!
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Mike Officer went from home winemaking in the 1980s to establishing Carlisle Winery in the late 1990s. Morgan Twain-Peterson and Chris Cottrell of Bedrock speak with Mike about Sonoma County’s historic vineyards, the creation of the Historic Vineyard Society, the rare grape varieties found in old-growth plantings, and much more.
Bedrock Wine Conversations
Episode 36: “Mike Carlisle”
January 23, 2023
“Chris and Morgan sit down with Mike Officer, Co-Owner/Winemaker of Carlisle Winery & Vineyards.”
Around the 30-minute-mark in the interview, the discussion turns to how Mike Officer acquired the “Carlisle Vyd” - formerly known as the “Pelletti Vyd” - and began working with the “Two Acre Vyd”.
At ~42 minutes in, Chris, Morgan, and Mike talk of the specific Zinfandel and “mixed black” vineyards that Carlisle has worked with over the course of the winery’s history.
“Carlisle Winery’s Exceptional Old Vine Zinfandels & Rhone Wines from Sonoma”
Carlisle Winery & Vineyards
https://www.carlislewinery.com
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A while back, I asked about the old-vine “Sanchietti Vineyard” in the Russian River Valley. Carlisle Vineyards & Winery included grapes from this site in its 2019 Sonoma County Zinfandel.
The issue is first mentioned in the following thread posts:
Is the “Sanchietti Vineyard” the same as the “Giovanetti Vineyard”?