Bay area newspaper articles from the 1990s and early 2000s reported that many new vineyards were being established in eastern Contra Costa County.
Even so, a number of the region’s oldest plantings faced increased risk of being replaced by shopping centers, apartment complexes, etc. The economic downturn of 2008 gave many century-old heritage vineyards a stay-of-execution, if not a reprieve.
Older Contra Costa Wine-Related Articles:
The following 1999 SF Gate article explains how a handful of California wineries stimulated demand for old-vine fruit amid Contra Costa’s suburban expansion. In many cases, inflated grape prices merely forestalled the destruction of certain vineyards.
SF Gate
“Liquid Gold / Grape Vines Keeping Oakley Green”
by John King
April 27, 1999
"During the 1980s, even as suburbanization arrived full-throttle, winemakers realized that Oakley’s sandy soil and distinct climate - hot days, cool nights - was ideal for raising strong red wine grapes. Led by Fred Cline, whose family is from the area but whose winery, Cline Cellars, now is based in Sonoma County, they pushed landowners to keep the old vines in the ground, and add new ones.
"The fruit of that labor can be seen today in bottles of Zinfandel that sell for as much as $30. Meanwhile, Contra Costa grapes have been purchased by wineries for up to $2,000 a ton.
"‘More and more wineries are going into Oakley looking for grapes,’ says Ehren Jordan, a winemaker who has produced old-vine zinfandels for Neyers and Turley Wine Cellars. ‘All of a sudden, growers are earning a living rather than supplementing an income.’
"Indeed, both Dwight Meadows and his son, Aaron, stress that they are in a business. Dwight and his father-in-law, for instance, have sold land to developers in the past and expect to do it again. There’s no grand philosophy of land preservation at work.
“‘If we were getting $200 a ton, I’d rip the vines out and plant homes’, shrugs Aaron, 29. ‘Grapes are about the only thing you can grow on an economic basis here.’”
It is difficult finding current information on Diablo Vineyards Planting & Management nowadays. A couple of decades ago, the group consisted of Dwight Meadows, Dick Vanderkous, and Tom Powers.
While family names like Del Barba, Gonsalves, Cline, and Lucchesi are associated with farming older eastern Contra Costa sites, Diablo Vineyards established and maintained newer backyard mini-vineyards.
SF Gate
“Bay Area’s Rich Play Vine Games / Mini-Vineyards Replace Rolling Lawns as Sign of Wealth Around Upscale Homes”
by John King
June 22, 2000
"…[Tom] Powers had his vines planted by [Dick] Vanderkous [yes, THAT Vanderkous], a building contractor who makes wine and grows grapes at his hilltop home in Martinez. Last year, after repeated calls from neighbors, the pair sensed a lifestyle vein waiting to be tapped.
“They joined Dwight and Aaron Meadows, a father-and-son team from Oakley who are full-time grape growers, and the foursome chose ‘Got Grapes?’ as its slogan. The company has since taken on nearly 20 jobs.”
I do not know what the current status of Oakley Union School’s vineyard holdings.
East Bay Times
“Oakley School District Dabbles in Wine Business”
Jonathan Lockett
May 20, 2009
"…The [Oakley Union Elementary School] district purchased the land for nearly $11 million in December 2007 through state financial hardship money. School districts can get hardship money if they have a need for a school, but lack developer fee monies, Rogers said. Knightsen School District’s Old River Elementary was built using the same funding.
"…Lucchesi, who works more than 400 acres of vineyards in Oakley, Knightsen, Brentwood and Antioch, said the vineyard produces Mourvèdre grapes, which are also grown in Australia and France.
"The vineyard currently encompasses 17 acres, but could be extended a couple of acres in the future. Lucchesi said one of the vineyard’s 7,650 plants can yield 15 to 20 pounds of grapes.
“‘It’s a basic average of three to four tons (of grapes) per acre,’ said Lucchesi, who then harvests the grapes and sells them to wineries in Sonoma.
"The district gets 25 percent of the proceeds, which was used this year for adding new technology, Rogers said.
“While the land is being put to good use, Rogers isn’t sure how long the vineyard will be running. He estimated the vineyard will remain a minimum of six to eight years.”
Mr Jeff Ghidossi built a lake in Brentwood to attract fellow water-skiers. He later enhanced his residential property project by adding vineyards to the periphery.
SF Gate
“His Dream Didn’t Float / Water-Skier Can’t Fathom Why No One Jumped at Chance to Live on Private Lake”
by John King
June 25, 1998
"…Now, his friends love using the lake. But they wouldn’t pay to live there.
"‘A lot of people would say, "What am I going to do with 10 acres?’‘’ Ghidossi concedes.
“Last year, Ghidossi came up with an answer: He decided to add a vineyard to the mix. The custom lots would be adorned with plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah grapes, 37 acres in all.”
Today, Diablo Shores Vineyard Estates project appears to have successfully fulfilled two of its three purposes: the lake hosts ski tournaments; the vineyards are yielding fruit. However, only five of the six homes have been built.