Contra Costa County Wine Heritage

Mr Matt Cline of Three Wine Company has scheduled the release of a new round of bottlings for January 12, 2019, for the DIRT Wine Club members:


Three Wine Co. 2014 ‘Bigelow Vineyard’ Carignane:

"Marcus James Bigelow was a gentleman farmer and hoedown fiddler who enjoyed playing cards with friends more than farming. While he moved and worked slowly, he was reported to have been a very fast driver.

"Originally planted in the mid 1880’s, his vineyard on Neroly Road in Oakley is still producing a minuscule quantity of small berry Mataro, Carignane, and Zinfandel. This 130-year-old vineyard is dry-farmed and grown in Delhi Sand series loam soil, which is similar to beach sand. These vines produce a mere 2.5 to 3.5 tons of fruit per acre.

"The 2014 vintage will go down as one of the earliest harvest in over a decade. Despite an ongoing drought and earthquake that rocked south Napa in late August crush was just getting underway. A mild winter and spring caused early bud break, although the overall length of the growing season was similar to past years. A compacted harvest began in July for sparkling wines and started winding down by mid-October for later ripening varieties. The moderate temperatures allowed for even ripening, concentrated fruit and firm tannins.

“This Carignane is dark black and blue color to the edge, with aromas of cherry, baking spice, and black tea. This
savory wine rounds out the palate with dried cranberries, cherry, and supple tannins.”


Three Wine Co. 2016 ‘Evangelho Vineyard’ Zinfandel Contra Costa;

"This Zinfandel is sourced from ancient vines in Contra Costa County. The 2016 ‘Evangelho’ Zinfandel is a blend of 81% Zinfandel, 16% Petite Sirah, and 2% Carignane, and 1% Alicante Bouschet. This vineyard has extremely sandy-loam soils which are classified as Delhi Sandy Loam. The Delhi soil loam classification is considered as having the lowest organic material and the highest sand content of any other loam soil. These soil characteristics result in low vigor. Sand is also Phylloxera resistant so many of these vineyards are on their own roots. In Contra Costa County, situated only 50 minutes from San Francisco, grapes have been planted and have been growing for over 150 years.

"An average winter rainfall in 2016 helped alleviate some of the drought concerns but a warm spring jump-started
the Californian season up to a month early, similar to 2015. June was hotter than normal and July looked to follow suit until temperatures peaked mid-month. August was unusually cool this year, a month where heat spikes are common but we only had a few days in the triple digits. So fruit softened and ripened under slow steady conditions without dehydration and premature sugar accumulation. Despite another early start to harvest in 2016, our vineyards in northern California experienced a cooler ripening season.

The ‘Evangelho Vineyard’ is still being dry-farmed and is growing on its own roots. There is a concentration
of ripe blackberries and spice with a minerality (dusty berry) sneaking through.
The Petite Sirah adds structure, color, black fruit, and a spicy white pepper character. The Mataro adds complex fruit, dried herb flavors, and a fleshy mouth feel. With such a low pH and big fruit flavors, don’t hesitate to age this wine for 5-7 years.”


Three Wine Company website:

I was introduced to a cool resource via the Lodi Wine Grape Comission’s blog: the Web Soil Survey and NRCS archives. The USDA’s Nation Resources Conservation Service - Soils page provides detailed reports and a mapping tool for the USA.


NRCS California Portal:

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/surveylist/soils/survey/state/?stateId=CA


“USDA Soil Survey: Contra Costa County, California” by EJ Carpenter (1939) (download)



“USDA Soil Survey: Contra Costa County, California” (1977) (download)




What I find interesting about the above text is that the “Del Barba Vineyard” is located just NW of the corner of Rose & Laurel in Oakley, CA, approximately the same site as from where the soil sample was taken.


NRCS Web Soil Survey App/Tool:
https://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app

“Web Soil Survey (WSS) provides soil data and information produced by the National Cooperative Soil Survey. It is operated by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and provides access to the largest natural resource information system in the world. NRCS has soil maps and data available online for more than 95 percent of the nation’s counties and anticipates having 100 percent in the near future. The site is updated and maintained online as the single authoritative source of soil survey information.”


Lodi Growers
“The Ultimate Goal of Vineyard Soil Management: Optimized Root Zone Function”

https://www.lodigrowers.com/optimized-root-zone-function

Lodi Growers
“NRCS Soil Survey Information Important to Vineyards”

https://www.lodigrowers.com/nrcs-soil-survey-information-important-to-vineyards

I have shared this resource in another thread (perhaps somewhere on this one as well!). I apologize for any redundancy.


Old and Sold
A View of California Wines & Wineries: “Livermore-Contra - Notable Wineries By District And Region” (Intro)
Published 1955

“…Contra Costa County is best known for its table wines and especially for its Gamay. The county’s more important winegrowing areas are located south of the city of Martinez and by Mt. Diablo, which rises so majestically east of San Francisco to a height of nearly four thousand feet.”


A View of California Wines & Wineries: “Livermore-Contra - Notable Wineries By District And Region: Contra Costa County”

J. E. Digardi Winery, Martinez

Gopher Gulch Ranch Wine Cellars, Walnut Creek

I wanted to determine whether a decision had been rendered on the issue of Mulehead Growers’ suit against BNSF for the alleged spraying of herbicides on the former’s Oakley vineyard properties abutting the railroad tracks.


UniCourt website
“Mulehead Growers, LLC [u]vs[/u] BNSF Railway Company”

"This case was last updated from Contra Costa County Superior Courts on 01/11/2018

"Case Summary: On 01/08/2018 a Personal Injury - Other Personal Injury case was filed by Mulehead Growers LLC against BNSF Railway Company in the jurisdiction of Contra Costa County Superior Courts, Martinez Superior Court - Wakefield Taylor Courthouse located in Contra Costa, California.

Case Status: Pending - Other Pending”[/I]

The most recent detail from this site’s report is a docket entry, dated May 23, 2018, that merely states:

“…05/23/2018: Case Management Conference”



Articles Detailing the Story:


Mercury News
“Oakley Grape, Almond Farmers Sue BNSF Railroad for Herbicide Use”
by Nate Gartrell
January 23, 2018

"The stewards of a six-acre field of century-old vineyards have sued the nation’s second-largest railway company, alleging that the railroad’s indiscriminate spraying of herbicides is harming the grapes and almonds being grown there.

“…The suit alleges that the railroad company began using the chemicals for weed control on the railroad in early 2016, and that within weeks, the curators of the vineyard property started to notice that the herbicides were spreading onto the farm and harming almonds and grapes being grown there…”



Wine Industry Insight
“Bay Area Wine Grape Growers sue BNSF Railway alleging Illegal, Negligent Herbicide Damage”
by Lewis Perdue
January 26, 2018

“…All of the affected land is owned by the two Cline partnerships except for a 5.76-acre parcel leased from the city of Oakley. Of the Cline vineyards two are named in the lawsuit as as ‘Bridgehead’ and a third as ‘Big Break’…”

LowRes-Screen-Shot-2018-01-25-at-4.23.32-PM-.png
The Press
“Mulehead Growers LLC Suing BNSF Railway, Alleging Herbicide Use Killed Crops”
by Kyle Szymanski
January 31, 2018

“…Mulehead Growers LLC states that the chemical application caused the group to suffer unspecified losses to its trees and crops at various spots around the city, including a 5.67 acres site near 3231 Main St. and on 88.76 acres near Bridgehead Road…”


This is a very sad tale, one that only compounds the challenges old grapevines face in the rapidly developing Eastern area of Contra Costa County. If anyone has additional information or insight into the matter, I would be very grateful.

**The Sandlands 2019 offering went online on February 7, 2019.

While this is the fourth release of Tegan Passalacqua’s Mourvèdre/Mataro from the “Del Barba Vineyard” (2010, 2015, '16, '17), no Carignan was made available.

However, a new wine was produced, a CoCo “Red Table Wine”.**

"2017 Mataro – Contra Costa County – 4 barrels produced.

“This vineyard was planted in the 1920’s in what is classified as Dehli blow sand (decomposed granite that has been deposited by wind). Sandalwood, dark plum, apricot, fennel, cured meats, finishes with suave, energetic tannin. 13.9% alc.”



"2017 Red Table Wine – Contra Costa County – 12 barrels produced.

"The vineyard was planted in the 1920s in what is classified as Dehli blow sand (decomposed granite that has been deposited by wind and water). India ink, cranberry, ripe peach, cranberry, chalky, structured tannins. 12.9% alc.


Sandlands website:

*** EDIT ***

According to the April 30, 2021, Al Dente blog article, “Joel Peterson and Mataro: The Weird Orchard of Oakley, Part 2”, Tegan Passalacqua stated that he sources his Contra Costa County Mataro (and Carignan, presumably) from the “Oakley Road Vineyard”. This site is farmed by Tom DelBarba.

Several long-time vineyard-owning families in Oakley and Antioch have sold their properties to developers, or have become involved directly in converting viticultural land into residential / commercial projects.

Not long ago, I learned that the original “Duarte Vineyard”, in Oakley, had been uprooted and transformed into housing under the name “Duarte Estates”. This was disheartening. However, the surname featured on one of Turley’s Contra Costa County Zinfandel wines soon may grace a new producer’s label: Duarte Estates Winery.


On the City of Oakley’s Planning Division website, an approved project description reads:

“Duarte Estates Winery Conditional Use Permit (CUP 02-17)”

“Application by Daniel Duarte requesting approval for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP 02-17) for approval to establish a Winery use on the property. The production and storage of wine will take place in a new 1,500 square foot accessory structure (not part of this project). The project site is designated Agricultural Limited in the Oakley 2020 General Plan and zoned Limited Agriculture (AL). The Project is located at 1459 Kay Lane. (APN: 034-070-027)”

“Duarte Estates Winery Site Plan” (download)



I also discovered an article about the prospective winery and custom crush facility.

East Bay Times
“Wineries and Eminent Domain Discussed at Oakley City Council”
by Aaron Davis
July 13, 2017

"…After sending his Oakley-grown grapes to winemakers in Napa like Turley Wine Cellars for so many years, Daniel Duarte is ready to make wine at home.

On Tuesday, city council members approved a conditional use permit for Duarte to transform his 2.57-acre vineyard on Kay Lane into a working winery. In the near future, Duarte will file a permit to build a 1,500-square-foot agricultural building where the winemakers will sort, crush and ferment the grapes. Two years later, they will also bottle the wine, store it and hopefully sell at a store in Oakley.

“‘This is an opportunity to show the world what Oakley has,’ said Vice Mayor Randy Pope. ‘Hopefully it works out and we’ll see you with an application for a tasting room in the near future.’

“The motion was unanimously approved…”.

I found a winery that offers a couple of single-vineyard bottlings from the “Duarte Vineyard” of Oakley, CA. I am still trying to determine where the actual growing site is located.


"Enoteca Five 2017 ‘Wanderlust’ Chardonnay, ‘Duarte Vineyards’

“Located in the Sacramento River Delta community of Oakley, CA, this Heritage Vineyard is home predominantly to old vine Zinfandel grown is sandy soils resembling that like one sees at the beach. Seven rows in the vineyard are dedicated to Chardonnay…”



Enoteca Five website:

*** EDIT ***


An EDIT was made on the winery’s “Our Partners” page:

Duarte Vineyards - Oakley, CA (Contra Costa AVA)
‘Duarte Vineyards’ the O’Hara / Carpenter Block, a Heritage Vineyard located in the Sacramento River Delta City of Oakley, sees little to no irrigation, featuring 46-year-old clones from neighboring ancient-vine heritage vineyards of ‘Del Barba’, ‘Evangelho’, and ‘Big Break’, which together result in an intense, big fruit, chocolate style Zin. We split the vineyards with V. Sattui of Napa.”

Interesting. When I hear of Duarte Vineyard, i’m thinking Turley Zin. Thanks for the heads up Drew. I hit the wineries in Livermore a few times a year and never heard of Enoteca Five before. Definitely will swing on by one of these days for a tasting.

Please report back, Hoang!!

On the winery a website, there’s a “Duarte Vineyard” Zinfandel listed as an upcoming release. For my tastes, that is way more intriguing than a CoCo Chardonnay.


If you check out Livermore wineries that bottle Contra Costa juice, please give some thought to trying the new wines from Frank at Favalora Vineyard Winery. He has a “Planchon Clone” Zin, a Carignan, a Rosé, a dessert red wine, and I think a Petite Sirah, as well.

Below are few published histories of the Contra Costa Region:

Google Books
History of Contra Costa County, California
Brooks-Sterling Company (Facsimile reprint of the 1882 ed. published by W.A. Slocum, San Francisco) 710 pages

“Geography, Name, Topography, etc”

Search Results: “Vineyard”


Google Books
The History of Contra Costa County, California
by Frederick J. Hulaniski (1917)
Jazzybee Verlag, Jun 13, 2018, 470 pages

“This history of Contra Costa County should prove to be the most complete compilation of local chronicles that has up to this time been offered to the citizens of one of the loveliest counties in the United States. The authenticity of the facts contained in the various articles is as absolute as the utmost care could make it. The data have been procured from the best-known authorities, and the biographical sketches, when completed, were subjected to the most searching examination for verification and correction.”

Chapter 8: “Climate, Soil, Horticulture, Agriculture”

Search Results: “Oakley & Sandlands”, including “Chapter 32: Oakley and Sandlands” by R.C. Marsh (p.332)

Search Results: “Antioch”, including “Chapter 28: Antioch” by Rudolph A. Wilson of the Antioch Ledger staff (p.355)


Hathi Trust
History of Contra Costa County (~1940)
by Mae Fisher Purcell

“Wineries, Vineyards, Growers, Production”

Camuna Cellars is a small-scale operation that currently is releasing a new Contra Costa white blend, in addition to its other offerings. Besides the white wine, Camuna has made a Carignan from the “Del Barba Vineyard”.


_"Updates from the cellar & studio
Fermentation & Form

"notes from the cellar: Our 2018 Barbera Rosé and 2018 White Blend are bottled and almost ready to go. They’re currently available for sale and will be shipping in late March/early April. These wines and our 2018 Mission should be ready to ship in time for Passover. We have less than 25 cases of our 2017 ‘High Vibes’ Nebbiolo available, but if you’re local it’s it’s also available at Bi-Rite and Douglas in SF and at Afikomen and Ordinaire in the East Bay. We have some magnums of our 2017 Carignan and 2017 Nebbiolo. Contact us if you’re interested in purchasing any of these limited edition 1.5L bottles.

"As you may know we produce only small batches of wine each harvest, so the wine tends to sell out quick (we have learned). We are proud to say our 2017 Barbera Rosé and our 2017 Carignan sold out (!!) in only a couple of months. However after doing some early Spring cleaning we found a few extra cases of our 2017 Carignan that we put back on the site - get it before it’s gone for good.

“…Our inaugural white wine is delish blend of 54% Malvasia Bianca and 46% Chardonnay from Contra Costa County, California. You’ve got amazing floral brightness from the Malvasia and the roundness from the Chardonnay. An interesting blend makes for interesting conversations around the dinner table. Fermented and aged in neutral barrels.”

“Super High Vibes!”_



• “2018 ‘High Vibes White’ (54% Malvasia Bianca - 46% Chardonnay) $24.00, Contra Costa County, California”



• "2017 ‘Ancient Vine Carignan’ 36.00, Contra Costa County, California

"The grapes for our 2017 Carignan were grown in Contra Costa County at the historic ‘Del Barba Vineyard’ on ancient head-pruned vines over a century old. We crushed and destemmed the fruit into old neutral oak barrels where it fermented with only native yeasts. Minimal sulfur added at bottling. Only 25 cases produced.

"Medium bodied with notes of cherry and red fruit. This wine goes great with any meal from pasta to steak.

“It’s delicious and you should drink it!
Unfined and unfiltered.”


Camuna Cellars website:

“About”


The Jewish News of Northern California
“New Kosher Winery Camuna Cellars Springs Forth in Berkeley”
by Joshua E. London
November 15, 2018

"…Camuna is a passion project from Eli Silins, cellar master at the famed kosher Covenant Winery, and his wife, Molly Nadav, an artist and also Covenant’s project director. A Chicago-area native, Silins chalks his involvement in wine up to ‘hashgacha pratis’ (God’s providence).

"…Camuna Cellars 2017 Ancient Vine Carignan
Contra Costa County ($36):

"Made from grapes grown in the historic, sandy ‘Del Barba Vineyard’ in Oakley. This 55-acre gem of a vineyard is populated by mostly ‘ancient vines’, planted in the early 1910s by the Del Barba family (which still farms it). Due to the sandy soil, the roots of the vineyard’s non-irrigated, gnarly looking, head pruned, century-old vines — they typically look like something out of an Edward Gorey illustration or a Tim Burton film — stretch way down to the water table for sustenance, which can be as far as 20 feet below the surface. Even though temps in Oakley sometimes hit triple digits in the summer, the acidity of the grapes is preserved by the cool evenings. The resulting fruit makes for distinctive wines.

“This red wine is a unique, beautiful and entirely delicious expression of California Carignan. Offering bright and juicy yet controlled notes of cherry, red plum and black currant fruits, with a touch of flint and earth. This smooth, lightly tannic, medium bodied wine exhibits beautiful balance between the fruit, acidity, tannins, earth and floral notes. Terrific now, but will reward some aging.”

I received an email from Mr Ken Strelo about the current status of the efforts to protect old vineyards in Oakley, California:


"Mr Goin,

"On September 26, 2017, the ACVP program was accepted as completed after Phase 2. You will find copies of the item packet and minutes from that City Council meeting attached to this email. The City Council and Staff still work to encourage relocation of vineyards on properties that are designated for and apply for development. As for viticulture heritage, that is always in the forefront of the Council’s wishes. The most recent effort was negotiating with Department of Water Resources to preserve an old growth vineyard near the delta and mouth of Marsh Creek, which was originally planned to be removed during the Dutch Slough Tidal Wetland Restoration project. I hope you have a great day!

Sincerely,
Kenneth Strelo
Primary Planner
City of Oakley




Previous Posts addressing the City of Oakley Agricultural Conservation and Viticulture Program (ACVP)


Overview of ACVP goals - 2014 news article and Mr Strelo’s response email

ACVP, Phase 1 City of Oakley Staff Report (05/13/2014), from Kenneth L Strelo

Greenbelt Alliance/San Francisco Foundation caseEast Cypress Corridor” settlement

Greenbelt Alliance funds article

ACVP, Phase 2 City of Oakley Staff Report



Random information about SF Bay’s agricultural conservation easements:

“…The Bay Area contained 5% of the cropland in California but included some of the agricultural land most accessible to urban dwellers. Only 7% of cropland in the Bay Area was protected through fee or conservation easement.”

“…Nearly half (46%) of conservation easement areas were designated for agricultural land use, followed by very-low-density residential (36%) and low-density residential (11%).”

“…Land-use planning is central to regional efforts to provide open space and manage development. Conservation acquisitions are not necessarily incorporated into city and county general plans. We found that fee-simple lands were often designated open space in general plans, but that conservation easements were typically designated as agricultural or very-low-density residential areas. Because conservation easements mostly occur on private land and involve private and public institutions at multiple scales, they may be less likely to be integrated into land-use planning processes. This lack of integration of acquisition and regulation creates difficulties for regional conservation and development planning.”

“The Conservation Contributions of Conservation Easements: Analysis of the San Francisco Bay Area Protected Lands Spatial Database”, Ecology and Society 13(1):40 · June 2008


“The Past & Present Condition of the Marsh Creek Watershed”, 4th Ed. (2007) download
by John R. Cain, James D. Robins, & Sarah S. Puckett
w/ contributions by Stephen Barbata, Richard P. Walkling, & Ellen Cheng

Prepared by the Natural Heritage Institute & the Delta Science Center at Big Break


Take Pride in Your Community (Oakley area blog)
Marsh Creek Watershed: Big Break


Sallie’s Personal Website (blog)
Entries tagged “California Delta”


The Press
“Tons of History at Oakley’s Big Break”
by Rick Lemyre
April 23, 2015


SF Gate
“Big Break With Past: New Shoreline Park in Delta to Showcase History, Environment”
by Erin Hallissy
June 7, 2000

“Big Break is an eclectic area, a biologically rich part of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta where threatened fish and birds thrive amid a graveyard of rusty, overgrown barges that provide an almost charming reminder of the wild days of early settlers.”

375x250.jpg
“…The area is named Big Break because its levee collapsed about 80 years ago, letting the river reclaim farmland that had been surrounded by the dirt-and-rock fortifications built throughout the Sacramento- San Joaquin River Delta in the early days of California…”


Mercury News
“Delta Science Center Taking Shape at Big Break Regional Shoreline”
(Adapted from Quick & Healthy Recipes and Ideas, 3rd Edition by Brenda J. Ponichtera, Small Steps Press, 2008)
by Denis Cuff
June 20, 2011

"…The 5,500-square-foot, prefabricated building will feature tall windows overlooking a lake formed by a flooded island that gave ‘Big Break’ its name.

“Another milestone occurred last week. The park district opened a 30-by-50-foot outdoor model showing major waterways, islands and cities in the area at the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers…”.


Bay Nature
“Gateway to the Delta”

by Robin Meadows
December 31, 2012

“…Big Break sits on the San Joaquin River just before it joins the Sacramento River at the neck of the Delta. This region was originally a huge tidal marsh with more than 1,000 miles of tidal channels that wound their way around ever-shifting islands of sediment. But beginning about 150 years ago, settlers built levees to exclude water so they could farm the rich peat soil and replaced most of the zigzagging tidal channels with an irregular grid of diked canals. The Delta now has nearly 60 man-made islands, most of which are below sea level due to compaction of the peat soils (subsidence), totaling about 550,000 acres…”.

Big Break Map - Bay Nature.jpg
Bay Nature
“Map Sense: From Topos to Tablets at the East Bay Regional Parks”

by John Hart
January 13, 2014

“…The ultimate in cartography for public education may be a map you don’t unfold or click on, but walk across: the 1,750-square-foot inlaid representation of the Delta at Big Break Regional Shoreline near Oakley. Made by Scientific Arts Studios, it is placed so that map north and world north align. Visitors can trace river channels across it, identify landmarks from it, even tip bottles of water onto it and watch a leisurely westward flow. ‘It is the anchor of this park,’ says Supervising Naturalist Mike Moran. People who are striving to learn, or teach, about California’s toughest water issues come here for orientation. The Delta map is a complement to that other superb miniature, the Bay Model in Sausalito, with the advantage, Moran says, ‘that this map is in the place’…”.


The Natural Heritage Institute website:
www.n-h-i.org

East Bay Parks
Big Break Regional Shoreline

Events Calendar: Big Break Regional Shoreline Discovery Science Center

The Three Wine Company’s “Field Blend” was featured in the most recent Wine Access email promotion:


2015 Three Wine CompanyField Blend”, Contra Costa County (Carignan, Mataro, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet)

"…Fields once covered Contra Costa County, an area today known better for San Francisco’s suburban sprawl. Between the high rises and strip malls, Matt Cline has been working tirelessly to maintain the vineyards that offer a window to the Contra Costa of yore.

"In these vineyards, there’s no dirt, no gravel, no galets roules. Everything is sand. There are no trellises, rosebushes, or mansion-like tasting rooms.

"Huge, gnarled vines the size of small trees reach up from the sand craning skyward in shapes that defy modern viticulture, and would make most Napa vineyard managers cringe. Between what passes for rows, the vines are marked Spanish Mataró, Carignan, Zinfandel, and Malvasia Nero—planted not in blocks devoted to variety but helter-skelter in the traditional ‘field blend’ style pioneered by early farmers across Europe.

"Hauled down in buggies from the old Buena Vista Winery to Contra Costa 100-125 years ago, each vine was planted from a six-inch stick, called budwood, hand-twisted into Delhi sand by Portuguese and Italian immigrant families. The family names were Spinelli, Lucchesi, Evangelho, and Jacuzzi.

"It would be almost 100 years before a young Matt Cline, the grandson of Valeriano Jacuzzi, would walk us through the tree-like vines describing their lives, and how each still ekes out a few clusters each, the tiny berries packed with dense red-fruit concentration.

“‘Contra Costa summers are hot, the best vineyards are those planted closest to the river,’ Matt told us a while back over an all-you-can-eat ribeye lunch at Mac’s Old House. ‘The best vintages come from the dry, mild years. 2012 and 2013 were superb. 2015 was a roller coaster, but the end results were just miraculous.’

“The early winter was rainy, replenishing hydric reserves, before drying out in a very warm January. By February, the rains were back at it, followed by cool spring temperatures that dropped yields severely in some places. July turned the burners on, putting ripening into hyperdrive and making for an early harvest that wrapped up by the last week of August and the first week of September. While the dust hasn’t yet settled, some have already called it the best of an incredible four-year run of brilliant vintages beginning with 2012.”


Wine Access: Three Wine CompanyField Blend


Three Wine Company website:

The CalWineCountry podcast is hosted by Dan Berger and Steve Jaxon. Cline Cellars’ Fred Cline appeared as a guest on the show last year:


California Wine Country (Podcast)
“Fred Cline, Cline Cellars & Jacuzzi Wines”

April 25, 2018

"Fred Cline from Cline Cellars and Jacuzzi Wines is our guest today on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger.

"They started out in Contra Costa County in Oakley, now they are in Sonoma County. Jacuzzi was opened in 2007. The two wineries are across the street from each other on Arnold Drive (Hwy 121) in Sonoma Co.

“…Next they taste a Red blend also called ‘Cashmere Black Magic’, which is dark red from Alicante Bouchet grapes. Dan says it’s a real crowd pleaser, tasty to drink now because of the flavors in all the different varieties. The next wine is their Mourvedre, then a Carignane. Dan says it’s another pizza joint wine, pleasing and tasty with mid-palette fruit, but with tannins enough to stand up to a steak…”


Cline Cellars bottles vineyard-designated red wines from Contra Costa County as well as county-level varietals:

• “Big Break” Zinfandel:

“Big Break Vineyard was named after a levee that collapsed over 80 years ago, flooding the local farmland. This area typically produces pervasive and distinctive lots of Zinfandel. The combination of the extremely sandy, well-drained soils, dry-farmed century-old, head-trained vines, and the unique band of cooling air from the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers flavor Oakley’s best vineyard sites. In fact, this block of land is situated between the San Joaquin River and a Eucalyptus grove. Both of these elements contribute to the wine, enhancing its taste by adding a minty character. The combination of the aforementioned creates a synergy of elements that are ideal for both ripening, as well as expressing the full character of the Zinfandel grapes.”

• “Bridgehead” Zinfandel:

"“Our Bridgehead vineyard is named after Bridgehead Road in Oakley, California, which runs adjacent to our treasured vineyard. This vineyard consistently produces one of our most individual and refined lots of Zinfandel. It was planted by Italian immigrants well before the turn of the century and is one of California’s most historic vineyards. The vines are head-trained and dry-farmed in sandy soils. The area also boasts a unique band of cooling air from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. These qualities create an incredible synergy of elements that express the unique characteristics of this site.”

• “Live Oak” Zinfandel:

“Our single vineyard Live Oak Zinfandel is named for Live Oak Road in Oakley, California. The vineyard is adjacent to this road and consistently produces some of our most complex, concentrated and unique lots of Zinfandel. Cline Cellars has chosen to dry-farm the ancient, head-pruned vines, a practice employed by the Italian and Portuguese immigrants who planted this vineyard well before the turn of the century. The Oakley terroir is characterized by the hot sun, sandy soil, and a unique band of cooling air that flows from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, producing a stunning and concentrated Zinfandel.”

• “Heritage” Zinfandel:

“The prized 100-year-old Big Break, Live Oak and Bridgehead vineyards in Oakley, planted in deep, sandy soil, dry-farmed and head-pruned, as they were 100 years ago.”

• “Lucchesi” Petite Sirah:

“The 2016 Cline Petite Sirah is made from grapes grown on the 3 acre Lucchesi Vineyard. Planted in deep, sandy soil and dry farmed, we feel that this 40 year old vineyard provides us with an intensity and richness that yields our highest quality Petite Sirah grapes.”

• “Big Break” Grenache:

“…We allow our Grenache grapes to reach full ripening, with Brix at 25.8 degrees at harvest. The results are expressive and complex grapes that make a delicious wine.”

• “Small Berry” Mourvèdre:

“Our Small Berry Mourvèdre grows in a very special small block at Big Break Vineyard that consistently produces one of our most complex and concentrated Mourvèdres. The vineyard is bordered by Eucalyptus trees which gives the wine a signature minty note. The vines in this block are over 100 years old and planted on their own roots, making this one of California’s most historic vineyards. The vines have survived on their own roots because they grow in sand which keeps the phyloxera root louse in check. We dry farm these ancient, head-pruned vines, continuing a practice employed by the Italian and Portuguese immigrants who planted this vineyard before the turn of the last century.”

• “Late Harvest” Mourvèdre:

“The Big Break vineyard was chosen for this Late Harvest Mourvèdre. It’s planted in deep sand-soil, which is dry-farmed and benefits from the drying winds that blow through Contra Costa County. The vineyard carried a light crop of grapes that ripened and dehydrated without rotting to a high sugar content. By the time the grapes arrived at the winery, the lot was 25% raisined.”

• “Ancient Vines” Carignan:

“Our Ancient Vines Carignane draws from four separate vineyards located in the northwest area. These vines all share sandy soil and a cooling effect from the proximity to the San Joaquin River. The newest vineyard dates to 1940, while the oldest vineyards date back to the early 1900s.”

• “Ancient Vines” Mourvèdre:

“The 2016 Ancient Vines Mourvèdre draws from some of our oldest, most historic and shyest-bearing vineyards. These blocks produces fruit of stunning concentration. We reach this concentration as a result of sensitive farming practices, the singular Oakley terroir, and a unique cooling band of air that flows in from the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers. By naturally restricting yields to only 2 to 3 tons per acre we are able to achieve a sublime expression of the Mourvèdre fruit. These grapes hold characteristics of dark, dusty berry fruit that makes our Ancient Vines Mourvèdre so lustrous.”

• “Ancient Vines” Mourvèdre Rosé:

“Mourvèdre grapes for this rosé come from our Oakley vineyards in Contra Costa County. These vines grow in the deep sand-soil along the delta of the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers. Cool winds blow off the water and allow the grapes to hold their bright acidity. The combination of low average rainfall and fast-draining soil in the region limits the production of the vines, resulting in a scant but intensely flavored crop.”

• “Ancient Vines” Zinfandel:

“Our 2017 Ancient Vines Zinfandel draws primarily from a wide selection of our oldest, most historic and shyest-bearing Zinfandel blocks in Contra Costa County. These ancient, dry-farmed vineyards consistently produce fruit of stunning concentration.”

• Cashmere Series:

› Rosé (91% Zinfandel, 9% Primitivo)

› Red (58% Mourvedre, 29% Syrah, 13% Grenache)

› Black (Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Mourvèdre, Carignane, Alicante Bouschet, Grenache, Syrah, Merlot)

› White (NOT from Contra Costa)


Tasting Pour
“Cline Cellars Ancient Vines: Vine In-Clined”

October, 2012

Cline-vineyard.jpg
The backstory of the Cline brothers’ ascension to the forefront of Contra Costa’s grape-growing during the 1980’s is elaborated on in the following 2003 article:

SF Gate
“Where the Heck is Oakley?”

by David Darlington
May 22, 2003


Cline Cellars website:

Jacuzzi Family Vineyards website:

Here is a parcel owners’ map of Contra Costa County from 1908:

Remember and Go: Your Gateway to Contra Costa History
"Official Map of Contra Costa County California: compiled from private surveys and official records"
by T. A. McMahon

On the website, one can zoom-in on specific areas of the map. Unfortunately, the quality of the downloadable version of this map is lower-resolution, regardless of the image size selected.

Here are three older articles that tell of an unusual criminal escapade committed against the owners of the “Planchon Vineyard” back in 2012:


Mercury News
“Vineyard Thieves Plunder Half-Ton of Valuable Zinfandel Grapes in Oakley”

by Sean Maher
August 22, 2012

"OAKLEY — Vineyard owner Stan Planchon saw flashlights bobbing in the dark among rows of his zinfandel vines early Monday and knew right away that a grape heist was under way.

"His property, six acres of old vines planted near the intersection of Empire Avenue and Laurel Road, was being pillaged. Before police arrived, thieves made off with more than 1,200 pounds of prime grapes grown for California zinfandel giant Rosenblum Cellars, he said.

"…‘That particular vineyard is about 180 years old*,’ Planchon said, and wines made from its grapes have been featured in Wine Spectator magazine. They’re mostly zinfandel grapes, he said, with a field blending that includes the French varietals Alicante Bouschet, which adds rich color to the wine, and Mourvedre, which adds spicy flavor.

"Eighty-one plants had been stripped of their grapes, he said. At about 15 pounds of fruit per plant, which sell for $1.25 per pound, he lost roughly $1,500 worth of old-vine, specially tailored grapes.

“…Quoted on the Rosenblum website, winemaker John Kane said, ‘To me, the Planchon vineyard is very historical. It’s a really nice wine from the old head prune vineyards, showing great signs of smoked bacon. I’m glad we were able to save it from the development out in Contra Costa County.’…”


Press Democrat
“1,200 Pounds of Grapes Stolen from East Bay vineyard”

August 22, 2012

oakley_vineyard_082312.jpg
CBS San Francisco
“1,200 Pounds Of Wine Grapes Stolen From Oakley Vineyard”

August 23, 2013


*** Each article states that the vines on the Planchon family’s property is 180-years-old. In truth, the actual age would have been closer to 100-years-old in 2012; the majority of the site dates back to around 1902.**

A new vineyard mystery has emerged in Contra Costa County.

Nottingham Cellars / Vasco Urbano just released its first bottling of a “Trembath Vineyard2016 Contra Costa Carignan. The grapes’ place of origin is a bit of a mystery.

According to the winery website, the fruit was harvested from a +130-year-old own-rooted, dry-farmed vineyard in Antioch, California. Posts made to the Instagram pages of the winery and its winemaker suggest that there might be at least a couple of vintages of this bottling forthcoming.



Where is the “Trembath Vineyard”?

Both a Trembath Lane and a Trembath Basin can be found in Antioch. Each is located in the sandiest part of the region, near the banks of the Carquinez Strait. There is a small plot of land containing (what appear to be) grapevines at the corner of Trembath Lane and East 18th Street.




Producers often sign NDA’s with their fruit suppliers. As a result, proprietary names are assigned to vineyards that may be recognized by their more well-known designations.

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Instagram post by Vasco Urbano:

· Link

· Alternate Link

Vasco Urbano / Nottingham Cellars website
https://nottinghamcellars.com

*** EDIT ***

The Trembath Vineyard is the small patch of ancient grapevines and almond trees at 1660 Trembath Lane, in Antioch. The Trembath family name resonates strongly with early regional viticulture.

Trembath Lane property website:
https://trembathlane.com/#!/

eect0830concordave02.jpg
East Bay Times
“Opinion: Don’t let Brentwood’s Urban Limit Line be Moved”

by Kathy Griffin
February 24, 2019

"Despite growing traffic, underfunded fire and emergency services and overcrowded schools, local development company Blackhawk Nunn Partners is proposing to expand the city of Brentwood to build more housing on top of current county agricultural land.

"The company is initiating a ballot measure for as early as November 2019 that will yet again try to move Brentwood’s Urban Limit Line (ULL) west of Shadow Lakes and north of Balfour Road to build about 2,400 single-family homes over 800 acres. Our ULL is a boundary beyond which urban development is not allowed; it is meant to discourage urban sprawl and contain development within our city.

"…Brentwood can protect this area as a dry-farmed, oil-rich parcel by upholding the Memo of Understanding (MOU) between Brentwood and Antioch that acknowledges the establishment of an open space buffer to separate and distinguish the two communities. By maintaining our existing ULL and reaffirming the in-force MOU, we can ensure that Antioch and Brentwood remain separate entities. This acreage is and should be upheld as our community separator.

“…I am leading the Alliance for a Better Brentwood, a coalition of residents and local organizations to actively and vehemently oppose any ULL ballot measure. For information, visit our website at AllianceForABetterBrentwood.org, e-mail AllianceForABetterBrentwood@gmail.com or call 925-325-8439.”


_20190303_053839.JPG
The “California Farmland Conversion Report (2008 – 2010)” shows that Contra Costa County is among the top counties is the state experiencing a large amount of urbanization. The above opinion piece explains that some of the residential development is not in-pace with the needs of the communities affected. With regard to the theme of this thread, old vineyards and new risk increased threats of being paved over when communities’ established laws are circumvented to accommodate certain development companies’ interests.


Bay Area Greenbelt Alliance website:
https://www.greenbelt.org

“We work for a Bay Area where natural and agricultural lands are protected and where everyone can live in a thriving neighborhood that they are proud to call home.”

Plan Bay Area 2040


Romick in Oakley Blog
“US Senate Approves the Proposed Delta National Heritage Area”

by Kevin Romick
February 21, 2019


"…the Senate passed S. 47, the Natural Resources Management Act, a large public lands bill that includes the establishment of the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area (NHA). The Commission would be the local coordinating entity for the Delta NHA.

“NHAs are a grassroots, community-driven approach to heritage conservation and economic development. Through public-private partnerships, NHA entities support historic preservation, natural resource conservation, recreation, heritage tourism, and educational projects. NHAs have no effect on water rights, property rights, or hunting and fishing rights within the designated area. If the Delta NHA passes the House and is signed by the President, the Commission would have three years to prepare a management plan…”


Link for more information:

Maven’s Notebook
“Feinstein, Harris Introduce Bill to Establish Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area: California Farm Bureau Sues to Block Flows Plan for Lower San Joaquin River”

February 5, 2019


*** EDIT ***


Delta Protection Commission
“Local, State, and Federal Agencies”



CA Dept of Fish & Wildlife
“Delta Conservation Framework 2018-2050”

"The Delta Conservation Framework is intended to serve as a comprehensive resource and guide for planning conservation in the Delta through 2050.

“The Framework provides a template for regional and stakeholder-led approaches to restoring ecosystem functions to the Delta landscape. It incorporates feedback from a series of public workshops initiated in 2016, prior planning efforts and the best available science on Delta ecosystem processes…”.


Delta Stewardship Council
“Delta Plan”

Map: “Figure 5-3 Agricultural Land Use in the Delta” (PDF)


Maven’s Notebook
“Delta Stewardship Council: The Delta Conservation Framework - Looking Ahead at Restoration to 2050”

September 12, 2017

Maven’s Notebook
“Delta Plan”

Updated: March 28, 2021

“Developed by the Delta Stewardship Council, the Delta Plan is the state’s comprehensive, long-term management plan for the Delta to further the coequal goals”


UC Davis
Center for Watershed Studies
“Delta Solutions”

UC Davis
Center for Watershed Studies
“Online Data Sources”:

https://watershed.ucdavis.edu/content/data