If anyone is visiting near Napa or Sonoma to go wine tasting, these folks are great to talk to and taste with. Like stepping into a time machine to 1975. Their single vineyard Sand Rock Hill Zinfandel is a very good wine and comes from 130 year old vines. $17 a bottle folks. You read that right. Their Hillside White is from their old vine French Columbard, Muscat, and Chenin Blanc vines and is a great summer white. $7 a bottle folks. Incredible value considering the fruit source.
1 Like
[u]East County Today[/u] just published an article announcing the area’s winners of SF Chronicle’s annual Wine Competition.
East County Today
“Contra Costa County Wines You Are Going to Want to Try: 2022 [u]San Francisco Chronicle[/u] Wine Competition Results”
by ECT Staff
January 29, 2022
"The winegrowers of Contra Costa County showed off their skills this month at the 2022 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition where they walked away with many medals and many wines you will want to try this year.
"Bloomfield Vineyards (Cabernet Sauvignon) and Serendipity Cellars (Chardonnay) scored high honors with double gold. Bloomfield also took home a gold for the ‘Devils Daughters’ white blend.
"Meanwhile, Campos Family Vineyards nabbed a gold, Favalora Vineyards Winery scored 2 golds, and Rosenblum Cellars received a gold for its red dessert wine. Contra Costa County scored several more silver and bronze medals.
"…Frank Favalora of Favalora Vineyards Winery was thrilled with his two golds from grapes that were out of the City of Oakley. He earned gold for his Carignan/Carignane and Mourvedre.
“‘Both are from 100-year-old vines from the “Del Barba Vineyard” on Rose Avenue in the City of Oakley,’ explained Favalora. ‘People love it as my concentration is on making good wine people can enjoy.’
"He explained how his Carignan is a Spanish varietal that is used as a traditional Rosé grape; however, because it takes longest to ripen, they are typically picked earlier due to acid profile and color. However, because of the weather in Oakley, the hot weather growing season is ideal for the grape to ripen completely to make red wine with - this wine is paired well with pastas.
“‘Everybody loves our grapes from Oakley throughout California, and everyone buys them,’ said Favalora. ‘We sold a bunch of grapes to Temecula this year because they had an issue. Napa and Sonoma have bought them. Everyone loves Oakley grapes because it’s very unique, and I think people would be very surprised at just how many wines our grapes are in. The future is going to unfold well for Oakley as a wine region’…".
Favalora Vineyards Winery Instagram Post: Image Link
Bloomfield Vineyards website:
Serendipity Cellars website:
Campos Family Vineyards website:
Rosenblum Cellars website:
https://www.rosenblumcellars.com/
Favalora Vineyards Winery Facebook profile:
**The upcoming Bedrock Wine Company Spring 2022 release includes the producer’s first varietal Carignan bottling from this old-vine planting.
The “Evangelho Vineyard” has been reinvigorated under the care of Bedrock since the property was purchased by Morgan Twain-Peterson & Co. in 2017.
The following information comes from a Wine Berserkers post from MTP…**
"2020 ‘Evangelho’ Carignan, Contra Costa County:
"I cannot tell you how many times we have flirted with making an ‘Evangelho’ Carignan. We have long seen the tremendous wines made from the variety by Neyers, Desire Lines, Cruse, Calder, and others, and have taken great pride in them. Also, it is our ranch and we have access to the best sections for the variety, but we have always found it to be too important a component in the ‘Heritage Wine’ or blended elsewhere to let it shine on its own. No more.
“This wine comes predominately from Block 14, which sits atop the knoll in the very center of the vineyard and always has some of the most balanced and delicious fruit on the ranch. It is also one of the blocks that has a good amount of interplanted Mataro in it, which is included in the fermentation, which helps push more exotic perfume. Fermented with 40% whole-cluster to add brightness and spice this was aged in neutral, predominately large format barrels. Dark but bright, this is a really fun expression of the deep-sanded ‘Evangelho’ terroir.”
Bedrock Wine Conversations Podcast
Episode #26: “2022 Spring Release”
February 1, 2022
1:04:08 - “2020 ‘Evangelho’ Carignan”
Bedrock Wine Company website:
https://bedrockwineco.com
Historic Vineyard Society Profile: “Evangelho Vyd”
Jancis Robinson website
Wine Writing Contest '21
“Evangelho - The Vineyard at the End of the World”
by Chris Howard
· Grid Map: “Evangelho Vyd”
Relevant Wine Berserkers post: Link
The County of Contra Costa’s government website features links to a few resources via the Office of Communications and Media.
"Video / Streams:
"Many County public meetings are streamed live online, broadcast on cable TV, or both. Contra Costa County also has a wide variety of informational videos and public service announcements on Contra Costa Television (CCTV).
"Videos can be viewed on most desktop browsers and a range of mobile devices. If you are having problems watching the videos, you may need to update your web browser. Board of Supervisors meetings can also be seen on Contra Costa Television online at www.contracostatv.org or on television at CCTV channels Comcast 27, AT&T U-Verse 99, and WAVE 32.
· Watch live streams and videos of Board of Supervisors meetings;
· See agendas for Board of Supervisors and District meetings;
· Visit the Contra Costa Television YouTube Channel;
· Contra Costa TV Program Guide."
Board of Supervisors Meetings
> Contra Costa County Streaming Media Archive:
- Search Results:
· “Grapes”
· “Wine”
· “Agricultural” + “Preservation”
**Other County Departments & Online Tools:**County of Contra Costa website
Document Center (includes annual Ag Reports):
County of Contra Costa website
County Home: Search
Archive Center
Contra Costa County Clerk Recorder site
Fictitious Business Name:
https://www.ccclerkrec.us/clerk/clerk/fictitious-business-name/
Contra Costa County Clerk Recorder site
Record Index Search:
https://crsecurepayment.com/RW/?ln=en
(records from 1/1/1986 to present date are available)
Contra Costa County Conservation & Development
Property & Zoning Research (Laserfiche):
Contra Costa County Conservation & Development
FrameFinder:
https://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_indexes/FrameFinder/
“Web map application provided by UC Santa Barbara (USSB) Map Library. Search for and download for free more than 400,000 individual aerial photographs online from 1926 to present day.”
Contra Costa County Public Works Dept
http://records.pw.contra-costa.org/weblink/Welcome.aspx?cr=1
- Recorded Maps (Subdivisions, Minor Subdivisions, Records of Survey and Corner Records)
- Assessor Parcel Books which are annotated with additional map references
- Archived Assessor Parcel Books which include superseded pages
County of Contra Costa website
Depart. of Information TechnologyCounty GIS:
Interactive Mapping:
-
Bay Area Map (PDF)
- District and Supervisor Map (PDF)
Alameda & Contra Costa County Regional Priority Plan
ARC GIS Data Set: “Power Lines”
UC Berkeley Library
GeoData Repository: “Contra Costa County”
Contra Costa County Library
Resources: Genealogy
San Francisco Public Library
Genealogy Resources at the Library
I discovered a website that can be helpful in identifying a region’s wine producers. Geographical searches for an “Individual” or “Wine Company/Winery Name” can be performed by state or county/parish.
According to the WINDATA results, there are 47 wineries in Contra Costa (~40 after eliminating closed or relocated businesses).
WINDATA search:
https://m.wineindustrydata.com/lightsearch
Wineries of Contra Costa County:
· Alhambra Valley Ranch and Wine Company
6140 Alhambra Valley Road
Martinez CA - 94553
· Alpen Cellars
HC 2, Box 3966
Trinity Center CA - 96091
· Bard Clan Wines
P.O. Box 70503
Point Richmond CA - 94807
· Beaver Vineyards
PO Box 630
Walnut Grove CA - 95690
· Bloomfield Vineyards
633 First Street
Brentwood CA - 94513
· Campos Family Vineyards
3501 Byer Rd
Byron CA - 94514
· Captain Vineyards
1969 Joseph Dr
Moraga CA - 94556
· Carica Wines
1325 Canal Blvd
Richmond CA - 94804
· Cavus Vineyards
1556 Parkside Dr
Walnut Creek CA - 94956
· Conrad Viano Winery
150 Morello Ave
Martinez CA - 94553
· Deer Hill Vineyards
6 Lois Ln
Lafayette CA - 94549
· Four Fools Winery
13 Pacific Ave
Rodeo CA - 94572
· Glennhawk Vineyards
230 Piedmont Ln
Danville CA - 94526
· Grayson Cellars
1255 Treat Blvd
Suite 300
Walnut Creek CA - 94597
· Hannah Nicole Wines
6700 Balfour Road
Brentwood CA - 94513
· Kent Price
1259 Redwood Lane
Lafayette CA - 94549
· Les Lunes Wine
13 Cascade Lane
Orinda CA - 94563
· Los Arabis Vineyards
3890 Los Arabis Drive
Lafayette CA - 94549
· McCauley Estate Vineyards
2525 Sunset Rd
Brentwood CA - 94513
· Meadow View Winery & Newberry Estate Vineyards
81 Meadow View Rd
Orinda CA - 94563
· Orchard and Vine - Nunn Family Vineyards
550 Walnut Blvd.
Brentwood CA - 94513
· Parkhurst Wine Cellars
1003 Ashbridge Bay Dr
Pittsburg CA - 94565
· Parkmon Vineyards
55 Laird Drive
Moraga CA - 94556
· R&B Cellars
1325 Canal Boulevard
Richmond CA - 94804
· Raisin d’Etre Vineyards
3345 Hermosa Way
Lafayette CA - 94549
· Reliez Valley Vineyards
Reliez Valley
Lafayette CA - 94549
· Ricardus Corculum
1049 Lakeridge Place
San Ramon CA - 94583
· Scarlett Wines
3200 Danville Blvd
Alamo CA - 94507
· Scotto Cellars
712 Bancroft Road, #463
Walnut Creek CA - 94598
· Serendipity Cellars
421 Lone Oak
Brentwood CA - 94513
· Shadowbrook Winery
3739 Shadowbrook Court
Walnut Creek CA - 94395
· Sola Winery
5052 Forni Drive
Concord CA - 94520
· Tamayo Family Vineyards
2155 Elkins Way, Suite H
Brentwood CA - 94513
· Vineyards at Marsh Creek
Vineyard Parkway & Marsh Creek Road
Brentwood CA - 94513
· Wedl Wine Cellars
400 Tate Ln
Oakley CA - 94561
· William Welch Wines
1820 Franklin Canyon Road
Martinez CA - 94553
· Zumo Wine
1401 Marina Way S, Ste 280
Richmond CA - 94048
WINDATA website:
https://m.wineindustrydata.com/
Journalist Elizabeth Smith wrote an article after her visit to the “Del Barba Ranch” and its “Louie’s Block” in Oakley. She spoke with Tom and Frank Del Barba, Julian Erggelet, and Matt Parish for this exploration of an old-vine Contra Costa site.
Wine Bulletin
“Contra Costa’s ‘Del Barba Ranch’ and ‘Louie’s Block’: Quest for Survival”
by Elizabeth Smith
December 16, 2021
"…The ‘Del Barba Ranch’ and its 12-acre block of Carignane, Mataro (also known as Mourvèdre or Monastrell), and Zinfandel…dates to the late 1800s, around the time first-generation immigrant Venanzio Del Barba departed Lucca, Italy, and settled in Oakley. After working on the railroad and as a farmer for a few years, he opened a general store, then purchased the ranch vineyards on Rose Avenue with the income from these endeavors. The Del Barba family likened the area’s Mediterranean climate and influence of bodies of water like the nearby San Joaquin River and San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bays to Lucca. ‘I check the weather in Lucca nearly every day and it is almost identical to Oakley,’ said [fourth-generation wine grape farmer Tom] Del Barba.
"…Tom Del Barba took me on a tour of his family’s ranch. He led me to these 12 precious acres of approximately four each of Mataro, Carignane, and Zinfandel. In this pristine block, which is lovingly nicknamed ‘Louie’s Block’ after Del Barba’s Uncle Louie, who died in 2010, the vines are multiclonal and own-rooted, not grafted, which means they grew from vine cuttings and established their own roots. ‘The depth of the tap roots are at least 10 feet through many shades of calcium,’ said [vineyard consultant Julian] Erggelet.
“…It is the Del Barba family’s impeccable and consistent multigenerational farming that has made ‘Louie’s Block’ the centerpiece of the ranch and one of Contra Costa County’s best. ‘This original parcel of centennial vines is strong and healthy because of the farming integrity of the caretakers, the Del Barbas. They have demonstrated unparalleled dedication and perseverance throughout the generations,’ said Erggelet.”
"…Several years ago, [winemaker Matt] Parish tasted a wine made from ‘Del Barba Ranch’ fruit. It made such an impact that he soon met with Tom Del Barba, and the two decided to work together. Both the fruit quality and the history inspired him to make two wines, his Rosé of Carignan and Mourvèdre and ‘Louie’s Block’ Old Vine Zinfandel.
"…Parish is the only winemaker sourcing and making a wine from ‘Louie’s Block’s’ four acres of Zinfandel. The berries have a complex vertical profile due to the vigor-reduced, small-bush, and head-trained vines that produce a lower yield, but more intensity. ‘Selecting the “Del Barba Ranch” was simple. Here you have a 130-year-old block planted in well-suited sandy soils that has been impeccably farmed by the same family for four generations. This enables me to make a floral and refreshing rosé in the targeted Provence style and a decadent Zinfandel that is rich, dark, and textured,’ said Parish.
"…Since 2016, Erggelet and his brother, Sebastian, have been making a small-production Carignane from ‘Louie’s Block’ under their Erggelet Brothers label.
“…Fred Del Barba, who is 86-years-old, still works daily in the vineyard alongside Tom. As we discussed the urbanization of Contra Costa, the two shared an exchange about looking towards the city of Antioch’s rooftops a few decades ago. Tom asked, ‘The houses are coming. How much longer will we be here?’ Fred replied, ‘I’ll be dead by then.’ When I asked how they have managed to withstand the citification of Oakley, Tom replied, ‘If we are making a living, we don’t need to sell. The natives and longtime residents would rather see vineyards than more shopping centers or houses.’ The magnificent vines of ‘Louie’s Block’ owe their continued existence to the Del Barba family’s stewardship of the land and the preservation efforts of Parish, Erggelet, and others…”.
To my understanding, Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon bottled two Contra Costa red wines bearing the name “Louie” on the label:
Cork Hoarder
“Bonny Doon 2000 ‘Empire Vyd/Louie Vyd/Laurel Vyd’ Zinfandel”
December 12, 2011
The Gourmez
“Randall Grahm’s Uncle Louie Vineyard Zinfandel 2013”
June 26, 2015
The Del Barba family owns multiple vineyards, and farms others, including:
• SW corner of Main St and Rose Ave, Oakley, CA;
• 4631 Rose Ave, Oakley (9.8 acres);
• 4351 Rose Ave, Oakley;
• ~800 Laurel Rd, Oakley (23.14 acres);
• “Oakley Road Vyd” (farmed).
Some information was shared about the Del Barba properties on this earlier thread post.
Another thread post, focusing on the work of the Erggelet brothers, provides additional details on specific Del Barba family vineyards.
Naked Wines’ profile of Matt Parish:
https://us.nakedwines.com/producers/matt-parish
Erggelet Wine website:
https://www.erggeletwine.com
A 2018 Instagram post from Vasco Urbano highlighted an old Grenache planting, the “Cortez Vineyard” in Knightsen.
Vasco Urbano Wine Cellars Instagram post
“Cortez Vineyard”:
“‘Cortez’ Grenache: 73-year-old head-trained vines from Knightsen, Contra Costa.”
In the 2018 vintage, Vasco Urbano also harvested Carignan grapes from the tiny “Trembath Vyd” in Antioch. The ancient +2-acre vineyard was discussed previously on this thread.
I have not succeeded in locating the “Cortez Vineyard”. I cannot but wonder if it is known by another name.
One candidate could be the “Massoni Vyd” - not to be confused with Three Wine Company’s estate “Mazzoni Vyd” - at the border of Oakley and Knightsen:• Massoni Vineyard: 2470 Tule Lane, Oakley @ Knightsen boundary; a Cline Cellars fruit source (49 acres)
› Massoni Vineyard:
The “Massoni Vineyard” (ACVP #13), along with the “Big Break Vyd”, provides the Grenache component (16%) of Cline Cellars’ “Cashmere” blend. This bottling also includes 62% Mourvedre, 22% Syrah.
Winery data sheets indicate the sources of the Grenache grapes (“Massoni” and “Big Break”), yet omit the remaining sites tapped for the “Cashmere” red wine. Perhaps the Mourvèdre and Syrah fruit are harvested from Cline’s estate vineyards in Contra Costa and Sonoma, respectively.
A “Massoni Vineyard” is locate on Tule Rd, just outside the Oakley city limits. I believe that another “Massoni Vyd” once existed.
Nottingham Cellars YouTube video
“NCTV Behind the Vines - Harvest 2018: Week 3”
March 27, 2019
Vasco Urbano / Nottingham Cellars website:
Vasco Urbano Wine Cellars Instagram page:
Nottingham Cellars Instagram page:
*** EDIT ***
Per a document from 2017, there exists an agricultural business specializing in “wine grapes” called “Cortez”. This 16-acre vineyard is located at 2560 Tule Ln, Brentwood, which is in close proximity to the “Massoni Vyd”.
I do not understand, however, why the above Vasco Urbano Instagram post describes the “Cortez Vyd” as head-trained, when it is apparent from the accompanying photo that this is not true.
Document cited: Link (PDF)
Mr Joel Peterson of Once & Future Wine Co. posted the following images of the “Oakley Road Vineyard” on his Instagram page. Once & Future bottles a vineyard-designated Zinfandel and Mataro from this ancient-growth site.
Once & Future Wine Instagram post:
“Oakley Road Vyd” 2021 Zinfandel Cluster
“Zinfandel mimicking Pinot Noir in Oakley. The clusters are very small with no wings - the result of almost no rainfall this year.”
Once & Future Wine Instagram post:
2021: “The Sandman in the Oakley Sandlands”
Once & Future Wine Instagram post:
“Oakley Road Vyd” Carignan Vine
Once & Future is scheduled to release its two red wines from the “Oakley Road Vyd” on March 8, 2022. From a winery email announcement:
"2020 Oakley Road Mataro / 248 cases
"‘The 2020 Mataro Oakley Road Vineyard is an attractive wine with lovely aromatic presence and plenty of complexity. Dried flowers, tobacco, mint, earthiness, spice and dried red cherry fruit all open nicely in the glass. The 2020 is a bit compact and dried out in its flavor profile. I would prefer to drink it sooner rather than later. Harvest was on August 18, very much on the early side.’
"88 Points - Vinous, Antonio Galloni
Review Date - January 2022
"2020 Oakley Road Zinfandel / 307 cases
"‘The 2020 Zinfandel Oakley Road Vineyard shows the natural richness of the year in its overt personality. Harvest was on August 12! Succulent red cherry, tobacco, mint, dried flowers and spice are all kicked up in this exuberant Contra Costa Zinfandel. The 2020 is distinguished by its strong fruit presence and overall allure.’
“92 Points - Vinous, Antonio Galloni
Review Date - January 2022”
Zinfandel Advocates & Producers (ZAP!) Instagram post:
Contra Costa soil
“You know you are a true Zinfandel fan when you get excited to hear Joel Peterson talk about why sandy soil from Contra Costa County makes great Zins.”
Once & Future Wine Company website:
Once & Future Wine Instagram page:
As previously discussed, the vineyards of Antioch and Oakley occasionally serve a secondary purpose - dumping grounds of convenience.
Mr Jake Neustadt, viticulturalist at Bedrock Wine Company, shared the following on Instagram a year ago:
"I’ve found a lot of surprising things underneath the bush vines of Antioch/Oakley. Many of these items have underscored the inherent incongruity of these pre-1900s plantings and their surroundings. At this time, I don’t know if anything will ever beat this single, perfectly-placed, aftermarket rim I came across this morning in the “Evangelho’ Carignan…”
Wine Berserkers
“2-Part ‘Oakley Road Vyd’ Post in Tony Poer’s al Dente Blog”
May 31, 2021
“…In the Oakley Road neighborhood, simply respecting the vineyards, let alone caring for them, appears strictly to be the concern of growers and winemakers. At the bottom of the slope where we’d entered, random pieces of trash and refuse lay scattered: water bottles, tires, a mattress, an air conditioning grill, and, oddly, a single golf ball. But the most conspicuous thing I saw was a beat-up washing machine, which someone had actually made the effort to drag into the vineyard. Whoever the culprit, they were thoughtful enough not to dump it directly on one of the Mataro vines, an antique plant that has probably been around longer than most household appliances. They came pretty close, however…”.
- Tony Poer, "Joel Peterson & Mataro: The Weird Orchard of Oakley, Part Two", al Dente Wine Blog
Bonny Doon Vyds website:
“Keynote Speech at Wines and Vines Packaging Conference, August 9th, 2018, Yountville, CA”
by Randall Grahm
August 15, 2018
"… I had had a lot of experience working with the old-vine Carignane, Zinfandel and Mourvèdre vineyards of Contra Costa County for several wines, and so, it seemed that I could potentially re-purpose them for a higher concept (i.e. old vine) blended wine, which we would call ‘Contra’. What could possibly go wrong?
“I wanted to somehow capture the the sense of place of Oakley and Antioch, CA, and if you know the area at all, somehow this photograph of an abandoned couch in the vineyard very cogently expresses the je ne sais quoi of these (ahem) charming Delta towns…”.
al Dente Wine blog
“Joel Peterson & Mataro: The Weird Orchard of Oakley…”
by Tony Poer
· “…Part One”
April 9, 2021
· “…Part Two”
April 30, 2021
The Contra Costa Special Districts’ July, 2019, newsletter described a service that could assist local grape-growers:
Jake Neustadt Instagram page:
Bedrock Wine Co. website:
https://bedrockwineco.com/
Contra Costa Special Districts
“Contra Costa Resource Conservation District”:
Contra Costa Resource Conservation District website:
https://www.ccrcd.org/
Only today did I notice that Mr Jake Neustadt’s Instagram page included @solerasdelpacifico in his biography.
Soleras del Pacifico is the personal winemaking endeavor from Bedrock’s acclaimed viticulturalist.
On the Bedrock Wine Conversations Podcast, I recall hearing that Jake Neustadt was creating a solera-style wine from the “Evangelho Vineyard’s” Palomino grapes. I honestly never expected that enough would be produced to be available for purchase. This is exciting news!
Soleras del Pacifico Instagram post:
“The golden giants of ‘Evangelho Vineyard’”
“Sherry Was the First Wine that I Fell in Love With”
"…I was practicing viticulture in California’s old vine vineyards, first with Ridge Vineyards and then with my current employer, Bedrock Wine Co. I was drawn to the interplanted Palomino vines not only for their permanent association with Sherry, but also for their incredible vitality, drought tolerance, crimson foliage and richly golden clusters. Knowing my love for sherry, I was offered the chance to make wine from the Palomino vines interplanted within Bedrock’s ‘Evangelho Vineyard’ in 2017. Now many harvests later, I have a small solera of this wine that is ready to share.
"Soleras del Pacifico seeks to learn how this variety, made to its full potential through the techniques of the old world, expresses itself in California.
-Jake Neustadt"
Soleras del Pacifico: “Vineyard”
“…In 2017 myself and the Bedrock Wine Co. viticulture team mapped the entire 33-acre [Evangelho] vineyard by variety. The field blend is made up of predominately Zinfandel, Mataro (Mourvedre) and Carignan, but interspersed throughout the planting are just over 100 Palomino vines. That same year, myself and a few willing friends made the weekend morning trip out to Antioch to pick this fruit and press it before the rest of the field was harvested. We’ve done it each year since, slowly building the Flor of Evangelho Solera one or two barrels at a time.”
Soleras del Pacifico website:
Soleras del Pacifico Instagram page:
In a February 24, 2022, email, Post & Vine announced the release of its 2021 vintage Contra Costa Rosé:
"We are incredibly excited to share with you the new vintage of our Rosé of Carignane! This release marks our third year producing a rosé, and our third year working with Carignane as a singular varietal.
“…Our 2021 Rosé of Carignane is once again coming from the ‘Sandy Lane Vineyard’ in Contra Costa County. These 120-year-old vines live in the very deep, extremely well drained, sandy soils that have allowed these vines to thrive, dry-farmed for so many decades. These gnarly old vines produce small clusters of Carignane with rich flavor and mouthwatering acidity.”
From Post & Vine website:
“Crisp and thirst quenching, the 2021 Post & Vine Rosé of Carignane is a dry, vibrant rosé that combines fresh fruit and spicy character. Aromas of watermelon, fresh strawberry, chamomile and salt spray blend with flavors of blood orange, thyme and raspberry. Bright and refreshing, this wine pairs perfectly with seafood, spicy dishes, and summer days.”
January 11, 2022, Post & Vine Instagram post:
Post & Vine website:
The preservation of historically significant vineyards is one of this thread’s themes. Therefore, it seems fitting to share a 54-year-old article expressing concern for the survival of Viano Winery’s grapevines.
The Port Richmond History Association’s website features downloadable copies of archived newsletters.
[u]Point Counterpoint[/u], Volume III, #21
“Viano Winery News”
by Gerrie Kretzmer
August 30 - September 6, 1968
Today, the minimum acreage requirement for agricultural conservation status in Contra Costa is 10 acres, not 100 acres. Sadly, most of the county’s ancient vineyards are too small to meet this criteria.
A January 16, 2022, thread post provided details about the old-vine estate plantings at Conrad Viano Winery.
Viano Winery website:
Viano Winery Instagram video:
2020 photo montage
Port Richmond History Association website:
https://pointrichmondhistory.org/
In the summer of 2020, Zinfandel Advocates & Producers (ZAP!) featured the following post from Matt Cline of Three Wine Company on its Instagram account:
Zinfandel Advocates & Producers (ZAP!) Instagram post:
Three Wine Co.
"'The name of our winery @threewinecompany is all about the three most important parts of winemaking:
The dirt (like this sandy soil from the “Live Oak Vineyard” in Contra Costa County)
The micro climate
The people (and hoping the people don’t screw it up!)’ - Matt Cline"
Zinfandel Advocates & Producers (ZAP!) website:
Three Wine Co. website:
The 2022 Release from Once & Future Wine Company has begun. The 2020 vintage “Oakley Road Vineyard” Mataro and Zinfandel red varietals number among the 8 single-vineyard bottlings.
“2020 Vintage: It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.”-With apologies to Charles Dickens
"The year 2020 was the best of times. After two excellent vintages with large crops, and rumors of surplus wine, we had a smaller crop of intensely flavored fruit. Yields were down 20 to 30%. The year was a little reminiscent of the excellent 1976 drought year, my first Ravenswood vintage. The winter was warm, and there was less than half the normal rainfall, a cool midyear growing season, a serious heat spike in August, and a somewhat early harvest. In my 49 years of winemaking, we have had a number of vintages that were a similar variation of 2020. Conditions like these create smaller clusters and smaller berries with thicker skins. Thick skins and small berries lead to darker, more concentrated red wines. Weather conditions like those of 2020 also tend to create more complex, interesting wines. Indeed, the red wines of 2020 from Once & Future are concentrated, flavorful, and interesting, and will be long lived. If that was all there was to say about the 2020 vintage, we would all be smiling and toasting one another. Unfortunately, toasting takes on an alternate meaning when referring to this vintage.
"The year 2020 was the worst of times. Fire! Fire! Fire! It seemed like all of California was burning. Drought, heat, and lightning are great ingredients for out-of-control wildfires. That is exactly what we had. California had 367 known fires, all started by the August 16-17 severe thunderstorm that was the remnant of tropical storm Fausto. Fausto is a name that means ‘lucky’ or ‘fortunate’. I suppose there is some irony in that. It was bad, but it is lucky for us that it wasn’t worse. Then, on September 27, another fire of unknown cause, the Glass Fire, began to burn. At times, the smoke in some places became quite intense. We were unable to harvest some of our most precious fruit.
"…But it was the best of times. The good news is that there were vineyards (‘Oakley Road’ Mataro and Zinfandel) that got picked before the fires started or, like ‘Teldeschi’ Zinfandel, got picked before the smoke got to them. There was no worry about these wines being smoke-affected.
"…Needless to say, every wine that we made in 2020 was sent to Australia for testing. Only those that came back as unaffected were bottled for release.
"…In times like these, it is particularly important for winemakers to be working with grape growers who are dedicated to producing grapes that make exceptional wine. The 2020 vintage was especially difficult for growers and required their upmost diligence in the vineyard and responsiveness to both the needs of the wine and the needs of an antsy winemaker.
"Hence, I am dedicating this newsletter about the 2020 vintage to them. You need to know them; they are a special group. If the fires were difficult for me in 2020, they were doubly difficult for them. Here they are, in no particular order.
“Tom Del Barba is a fourth-generation digger of the Delhi sands of Oakley. His great-grandfather, Venzano, from Lucca, Italy, would be impressed with how his family has stayed attached to the land. Tom and his 85-plus-year-old father, Fred, still work together in the vineyards. Tom is a bit cynical about the urban sprawl occurring in Oakley, but like the vineyards he farms, he is resilient and will continue to care for his family history and heritage until it no longer makes sense…”.
“2020 ‘Oakley Road Vineyard’ Mataro Contra Costa”
88 Points - Vinous, Antonio Galloni
Review Date: January 2022
“The 2020 ‘Oakley Road’ Mataro has an aromatic presence that provides regional definition and plenty of interest. Lush, but refined, ripe cherry fruit sweetness is supported by subtle scents of wild herbs with hints of vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg. Spicy, sweet fruit flavors dominate the pallet leading to a soft, round, mouth watering finish that is very characteristic of wines grown in the Oakley sands.”
120-year-old vines, 8x8 head pruned, Picked 8/18/2020, pH 3.64, TA 5.6 g/L, 277 cases bottled in July 2021."
“2020 ‘Oakley Road Vineyard’ Zinfandel Contra Costa”
92 Points - Vinous, Antonio Galloni
Review Date: January 2022
“The 2020 Zinfandel ‘Oakley Road Vineyard’ shows the natural richness of the year in its overt personality. Harvest was on August 12! Succulent red cherry, tobacco, mint, dried flowers and spice are all kicked up in this exuberant Contra Costa Zinfandel. The 2020 is distinguished by its strong fruit presence and overall allure.”
“120-year-old vines, 8x8 Head Pruned, Picked 8/12/2020, pH 3.62, TA 5.6 g/L, 328 cases bottled in November 2021.”
Once & Future Wine website:
Once & Future Wine Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/onceandfuturewine/
The information that I have been able to gather from the internet asserts that the Gonsalves family owns, leases, or farms the following Contra Costa vineyards.
Gonsalves & Sandy Lane Vyds Roster:
“ACVP” = City of Oakley’s Agriculture Conservation & Viticulture Preservation
Gonsalves Family
ACVP #66A Blue
350 Sandy Ln, Oakley
0.78 acres
CC APN 037-080-019
Google Earth APN 037-080-019-5
ACVP #66B Blue
361 Sandy Ln, Oakley
2.20 acres
County APN 037-050-005
Google Earth APN 037-050-005-0
Sandy Lane Properties
ACVP #04 Red
487 Sandy Ln, Oakley
14.65 acres
County APN 037-050-015
Google Earth APN 037-050-015-9
ACVP #67 Blue
310 Sandy Ln, Oakley
3.87 acres
County APN 037-080-024
Google Earth APN 037-080-24-5
ACVP #10 Red
“Oakley Road Vyd”
~5000 Oakley Rd, Oakley
14.3 acres
County APN 051-210-025
Google Earth APN 051-210-025-6
“Driving Range (Big) Vineyard”
2901 E 18th St, Antioch
E of Vineyard Drive, W of “Evangelho Vyd”
20.182 acres (12 acres planted)
APN 051-052-086
“Vineyard Lane Vyd”
?? E 18th St, Antioch
E of “Evangelho Vyd”, W of Inflate & Go Tires
18.75 acres
APN 051-052-006
“Little Big Block Vineyard”
?? E 18th St, Antioch
NW of “Evangelho Vyd”
16.84 acres
APN 051-052-053
Gonsalves Real Estate
ACVP #07 Red
~5350 Elm Ln, Oakley
4.7 acres
County APN 051-210-019
Google Earth APN 051-210-019-9
(Uprooted)
According to County of Contra Costa documents, 13 Oakley/Antioch viticultural properties are listed with Dan or Gary Gonsalves as the agricultural permittee.
Dan Gonsalves:
· “Bigalow Vyd” (“Oakley Road Vyd”):
W of Neroly Rd & N of Oakley Rd
14 acres
· “Sandy Lane Estate Vyd”:
E of Neroly Rd & S of Hwy 4
17 acres
· “Empire Estate Vyd”:
E of Empire & S of Hwy 4
0.5 acres
· “Elm Lane Vyd” (Sandy Lane Properties):
Elm Ln, W of Neroly Rd
7 acres
(Uprooted)
· “Steruds Vyd” (Sandy Lane Properties):
Corner of Oakley Rd & Neroly Rd
8 acres
· “Big Vineyard”/“Vineyard Lane”
NW side of Vineyard Ln, Antioch
26 acres
· “1-A Vyd” (“Alvarez Vyd”):
SE 18th St & Hwy 4
6 acres
· “Estate Vyd” (“Sandy Lane Old House Zin”):
310 Sandy Ln, Oakley
4 acres
Gary Gonsalves:
· # 1 (Oakley):
N of Oakley Rd & E of Willow Ave
5.5 acres
· #2:
975 Carpenter Rd (S of Carpenter)
4 acres
· #3:
Corner of Live Oak & Oakley Rd
1 acre
· #5 (“Planchon Vyd”):
SE Corner of Empire Ave & Laurel Rd
7 acres
· #6 (“Madruga Vyd”):
W of Knightsen Ave & N of Curlew
8 acres
Not the “Manuel Madruga Vyd”
· “Driving Range Vyd”:
E of Vineyard Dr, Antioch
12 acres planted
Regarding Gonsalves properties North of E 18th Street in Antioch, it should be noted that a family member owns Tri-Valley Drywall Co. This business is situated amidst the grapevines at 1971 Vine Lane, at the eastern end of Vine Lane and West of the rapidly expanding commercial structures on Vineyard Drive.
I believe this indicates that Sandy Lane Properties/Gonzalves family might have a long-term lease on the nearby PG&E right-of-way.
Contra Costa County Assessor’s Office
Maps & Property Information
County of Contra Costa
Document Center: “2020 Permittee Operator Data” (PDF):
Historic Vineyard Society profile: “Planchon Vyd”
Thought I’d post (not very good) photos of two wines I’ve helped bottle in the past couple of weeks that were made from Contra Costa County fruit.
The 2021 Doren “Josie” Rosé was sourced from Mourvèdre at Marsh Creek (Trilogy) Vineyard near Brentwood. You may recall that I posted about this when I helped with sorting this fruit last August: https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3312983#p3312983
The 2021 Broc Grenache Rosé was sourced from Corteza Vineyard, which I believe is near Knightsen.
Thanks for sharing, Ken!! ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
As noted in older posts, Diablo Vista Vineyards (the late Dwight Meadows) was involved in planting the Vineyards at Marsh Creek.
I would imagine that Broc’s “Corteza Vyd” Grenache Rosé was sourced from the aforementioned “Cortez Vyd”. The “Cortez Vyd” provided fruit for the recent Vasco Urbano (Nottingham Cellars) Grenache Rosé bottling.
According to the Broc website, the “Corteza Vyd” is in Knightsen, and was planted 31 years ago. The “Cortez Vyd” is located on the border between Oakley and Brentwood. Its vines allegedly are +73-year-old.
from Broc Cellars’ 2021 “Corteza Vineyard” Grenache Rosé datasheet:
“…‘Corteza Vineyard’ is located in Contra Costa Country in the historic town of Knightsen. The Grenache was planted in 1991 and the soil consists of clay loam. Artemio Cortez purchased the vineyard in 2015. He has a young family of five so it is important for him to farm the vineyard with natural nutrients, completely free of chemicals – using only organic practices. We are excited to continue working with the Grenache from ‘Corteza’ for next year.”
Doren Wines website:
Broc Cellars website:
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Oftentimes I have wondered whether or not “Sandy Lane Vineyard” was a geographically-specific vineyard designation.
Sometimes it appeared the “Sandy Lane” name was applied to wines from any Gonsalves family property. Then again, why would “Sandy Lane Vineyard” apply to any site other than…Sandy Lane in Oakley?
Mr David Gates of Ridge Vineyards might have provided me with a definitive answer.
Each of the following Instagram posts includes tagged phrases to help identify the subject and location. All three were made in 2019, and include a brief video clip. “Happy Labor Day”, the last one, features a few photographs as well.
David Gates Instagram 2019 post:
“CoCo Carignane in bloom! Mataro & Zin not far behind.”
#harvest2019 #cococo #coco #carignane #evangelho #sandylane #vineyarddrive #antioch #notoakley #butclose #deltasand #historicvineyardsociety
“Location Antioch, California”
David Gates Instagram 2019 post:
“Sandy Lane Carignane pick”
#ridgevineyards #carignane #sandylane #contracostacounty #grapes #wine #harvest2019 #historicvineyardsociety
“Location Antioch, California”
David Gates Instagram 2019 post:
“Happy Labor Day”
#ridgevineyards #sandylane #mataro #carignane #contracostacounty #historicvineyardsociety #wine #harvest2019
“Location Antioch, California”
Ridge Vineyards has produced red wines from old-vine sites in Antioch and Oakley as far back as 1990.
Recently, the winery released a 2018 Mataro and a 2019 Carignane from the “Gonsalves Vyd” (aka, “Sandy Lane Vyd”). An “Evangelho Vyd” field blend was made in both vintages.
Ridge Vineyards website:
https://www.ridgewine.com/
The Dutch Slough Tidal Restoration Project in northeast Oakley is home to an old-vine Carignan vineyard.
Referred to by different names over the past +10 years, it appears that the site now is known as the “Joaquin José Vineyard”.
A single-vineyard wine is produced from this 14-acre location by Matt and Erin Cline’s Three Wine Company, bottled as the “Lucchesi Vyd” Carignan. Recent winery social media posts have taken to calling it the “JJ Vyd”.
David Gates of Ridge Vineyards shared several images of the 2019 “Joaquin José Vyd” harvest. I do not know whether this fruit was blended into other wines, or if it was tested as a possible candidate for a future bottling.
David Gates Instagram 2019 post:
“Finishing CoCoCo with Joaquín Jose carignane curtesy of #3winecompany”
#contracostacounty #carignane #historicvineyardsociety #harvest2019 #sundayfunday☀️ #ridgevineyards
“Location Big Break Regional Trail”
Ridge Vineyards website:
https://www.ridgewine.com/
Additional Resources
Romick in Oakley Blog
“Ancient Vines Along Marsh Creek”
by Kevin Romick
April 2, 2013
- Blog Entries: “Dutch Slough Restoration”
City of Oakley
“Preservation of 14-Acre Vineyard Within the Dutch Slough Wetlands Restoration Project Area” (Jan 28, 2016)
CA Dept of Water Resources
Dutch Slough Tidal Restoration Project
Wine Berserkers
“Contra Costa Wine Heritage”
Thread Post: Sept 4, 2018
Fine Disregard’s Spring 2022 Release includes the '20 vintage Mataro (Mourvèdre) from Oakley’s “Pato Vyd”.
from Fine Disregard’s Spring Release email:
“…Sadly, this Release also bids farewell to two of our favorite wines, ‘Mule Plane’ Carignane and ‘Pato Vineyard’ Mataro. Because of California’s unrelenting drought, yields were so low in 2021 that there simply wasn’t enough fruit for us in either ‘Mule Plane’ or ‘Pato’. They’re remarkable vineyards, however, and we hope to work with both of them again one day soon…”.
“2020 ‘Pato Vineyard’ Mataro”
“From head trained, own rooted vines planted before Prohibition in the beach like Delhi Blow Sands of Contra Costa County. The block includes some interplanted Carignane and sits atop a gentle knoll facing Mt. Diablo, exposing it to the cooling breezes of the California Delta two miles away. 100% whole cluster and fermented spontaneously, then aged fourteen months sur lie in a neutral 500L French oak puncheon. (56 cases produced)”
Fine Disregard website:
https://www.finedisregardwine.com/
More information about Fine Disregard’s Contra Costa bottling can be read about on this thread post (includes link to interview on Wine Misfits podcast).
The 2019 “Pato Vineyard” Mataro received 93 points in the February, 2022, issue of Wine & Spirits magazine.
** EDIT **
Fine Disregard sent out an email previewing the winery’s March 28, 2023, Spring release of new bottlings. Among the wines will be an “old vine Mataro from the ‘Del Barba Vineyard’ in Contra Costa.”