Santa Clara & San Benito Wine Heritage

[Drew_Goin]

In a previous thread post I stated that I would search for more information about John P. Ohrwall. I found his name - mentioned along with his father and Professor Frederic Bioletti - in a history of Cienega Valley viticulture. The property, owned by Valliant in 1955, later would be a fruit source for Almaden until the 1990s.


Visit California Online website: “History”
A View of California Wines & Wineries
“Santa Clara - Santa Cruz - Notable Wineries By District And Region: San Benito - Valliant Vineyards, Hollister”, 1955

"…The story of the Cienega, or Grass, Valley Vineyards was quite different. In 1908 Professor Bioletti, the great viticulturist and enologist of the University of California, interested Dr. Harold Ohrwall, a San Francisco physician, in developing an experimental vineyard in this area, considered exceptionally well suited to the production of fine table wines. Bioletti’s association with the enterprise lasted only a couple of years, but the Ohrwall family operated the winery and vineyards continuously until their acquisition, in 1944, by W. A. Taylor & Company and the Hiram Walker interests. Dr. Ohrwall’s son, John P. Ohrwall, a graduate of the University of California, who has been associated with the Cienega Valley property all his life, is now the manager for both vineyard ranches…".

Further research uncovered an announcement from a September, 1907, publication, indicating the purchase of the land with the intent of creating vineyards (see below).**

Visit California Online: “History”
A View of California Wines & Wineries (1955)

*** EDIT ***

Additional Information:


Professor Frederic T. Bioletti:

“In Memoriam”

Dr. Harold Ohrwall:

San Jose Mercury News, Vol LXXIII, No 63
"Berkeley Instructors Buy Hollister Land "
September 1, 1907



John P. Ohrwall:

“Name of the Area”
cited in “Establishment of Viticultural Region, San Benito” in Quarterly Bulletin, Volume 4
by US Bureau of ATF (1987)

“Funeral”

Note: An "Ohrwall Ranch" once existed in southeast San Benito County. It is mentioned in a 1960 publishing of Climatological Data: California, as well as in the 1993 TTB/ATF “Hames Valley AVA” petition’s region map.

The “Paicines Ohrwall Ranch” appears to have been the same site as Almaden Cellars’ Blossom Hill Road property.

[Drew_Goin]

The cluster of vineyards along Redwood Retreat Road, just West of Gilroy, in Santa Clara County has been a source of mystery.

Who owns this or that vineyard, and what grape varieties are grown there? How old are the vines? What wineries source fruit from these vineyards?

Morgan Hill Life’s “Hike with Mike” series provides a little bit of background on the Redwood Retreat Road cul-de-sac.

Morgan Hill Life
“Hike with Mike: Robert Louis Stevenson’s Literary Connections to South County”
by Mike Monroe / Robert Airoldi
February13, 2015

Google Books
Wineries of Santa Clara Valley excerpt: “Fernwood Cellars”
by Bev Stenehjem

The late Claudia Salewske wrote a couple of books on the history of Gilroy. The older book is almost impossible to track down, but her contribution to the Images of America series of books is not:

Images of America: Gilroy
by Claudia Salewske
Text Search: “Redwood Retreat”


Fernwood Cellars website:
“History”
https://www.fernwoodcellars.com/history

Martin Ranch Winery website:
https://www.martinranchwinery.com/

Bates Ranch / Janaca Vineyards website:
https://www.batesranch.com/

Mt Madonna County Park website:
https://www.sccgov.org/sites/parks/parkfinder/Pages/MtMadonna.aspx

[Drew_Goin]

I would like to thank Mr Bradley Brown of Big Basin Vineyards for sending me the following information in an email.


"…We had been splitting the ‘Wirz’ Carignane with River Run from 2011 (I think) to 2016 when River Run decided to pack up shop. I had told Pat that I wanted it all if it ever became available, and sure enough he offered it to me. Since the beginning, it has been a key component of our ‘Homestead’ blend which includes Mourvèdre from the old ‘Graff Family Vineyard’ in Chalone, and Syrah and Grenache from ‘Coastview’, our estate, and sometimes ‘Chalone’.

"Now that we are getting more, it plays a central role in this wine which has been getting great reviews and amazing BTG placements at fine restaurants. We are also now using about half picked earlier and whole cluster pressed for our Provençale-style dry Rosé which also includes smaller amounts of Grenache and Mourvèdre. And we are just about to bottle our first 100% ‘Wirz Vineyard’ Carignan from the 2017 vintage! While we might not do this every year, it is fun to see how it works.

“One more note, I sourced some of the ‘Wirz’ Riesling for one of Mark Bright’s projects that we make for him. I am not sure of the label it will go under, but likely will be Saison…”.


Big Basin Vineyards website:
https://www.bigbasinvineyards.com


Vimeo Video: “Big Basin Vineyards”

https://vimeo.com/62361790

[Drew_Goin]

I have not given proper attention to the Pinot Noir vineyards and wines of Santa Clara & San Benito Counties - particularly Calera Winery.

Calera Wine Company:
https://www.calerawine.com
Address:
11300 Cienega Road, Hollister, CA

Here are three The PinotFile weblinks related to Pinot Noir sites in Santa Clara Valley and San Benito AVAs:

• “Calera: Pinot Grows Where Limestone Flows”
September 2, 2007

• “Iconic Calera Wine Company: 32 Vintages of Estate Pinot Noir”
November 24, 2010

The PinotFile: _“Vineyards by Appellation”_:

• Appellation: Cienega Valley (California)
  “Eden Rift”

• Appellation: Mt. Harlan
  “Calera”
  “de Villiers”
  “Jensen”
  “Mills”
  “Reed”
  “Ryan”

• Appellation: San Benito County (CA Central Coast (south of SF Bay))
  “Flint”
  “Gemelli”

• Appellation: Santa Clara Valley (California)
  “Dellamaggiore”
  “Dwarf Oak”

• Region: CA Central Coast (south of SF Bay)
  “Vista Verde”

The Prince of Pinot / The PinotFile website:
http://www.princeofpinot.com

[Drew_Goin]

Mr Randy Smith recently interviewed Nicole Walsh of Bonny Doon Vineyard and Ser Winery.


The Wine Write blog
“A Chat With Nicole Walsh of Ser Winery”
by Randy Smith
January 28, 2019


"…The Wine Write: ‘What is the significance of your label’s name?’

"Nicole: '“Ser” is a Spanish word meaning to express identity or origin. I had read an article when I was trying to figure out what my concept was going to be and what I would name the brand. I didn’t really know what I was doing. I needed direction. Andrew Jefford wrote a story called “Wine and Astonishment”. I read that a couple of times and had an epiphany moment. What he said was exactly how I felt about wine. I want to focus on a single varietal, vineyard designated wine that is made as naturally as possible. The goal would be to express a place for that vintage.'"




"…The Wine Write: ‘How do you find the vineyards you want to use?’

"Nicole: 'Because of my history with grower relations at Bonny Doon I had made a lot of contacts with vineyard owners all over the place. In the days where we made “Big House Red” and “Big House White”, I was really all over the map. I learned a lot and met a lot of people. I started to understand who was growing what and at what quality levels.

"‘My first thought for Ser was Pat Wirz and “Wirz Vineyard” in the Cienega Valley. I had worked with him for quite awhile. I knew he had old vines. He farmed organically and dry-farmed the vineyard. It’s a cool climate. All that intrigued me. It was gold, something special you don’t find everywhere. I started with Pat.’


…"The Wine Write: We’ve often heard that Pinot Noir reflects where it’s grown very well. Do you find that with the other varietals you make?’

"Nicole: Definitely. Chardonnay is also an amazing translator of site. It really expresses where it is grown. I am working with a pretty rare grape called Cabernet Pfeffer. There are only a handful of growers in the area that have it. I’ve noticed huge differences in the way those wines come out. Pat Wirz introduced me to this variety. He told me that it was a cross of Cabernet Sauvignon and Trousseau that came over here in the late 1800s. DNA testing later revealed it’s a totally separate variety [Mourtaou] with no relationship to Cabernet Sauvignon. It has distinct white pepper qualities. It’s a cool grape that does a good job of reflecting site.’


“The Wine Write: There are a number of fascinating wine stories in the Santa Cruz and Monterey regions. We hope to tell more about these sometimes unsung areas in future posts. We should all guard against thinking that California ‘wine country’ is restricted to Napa and Sonoma. Real wine made by real people happens all over The Golden State…”.


Ser Winery bottles a Cabernet Pfeffer and two Riesling wines (one sparkling, one still) from the “Wirz Vineyard” in the Cienega Valley.

Nicole Walsh produces two other Cabernet Pfeffer wines from San Benito County.


Ser Winery website:
http://www.serwinery.com

[Drew_Goin]

The Sandlands 2019 offering went online on February 7, 2019. This is the third release of Tegan Passalacqua’s Mourvèdre/Mataro from the “Enz Vineyard”.

"2017 Mataro – San Benito County – Enz Vineyard – 3 barrels produced.

“Planted in 1923 in a mix of granite and limestone-rich soils, this head-trained, basket-pruned, dry-farmed, own rooted vineyard is one of California’s treasures of viniculture. Crushed blackberries, graphite,fresh plum, chalky mouthwatering tannin. 13.8% alc.”


Sandlands website:

Sandlands

[Drew_Goin]

One San Benito County winery that offers a unique roster of beverages is Casa de Fruta, located in Hollister.


Benito Link
“Fruit Wines: A Crowd Pleaser At Casa De Fruta”
by Becky Bonner
January 20, 2018


"What started as a family owned fruit stand hoping to reach a customer base for locals and people traveling over Pacheco Pass in the 1940s, has now turned in to a popular destination on the edge of San Benito County called Casa De Fruta. Owned and operated by the Zanger family, wine production started in the 1960s with their tasting counter opening in 1969. Of the wines being produced today, Casa De Fruta’s fruit wines are the most popular. ‘We’re known for our fruit wines. Our fruit wines are one hundred percent the juice of the fruit,’ Max Sparrer, a wine steward at Casa De Fruta, said.

“…Apricot, Pomegranate, Santa Rosa Plum, Raspberry, and Blackberry are some of the fruit wines they produce. All wines according to Sparrer contain twelve percent alcohol and can be consumed as is or can be used to enrich a cooking recipe…”

Casa de Fruta also offers wines made from the vinifera species of grapes.

› Cabernet Sauvignon “Pacheco Pass Vineyard”
› California “Brut Champagne”
› Chardonnay “Cienega Valley”
› Chardonnay “Santa Clara Valley”
› Merlot “Central Coast” (Santa Cruz Mountains)
› Merlot “Santa Clara Valley”
› Orange Muscat “California”
› Pinot Grigio “Monterey County”
› “Sole of the Boot Aprigliano” (California Zinfandel, Central Coast Merlot, with a little Syrah & Cab Franc)
› “Sole of the Boot Aprigliano” (Cienega Valley old-vine Zinfandel with a little Syrah, Cabernet Franc and 3 hardly known old-vine reds)
› “Sole of the Boot” (Santa Clara Valley: 60% Merlot, 20% Zinfandel, 20% Sangiovese)
› White Riesling (50-year-old vines, Cienega Valley just south of Hollister)
› Zinfandel (70-year-old vines, Cienega Valley)


Casa de Fruta website:
https://www.casadefruta.com

[Drew_Goin]

Here are several Benito Link articles (2018-19) exploring the geology of San Benito County by retired Earth Science teacher Mr Jim Ostdick:


“San Benito Geology: The Great San Benito Shakeout”

“San Benito Geology: Living on the Edge”

“San Benito Geology: All Your Faults”

“San Benito Geology: Earthquake 101”

[Drew_Goin]

Santa Clara Valley Wines
Spring 2019 Passport

“Wine Taste in 32 Tasting Rooms with the Wineries of Santa Clara Valley”

Ticket Link: click here


Wineries of Santa Clara Valley homepage:

Santa Clara Valley Wines -- Wineries of Santa Clara Valley

[Drew_Goin]

I recently received an email from Mr Phil Gregory, whose “Vineyard Under the Mountain” site on Redwood Retreat Road in Santa Clara County is currently on offer from Bedrock Wine Company:

"Drew,

"I’m grateful to have received your email. And yes we are excited and joyful about Morgan’s announcement (Bedrock’s announcement).

"Our family bought ‘Under the Mountain’ in early 2013 (renamed of course by our family). Seth (my son and copied on this email) has made a tremendous effort to ‘recover’ the remaining vineyard, all of which was either poorly cared for or, in some instances, returning to forest.

"To answer your question our vineyard contains blocks of mostly Zinfandel, Carignane, and Petite Sirah. Within those blocks we have several varietals interspersed such as Grenache and Alicante Bouschet. We even have a scattered handful of old white vines we have not been able to identify.

"Additionally, Seth is taking back a small block from the forest (which requires taking out trees, brush, and digging out stumps. All by hand). That particular block is Muscat and Palomino.

"In total the vineyard covers about 15 acres with much of it surrounded by forest. In our opinion, it’s a beautiful setting. Additionally, the weather/climate is absolutely affected by Mount Madonna which is just west of the property. And makes the Redwood Retreat area entirely unique within the larger Santa Clara Valley appellation. Hence the name of the vineyard.

“In order to further your work, we would love to show you the property and discuss both the vineyard and the larger surrounding area. Additionally, we have involved ourselves in quite a lot of investigation into the history of both our property and the surrounding area (with a view towards creating an ‘Under the Mountain’ website) and would love to compare notes and knowledge with you.”

*** EDIT ***

I wanted to add the two Bedrock Wine Company release notes for the “Under the Mountain” Heritage Wine.


"2016 ‘Under the Mountain’ Heritage Wine, Santa Clara County:

"Believe it or not, Santa Clara county is historically one of the more important wine growing regions in California. Back before the march of tract homes and highways, business campuses and colleges, grapes from the ranch of Leland Stanford, Charles LeFranc, and and a fella with the last name Pellier, were valued as much as those from Napa and Sonoma and beyond.

“This vineyard’s survival, which is located a couple hundred feet below the cutoff for the Santa Cruz Mountain AVA, is a bit of a miracle and owes its new lease on life to the hard work and investment of the Gregory family. We currently receive fruit from a lightly mixed block of Zinfandel and a bit of Carignan that rests on the well-drained slopes. This is one of the most elegant wines we made in the great 2016 vintage, defined by soaring perfume and mouthwatering fruit and spice. I only wish there was more of it to go around!”

"2017 ‘Under the Mountain’ Heritage Wine, Santa Clara County:

"This amazing survivor vineyard is indeed ‘under the mountain,’ or more accurately right under the Santa Cruz Mountains. Located in the hills west of Morgan Hill and just north of Hecker Pass, the vineyard lies in a region once heavily planted to vines. Most of the original plantings in the area have given way to housing, shopping malls and the other needs of the sprawling south Bay Area, which makes this vineyard, nestled in the hills, so unique.

“Farmed by the Gregory family, the vineyard is planted predominately to Zinfandel and Carignan, though some Petite Sirah, Muscat, and others exist on the site as well. The small amount of wine we are able to make off the site is defined by beautiful mountain acidity, fresh fruit and aromatics that pop out of the glass.”

Bedrock Wine Company website:
https://bedrockwineco.com

[Wes_Barton]

Located in the hills west of Morgan Hill and just north of Hecker Pass

Oops. That should say Gilroy. Not very close to Morgan Hill.

[Drew_Goin]

Located in the hills west of Morgan Hill and just north of Hecker Pass

Oops. That should say Gilroy. Not very close to Morgan Hill.

Good eye, Wes! That valley nook on Redwood Retreat Rd has some fascinating wine-related history. I look forward to seeing more attention being given to this area.

[Drew_Goin]

San Benito
“Mixed Ag Report from County, Down Overall: Value of Livestock, Pasture Up, Vegetables Down”
by Barry Holtzclaw
January 4, 2019

"… San Benito County continues to be one of the top five producing counties in California of specialty vegetable crops, spinach, lettuces and salad mix products.

"The 2017 Crop and Livestock Report, prepared annually by county Agriculture Commissioner Karen Overstreet, offered a very mixed set of production results, with overall production down 4 percent. The county is required by law to produce this report.

“‘The economic impact of production agriculture to our local economy is much greater than the gross production value detailed in this report,’ said Karen Overstreet, county agriculture commissioner.

“‘It is a fundamental, and an often unidentified fact that agriculture provides additional value well beyond the $351 million dollars in gross product sales to San Benito County’s economy.’

“‘Labor, logistics and traffic are beginning to hinder the industry,’ she said in the report. ‘We will learn more about these effects over the next few years to come.’

"…Wine grape yields were off slightly and prices were pretty much even. This year growers experienced a great amount pressure from the production standpoint. Wine grapes are the county’s biggest fruit crop, $27.6 million in 2017, and $31 million in 2016.

"…San Benito County’s Top 10 Commodities

• Rank: 4th

• Product: Wine grapes

• Value: $27.6 million

• % of total: 8%

• % change from 2016: – 11% "

[Drew_Goin]

San Benito Link
“Crop Report: A Rich Bounty: County Agricultural Value Increases by Nearly $7 million Over Last Year”
by Hollister Free Lance
September 28, 2017

"San Benito County agriculture had a good year in 2016. Total commodity values for the county’s largest industry increased by nearly $7 million in gross sales over the year before, according to the San Benito County Agricultural Commissioner’s crop report for 2016. The most growth was in vegetable and row crops.

"According to the annual tally of county produce, San Benito County remains one of the top five producing counties in the state of spinach, peppers, lettuces and salad mix products. In 2016, the overall value of the county’s agricultural output increased slightly by 1.9 percent from the year before. Total crop value for 2016 was $367,451,250.

"…Wine grapes had a tremendous year, with a 69 percent increase in value over 2015.

Pat Wirz, who owns a 65-acre vineyard in the Cienega Valley, said the year’s bumper crop is because of good rainfall.

“‘Your crop is made the year before, when the little bunches bloom and the buds are mature for the following year. And we had two pretty good rain years. For the first time in four or five years the quality looks good,’ he said.

The moist air does pose its own set of challenges, however.

“‘Most vineyards had a little more mildew pressure, but we were able to keep it under control,’ said Wirz.

As a whole, he said, area growers have experienced one of their better vintages in the last 3 to 4 years.

“‘The only thing that may affect it is this hot spell,’ said Wirz. ‘But for this time of year it is not that abnormal.’"

[Drew_Goin]

Ryan Stirm’s eponymous winery is currently offering a handful of new things for lovers of Cienega Valley juice (plus some other stuff):

STiRM Wine Company Release:


"2017 ‘Wirz Vineyard’ Zinfandel

"Vintage Summary:

"The 2017 growing season began with record winter rainfall in most of California, including in the Cienega Valley, but not a true El Niño winter. This resulted in strong spring growth, and finally a decent yield increase from 2016. Cool nights were the norm throughout August, with a record heat spike over Labor Day Weekend to finish off ripening. The grapes were harvested on September 9 and 10th.

"Winemaking:

“The grapes were picked by hand, sorted in the field. At the winery the grapes were destemmed into a redwood fermenter, with 1% Riesling grapes added into the field blend. Pumped over once daily, pressed after a 10 day fermentation. Elevage in old (10 years) barriques for 18 months on fine lees. Racked to stainless steel one month prior with the addition of ‘Wirz’ Riesling into the final blend (Zinfandel 81.5%/Riesling 18.5%). Unfined, unfiltered. Bottled February 13th, 2019. 178 cases produced.”


"2017 ‘Wirz Vineyard’ Riesling

"Vintage Summary:

"The 2017 growing season began with record winter rainfall in most of California, including in the Cienega Valley, but not a true El Niño winter. This resulted in strong spring growth, and finally a decent yield increase from 2016. Cool nights were the norm throughout August, with a record heat spike over Labor Day Weekend. The resilient Riesling persevered and hung for another three weeks in classic mild autumn conditions… The grapes were harvested on September 28th.

"Winemaking:

“The grapes were picked by hand. At the winery the grapes were given 24 hours of whole cluster maceration to extract tannins, aroma, and flavor compounds in the skins, followed by pressing the grapes. No sulfur was added to allow the juice to oxidize. After a 36 hour cold settle in tank, the clean juice was racked off the solids to another tank for spontaneous fermentation. The wine was sulfured post completion of secondary fermentation with elevage in tank on fine lees. Racked off fine lees a month prior to bottling. Unfined and unfiltered. The only addition we ever use is sulfur. Bottled July 5th, 2018. 250 cases produced.”


Also Being Offered:

• 2017 Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir

• 2018 Los Chuchaquis ‘Ancestrale’ Albariño


STiRM Wine Company website:

Stirm Wine Co.

925 . 330 . 4400
ryan@stirmwine.com

[Drew_Goin]

After first hearing about this new operation a few short months ago, I began searching the internet for None Such’s website. Lo and behold, I finally have located it!!!

None Such Wines is Caitlin Quinn’s new-ish (circa 2017) project. At the moment, there is but one offering, but what an offering it is!

None Such 2017 “Enz Vineyard” Mourvèdre ($38/btl):

“The Vineyard: The historic ‘Enz Vineyard’ was planted in 1923 deep in the central coast’s Gabilan Mountain range located east of Monterey. The vineyard is dry-farmed and organically tended, growing in a unique mix of granite and limestone-rich loam. The gnarled 95 year old Mourvèdre vines are head-trained, basket-pruned, and own rooted. ‘Enz’ has the distinction of being the sole vineyard in the Lime Kiln Valley AVA.”

“The Wine: Hand-harvested on September 19th, the Mourvèdre grapes were foot-tread and fermented 100% whole cluster with native yeast, basket pressed, then aged in five neutral oak barrels for ten months, then bottled July 12th 2018. A core of Mourvèdre meatiness, balanced with luscious floral, wild rose aromatics and earthy tannin connote depth and elegance. 12.6% abv”


None Such Wines website:
https://nonesuchwines.com

[Drew_Goin]

Wine Enthusiast
“Old Vines That Still Make Great Wine”
by Matt Kettmann
February 25, 2019

"…‘Enz Vineyard’:

"• Lime Kiln Valley, California;
• First planted in 1890s;
• Grapes Planted: Alicante Bouschet, Cabernet Pfeffer, Carignan, Mission, Mourvèdre, Orange Muscat, Palomino, Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel;
• Wines Produced: Vineyard-designate bottlings from Birichino, Dirty and Rowdy Family Wines, I. Brand & Family, Nonesuch, Penville Projects and Vöcal Vineyards; sourced by multiple other brands.

"Adjacent to a limestone quarry and kilns that powered the development of San Jose and San Francisco, the San Benito County vineyard was planted to satisfy the thirst of the kiln workers, whose tiny town was eventually abandoned. It was first planted to Orange Muscat, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Pfeffer, though the latter appears to actually be a mixed block of Cabernet Sauvignon, Grand Noir, Gros Verdot/Mourtaou, Trousseau Noir and more.

“Starting in the 1920s, Alicante Bouschet, Carignane, Mission, Mourvèdre, and Palomino were added to the site. Then, in 1967, Bob and Susan Enz purchased the vineyard, and it’s now farmed by their son, Russell Enz, who grew up there. Sauvignon Blanc was planted in 1982. Everything is own- or vinifera-rooted and dry-farmed.”

[Drew_Goin]

The newest post on The Wine Write blog is an interview with the person who perhaps is most responsible for the rebirth of interest in San Benito County wine - Kenneth Volk.

The Wine Write blog
“Catching Up With Wine Icon Kenneth Volk”
by Randy Smith
March 10, 2019

"…The Wine Write: ‘Your name has come up in recent interviews we did with Ian Brand and Nicole Walsh where Enz Vineyard was discussed. Tell me about finding that vineyard and farming it.’

"Ken: 'I came to that vineyard through other relationships I had in San Benito County. At one time, I think in the late 1960s, there was more Chardonnay grown in San Benito than there was in the Napa Valley. Ron Siletto is a grower friend of mine up there. He was the last Chief Financial Officer of Almaden Vineyards. Ron was tasked with the job of shutting down the winery. Almaden made the mistake of trying to go head to head with Gallo in the jug wine business.

"'The vast majority of the San Benito vineyards are on the Pacific tectonic plate. The soils have a lot of lime and calcareous content. Drainage is pretty good. There’s enough rain that you could basically dry farm.

"'Ron introduced me to Bob Enz. This was back in the Wild Horse days. I started working with fruit off that vineyard in 1984.

"…‘The climate was unique. You could make some good wines there. Most of the Zinfandel and Mourvedre historically had been sold to the Cline family labels.’

"…The Wine Write: 'At what point did you start managing the vineyard?

"Ken: 'I went back there for my Kenneth Volk brand. Bob Enz had been in a pretty bad car accident and wasn’t fit to care for the vineyard. There had been a falling out with the Cline label. I made a deal to lease the vineyard. The late Corky Roach, a former vineyard manager for Chalone and other vineyards in San Benito, consulted with me. We farmed it with our own crews starting in 2008. We trellised the young vines and resurrected the drip irrigation system to help them along. Most years you could dry farm Enz successfully, but new plantings needed irrigation. I grafted Sauvignon Blanc over to Pinot Noir. We did all the needed viticulture practices to keep the vineyard disease free. We put in a lot of effort.

"'I had my stroke in 2013. There was no way I could continue to run it, but we got the vineyard in pretty good shape during that run.

“‘I was selling some Enz Vineyard fruit to Neil Collins for his Lone Madrone label and to Nicole Walsh for her Ser Winery project. Nicole showed some interest in taking over the vineyard. I talked to her about the place. That didn’t work out for whatever reason. I’ve been pretty unaware of what’s been going on there since I had to walk away, but the potential of that site is very, very high.’…”


Kenneth Volk website:
https://www.volkwines.com



I honestly encourage those interested in Kenneth Volk wines or recent San Benito/Paso Robles/Santa Barbara history to read all of this wonderful interview!!!

[Drew_Goin]

Dirty & Rowdy Family Wines YouTube Video:

“Enz Vineyard”

Dirty and Rowdy: ENZ Vineyard Old Vine Mourvèdre

[Drew_Goin]

NoneSuch Wines bottles a very limited quantity of “Enz Vineyard” Mourvèdre from the Lime Kiln Valley.


The Wine Write blog
“Meet Caitlin Quinn of NoneSuch Wines”
by Randy Smith
May 5, 2019

"…The Wine Write: ‘Tell me about NoneSuch Wines.’

"Caitlin: ‘I came up with “NoneSuch” as a playful way of saying that I want to show distinctive vineyards that speak to me. There’s nothing else like them. They’re unique. I want to convey that with my wines. I’m only making five barrels right now. It’s almost impossible to carve out the time and space needed to do more. Our harvest season at Arnot-Roberts lasts about three months because we make so many varieties from vineyards in different regions. NoneSuch will be a very small project for now.’

"The Wine Write: ‘How did you get your foot in the door at Enz Vineyard?’

"Caitlin: 'The vineyard manager is Ian Brand. He’s extremely thoughtful and well connected. I worked with his wine while I was at Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard ten years ago. We did some custom crush work for him. I became familiar with him and his wines through that experience. It’s a small world here.

"‘Ian reached out to me about Enz Vineyard. I jumped right on it. I hadn’t visited the site, but I could tell from Ian’s description that it was special. Ian thinks it’s one of the most exciting vineyards in California. I trust his judgment!’

"The Wine Write: ‘What was your impression when you did visit Enz?’

"Caitlin: 'It’s about a five hour drive from Arnot-Roberts. I got there the first time in the summer of 2017. I literally laid down in the dirt. It just felt like I was in the right place at the right time. Everything clicked. It felt like I was home.

“‘Just thinking about the vineyard was awe inspiring. The dirt had been worked for so long. The vines were beautiful. They’re pristine. They have been cared for well. The mix of soils is amazing. They are fluffy and light, but you know that there is a huge foundation of bedrock, granite, and limestone beneath. That’s an extremely rare combination in California… and the world. It’s also dry farmed. Only the Pinot Noir that Ken Volk planted is under irrigation.’…”


NoneSuch Wines website:
https://nonesuchwines.com