Rediscovering one of California's oldest AVAs: Santa Cruz Mountains

When California wines are the subject of conversation, most people envision the big, bold Bordeaux blends of the Napa Valley AVA or the intense cherry-cranberry Pinot Noirs of the Sonoma and Russian River AVAs. Nikki recently showcased a region that defies these stereotypes: AndersonValley. Thanks to its cool climate and heavy marine influence, the area produces crisp white and earthy red wines that we at The Barrel Room love. 

However, Anderson Valley is not the only coastal fog-laden viticultural area focusing on structured wines with precision and elegance in California. Residing just a stone’s throw away from the high-tech haven of Silicon Valley, the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA is a little-known region that roughly follows the fog line along the coast. Its boundaries are well defined by elevations of 400 feet on the west side and 800 feet on the east side, and Half Moon Bay and Mount Madonna respectively at the north and south. This AVA boasts vineyards at elevations up to 3,200 feet… some of the highest vineyards in the state of California.

Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard

Microclimates are of utmost importance in the Santa Cruz Mountains. On the Pacific side the elevations are lower and the climates are cooler, and Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the varietals of interest. Zinfandel, Merlot, and Cabernet are grown in the warmer areas but tend to produce more restrained wines than their Napa counterparts. The cooling fog and massive temperature deviations from morning to night maintain acidity and freshness in the grapes and finished wines.

Rhys Vineyard's "Horseshoe Vineyard"

This region has long been recognized for its potential for fine wines. Some of California’s earliest wineries were established in the Santa Cruz Mountains, with wine production dating back to the mid 1800's. Franciscan missionaries planted the Mission grape in 1804 just north of the city of Santa Cruz. By the late 1800’s the Chaine d’Or (a mountain ridge stretching from Woodside to Los Gatos) was said to produce the finest wines in America. The grapes grown here always commanded high prices due to their superior quality, and still do to this day. 

1976 Judgment of Paris and 2006 reenactment results

 

Though a huge forest fire in 1889 and Prohibition in the 1930’s stifled the area’s winemaking, innovative winemakers throughout the years like Martin Ray of Mount Eden, Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon, and both previous winemaker Paul Draper and current winemaker Eric Baugher of Ridge Vineyards have been ushering the region out of the shadows. Ridge Vineyards was among the few California wineries chosen to participate in the famous Judgment of Paris in 1976; Ridge’s 1971 Monte Bello Cabernet placed 5^th among all reds, beating out the 1971 Leoville-las-Cases and placing just below the 1970 Haut Brion. In a 2006 reenactment the Ridge Monte Bello placed 1st overall.

                    

Given this area’s potential for first-class wine production, it may come as a surprise that it isn’t better known. But as appreciation for cool-climate restrained wines grows, this region will soon shine again as one of California’s best. You can try examples of Santa Cruz Mountain AVA wines that we’re currently pouring at The Barrel Room: Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard’s 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (dark berries, sturdy but velvety tannins, very well balanced) and Zayante’s 2008 Zinfandel (bright cherry and spice, great acidity, strawberry fruit leather). 

This weekend I’ll be taking a trip through the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA. Join me next Wednesday as I discuss the wineries I visit and the best of the wines I encounter!

-          - Sarah   

All-American Zinfandel?

What’s more Californian than a glass of spicy, jammy, rich Zinfandel? Californians have been sipping massive Zins with typical American fares like barbecued ribs and peppery steaks for generations. Zin was, in fact, termed “America’s vine and wine.” As a blush wine, White Zinfandel took the market by storm in 1869, when El Pinal Winery in Lodi started the trend. And though White Zin has become less favored recently, it still has enough intrigue to inspire veteran cult wineries like Turley to produce it.

the best-known White Zin: Beringer

Until quite recently the origins of this mysterious grape were unknown, and the style of Zinfandel wine developed in the hot, sunny vineyards of California. It was no wonder this explosive high-alcohol raspberry- and blackberry-fruit laden red was though to originate in the south of Italy, especially given its similarity to the Primitivo grape (later proven to be a clone of Zinfandel). But U.C. Davis Professor Emeritus Carole Meredith discovered in 2002 via DNA profiling that California Zin is, in fact, an ancient grape that used to be widely grown in Dalmatia in what is now Croatia: Crljenak Kaštelanski.

a Crljenak vineyard in Croatia

So how did this confusion come about, and how did the grape get the name “Zinfandel?” Between 1820 and 1829, a horticulturist on Long Island named George Gibbs received crates of grapes from all over Europe. One crate was labeled tzinifándli, a Hungarian translation of Zierfandler, a white grape from Austria’s Thermenregion. The receiving team couldn’t quite make out the name written on the crate and relabeled it “Zinifandel,” from which the name Zinfandel ultimately arose.

a Zinfandel grape bunch beginning to raisin

During the Gold Rush in the 1850’s Zinfandel made it to the west coast and was planted just north of Napa. In the hot California sun the grape ripened to an extremely high sugar concentration, and had a tendency to raisin. In 1857 Joseph Osborne made the first Zin which received high praise and was soon repeated by many local wineries.

After Prohibition there was quite a shortage of the grape. Its origins were forgotten, and wineries began to confuse it with the Black Sonora grape which was growing alongside it. Winemakers started producing insipid, uninteresting wine with it through the mid-1900’s. But luckily more recently a new interest in Zin has emerged and winemakers have been experimenting with this powerhouse of a wine grape, bringing it to new heights.

Zayante vineyards in Felton, California

But back to Croatia momentarily… Crljenak was a very popular grape in Dalmatia until the phylloxera epidemic in the late 19^th century. One of its prodgenies, however, survived quite well and is thriving today: Plavac Mali. Plavac is a cross between Crljenak and Dobričić, and is one of Croatia’s largest wine exports to the US today. It produces wines similar to California Zins: black pepper, spice, and blackberries, all wrapped up in a rich, tannic structure, perfect for grilled meats. Plavac and its Zinfandel counterpart are very interesting to taste together. If you’re curious, we’ve got a comparison this month at The Barrel Room: Zayante Zinfandel versus Dingač Plavac Mali (see our list here).

So how Californian is Zinfandel? Though the grape made its way here from the traditional vineyards of Dalmatia, California Zin now has a style all its own and is without question one of the all-American grapes.

- Sarah