El Dorado Harvest Continues, Producing Grapes for Award Winning Wines

For most grape varieties in El Dorado County, harvest is well on its way to completion.  The rain during the end of the third week of September presented growers with some concern, but most vineyard owners got ahead of the weather.

 
Thomas Coyne Winery, Livermore, is one happy beneficiary of the 2013 El Dorado County grape harvest.

Bob Scharpf of Quartz Hill Vineyard sent this report: 

Petit Syrah, courtesy Snooth.com

“As luck would have it, I managed to get the Petit Syrah in the day before the rain. The brix was 28, pH 3.4 and acid .7. Coyne Winery was delighted to get it at this stage. Except for some sunburn, the grapes came in better than expected at this early date.

 

“Some Merlot was still hanging at that time in September, but it survived the rain with no problems. The remainder of the Merlot was picked on Sept 25-- high sugar, high pH, and low acid. Good for a full bodied wine.”

The Quartz Hill Vineyard grapes from past harvests have found their way into an award-winning wine at Thomas Coyne Winery.  From the winery website:

“2007 Petite Sirah, El Dorado - $20.00 (Released - May 2013) Silver Medal - Orange County Fair

The grapes for this wine were grown by Bob and Margot Scharpf in the Sierra foothills of El Dorado County. After crush, the wine was fermented and aged in American oak barrels for eighteen months. The wine is full-bodied with blackberry and pepper, followed by a rich oak finish.”

A sneak peak at the new winery
for Thomas Coyne in Livermore 

Thomas Coyne Winery produces award winning Rhone Style and Merlot wines.   They have a loyal following, and next week they are moving to a new location, still in Livermore, but now they’ll be at 2405 Research Drive. 

 

 

Quartz Hill Vineyard is a member of the El Dorado Wine Grape Growers Association.

Appellation El Dorado – Family Grape Growers Feature More Offerings to Consumers and Trade at 2013 Family Winemakers of California Tasting

There it was, proudly denominated in the tasting program, “Appellation: El Dorado”.  More wineries than ever before featured wines made from El Dorado grapes. With a tradition of families involved in El Dorado wine grape growing (see recent blogposts on this topic),   it just seems right that they’d be pouring their wines at the Family Winemakers of California tasting.  Among the El Dorado wine grape growers/winemakers who featured their wines were  Auriga Wine Cellars, Lava Cap Winery, and Madroña Vineyards.

And then there were the sleepers.  Taste taste taste and then I’d make an inquiry:  “Did you use any El Dorado grapes to make this wine?”    The El Dorado sense of place is distinct, flavorful and unmistakable.  Kudos to the winemakers at  Frog’sTooth Vineyards, and Urban Legend Cellars, among others.

FEATURED WINES from El Dorado Grapes

 

Diane Stading, Auriga

Diane Stading of Auriga Wine Cellars poured their 2010 Zinfandel among other wines.  This wine, made from grapes grown on 35 year old vines on the ridge of the Sumu Kaw Vineyard near Placerville, features an intense fruitiness.  The Stadings work closely with the Sumu Kaw Vineyard manager, Diane noted.   David and Sheila Bush, also El Dorado WineGrape Growers Association members, own this well-known vineyard.   The Auriga 2010 Zinfandel is $24 the bottle.

 

Charlie Jones, LavaCap

 

Charlie Jones of Lava Cap found that their Petite Syrah and Grenache were popular with tasters.

Richard and Paul Bush,
Madrona

Among the Madroña wines poured by Paul and Richard Bush was the 2012 Riesling “Hillside Collection”.  A delicious wine, just introduced.  At $14 a bottle, it was a hit with the crowd.

 

Larry Aderman and taster,
Frog's Tooth

Larry Aderman of Frog’s Tooth Vineyards, Murphys, CA, poured the 2010 Zinfandel made from grapes sourced from El Dorado’s Gold Hill Vineyards.  $26/bottle.   He also sources grapes for his Barbera from Gold Hill Vineyards…but this is sold out. “I like the grapes from El Dorado,” Aderman said.  “The volcanic component of the soil gives them a dramatic flavor.”

Marilee Shaffer,
Urban Legend Winery

Marilee Shaffer of Urban Legend Winery poured a 2010 Dolcetto made with grapes from the LBS Ranch/Lava Cap vineyards.  The first Urban Legend Dolcetto made with El Dorado grapes was the 2009 vintage.  This 2010 Dolcetto, of which 125 cases were produced,  sells at $25 a bottle. 

The Family Winemakers of California annual tasting in San Francisco is a first-class tasting event, with many good contacts made and old friends greeted.  I even saw a bottle of Lava Cap Barbera pass over the table en route to a late summer Taste-Off at the Wine Coop with members of the Bay Area Wine Society.  I bet they will be thrilled. 

p.s.  I particularly enjoyed the quip shared with me by an out-of-county winemaker who employs a harp player for events.  Said harpist has a trucker husband who hauls grapes during crush.  The trucker said: ”There’s a lot of El Dorado Old Vine Zinfandel that turns into Napa Old Vine Zinfandel as soon as it crosses the county line.”  Sounds like magic to me!

Family Grape Growers Speak Out on What Family Enterprises Mean to Them: Part One

In a run-up to the important FamilyWinemaker’s tasting this next weekend in San Francisco, we asked El Dorado Wine Grape Growers Association members “What’s a family enterprise mean to you?”.  Some of the key words from the first replies:  family, work ethic, generations, vision, standing together, quality goals.

Here’s one detailed reply from Ann Walker Johnson of Walker Vineyards, which planted grapevines in 1968 on their one-hundred year old family farm situated above the Cosumnes River at 2100’ elevation.  Today they grow Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Barbera, Petite Sirah and Merlot on 21 acres in El Dorado’s Oak Hill Agricultural District.

Old Barn on the Ranch

“A family enterprise means uniting behind a shared vision and goal. Growing up on a ranch that has been in the family for over 100 years, we have a long standing tradition of working the land.

Zinfandel

“I watched my mom and dad begin their vineyard in the early 1970's and as a member of the family I was expected to contribute to the process. (As the youngest of four daughters, that initially meant carrying a water jug until I was old enough to graduate to disbudding vines and helping with portable irrigation pipe.) We all worked together to take care of the vines.

Ann Walker Johnson
at Harvest

"Now, some 40 years later I'm back on the ranch sharing that vision again. Why come back? For me it was an opportunity to really get to know my dad on a different level. I've learned a tremendous amount about viticulture from him ... but I have also shared many moments (sometimes humorous, sometimes not) from repairing the 6" pipeline to learning exactly which fittings you need to lubricate on the mower.



Sorting out grow tubes

“I also have my own family working with me. Is it my 16 year old daughter's first choice to be up at 6:00 AM the one day of week she could actually sleep in since high school is back in session? No! But, she does understand that a family pulls together when work needs to get done and I think imparting a sound work ethic is one of the best things we can do for our kids.



Son Josh and friend
smile after a long day
of planting vines

“So a family enterprise means just that... family. Working together through the good times and the stressful times and standing together behind a goal, which for us is to grow the highest quality wine grapes we can.”