Paicines
– For the second straight year, the Donati Family Vineyard was
recognized at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition for its
Meritage vintage.
Paicines – For the second straight year, the Donati Family Vineyard was recognized at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition for its Meritage vintage.
The event, which is the largest competition of American wines, drew 1,500 wines from 20 states last week and judged more than 3,800 wines. The Donati Meritage was one of three Bordeaux blends to be recognized in the 2007 competition’s best of class. Donati’s 2003 DFV Meritage, a red wine made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec grapes, was awarded a best in class gold medal at the San Francisco competition. The Meritage represents the vineyard’s best grapes varieties, said Lee Stipp, the national sales and marketing director for DFV.
The gold medal is not Donati’s first success at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. In 2006, Donati won a best in class for its 2003 DFV Claret and a silver for its Meritage.
However, the Claret and Meritage vintages create some confusion for consumers, Stipp said.
“The Meritage is a lot of fun,” Stipp said. “And it’s unfortunate that we may say good-bye to that name.”
The Claret is similar to a Meritage, as both are blends of different varieties of Bordeaux grapes, but is younger, less complex and more fruit-forward, Stipp said.
Stipp said the 2005 DFV Meritage may be renamed to prevent some of the confusion.
But the Donatis have been producing award-winning wines for many years. In 1998, Matt Donati and his father Ron Donati bought the estate and began planting the vineyard. The vineyard is located in the Paicines growing region, 17 miles north of Pinnacles National Monument and 10 miles south of Hollister. The region was once home to Almaden Vineyards, which produced cheap wine in large volumes.
The vineyard grows 350 acres of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Syrah, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc and Petite Verdot grape varieties.
The DFV is seeking to continue establishing the Paicines American Viticultural Area as a nationally recognized wine producing area. The AVA designation is used to distinguish wines produced in certain regions from other regions and assure quality.
Stipp said San Benito County in general has been producing quality wines since Josh Jensen began releasing his Calera Wine Company Pinot Noirs in 1978. And in recent years, wineries such as Pietra Santa, Leal and DeRose have also been producing quality wines, Stipp said.
“It’s just a matter of time before people step back and say, ‘Gosh, this is pretty good. I don’t have to drive all the way to Napa,'” he said.
Michael Van Cassell covers public safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or [email protected].
