How San Benito County has morphed from a jug wine center to
highly regarded varietals
What began decades ago as an area to grow grapes for Almaden’s
jug-wine production has evolved
– some might say matured – into its own unique wine region with
the proliferation of boutique wineries in San Benito County.
How San Benito County has morphed from a jug wine center to highly regarded varietals
What began decades ago as an area to grow grapes for Almaden’s jug-wine production has evolved – some might say matured – into its own unique wine region with the proliferation of boutique wineries in San Benito County.
The wine industry of the San Benito appellations – regions indicating that grapes are of a specific kind from a specific district – is well on the way to establishing itself as a viable and dynamic wine-growing region. There are several individual appellations, in the county, including Cienega Valley, Paicines, Lime Kiln Valley and Mt. Harlan. Each of these appellations brings with it specific growing conditions that produce quality grapes.
“It’s like an artist’s palette. It’s probably the biggest factor that makes San Benito County unique,” said Lee Stipp, director of sales and marketing for Donati Vineyards. “Probably the second biggest factor that makes San Benito County unique is the content of limestone that exists here. Josh Jensen, [owner of Calera Winery] chose his property specifically for the [content of] the limestone.”
Once home to industry giant Almaden, the local wine industry shook under what must have felt like a massive quake when the wine giant sold out in the late 1980s.
During the heyday of Almaden, the winegrower had 4,500 acres of grapes planted in this county. Then, during the late 1980s, when Almaden shut down, that number dropped to somewhere under 900 acres. Today, acreage is back up to roughly 3,500 acres, according to San Benito County Agricultural Commissioner Paul Matulich.
But what is it exactly that makes growing conditions ample in San Benito County?
Weather is obviously a factor. The warm days and cool evenings play an intricate role in producing some terrific growing conditions.
The area is a complex maze of mountains, canyons and valleys. The canyons and valleys run east to west rather than north to south, allowing them to channel substantial marine influences into the county from the Pacific Ocean, which is only 40 miles away.
San Benito County ranges from Region I to Region III in terms of grape growing climate conditions, which makes this location suitable for growing diverse grape varieties.
The region method of classifying wine-growing weather patterns is based on the theory that no vine shoot growth occurs below 50°F and that each degree per day that averages above 50°F is considered a degree day.
For example, if during a 24-hour period the temperature ranges from 57° to 81°F, the average is 69°F, which is equivalent to 19 degree-days (69 minus 50). The heat summation (sum of all the degree days between April 1 and October 31) of a growing region determines its classification, which is described in total degree-days. There are five climate region classifications, which suggests that California has growing environments that are comparable to the various traditional winemaking regions throughout the world.
“This is a fairly moderate climate. We have warm days, cool nights and tepid afternoons, all of that makes for longer hang time,” said Al DeRose, winemaker at DeRose Vineyards.
DeRose said that the soil is also a key component. On the DeRose property, which was once part of Almaden, there are several different types of soil, including sandy loam, clay loam and calcareous – or calcium-rich soils that run throughout the property. These types of soils are great for growing varietals such as Zinfandel and Syrah.
The combination of quality soil and abundant weather helps growers produce quality grapes, but San Benito County still doesn’t get a lot of recognition as a boutique wine destination.
“Part of the reason that San Benito County doesn’t get recognized as a region is that a lot of people don’t realize it’s here,” Stipp said. “The biggest reason behind that is the lasting effect of prohibition and the fact that there isn’t enough cooperation.”
Stipp is confident that Donati and the other wine producers in this region can succeed in the larger market. He cites the example of Oregon and Washington.
“Ten years ago people didn’t know about the quality pinots coming out of Oregon and Washington and now they’re very popular. It takes time, effort and market penetration,” Stipp said.
He believes that for a lot of the growers the mentality is on the farming first, then the winemaking and then the marketing, so the marketing has to play catch up.
“It starts with the product. I’m proud of what we and our neighbors are doing. I think word of mouth is our most powerful tool. We don’t even have a tasting room, but when we have an event we almost always have 200-300 people out at the vineyard.
Kathleen Smith, president of the San Benito County Winegrowers Organization suggested that it is difficult to attract people to the region when they can only taste for a limited period of time without adequate lodgings in the area.
“It’s hard to get the tourism trade without lodgings,” Smith said.
San Benito County doesn’t have as long a history as Napa, despite that people have been growing wine grapes here since the 1800s, but people do know this area, Smith said. There just aren’t the same level of facilities available as in Napa. Still, there is much being done to market San Benito County.
Gene Burns, a wine connoisseur and host of Saturday morning’s “Dining Around with Gene Burns” on KGO radio, said boutique wines are proliferating all over Northern California. He isn’t able to taste as many as he’d like because small wineries, by definition, have limited distribution.
“There’s no question that this explosion of boutique wineries is a positive for the consumer who is fortunate enough to live within 50 or 75 miles of the winery,” he said. “They just don’t travel well.”
While some boutiques provide mail delivery, the fact remains that most wine consumers don’t have access to these wines. Burns related a story of a recent dinner he had with a former radio producer in Boston. The producer ordered all European wines, despite there being “some good California wines available on the list,” he said.
“The East Coast is more European centric,” Burns said, “and consequently serve more wines with a national reputation from winemakers that have the budget to market their products.”
As for the proliferation of boutiques in San Benito County and elsewhere in Northern California, Burns sees the growth as a positive trend for the consumer.
“The more the merrier,” he said.
Pinnacle city editor Dennis Taylor contributed to this report. You can reach him at [email protected]. Patrick O’Donnell can be reached at [email protected].
