Edna Valley and Arroyo Grande Valley

While driving to the Central Coast wine Regions of Paso Robles or Santa Barbara County, it is easy to drive right past two of the smaller AVA’s in California: Edna Valley and Arroyo Grande Valley. Both are part of the larger Central Coast AVA. Unusual for California, both Valleys have more west to east orientations versus the north to south, leaving them unprotected from the Pacific Ocean.

Mission San Luis Obispo

The area’s wine history follows that of the rest of California. Father Junipero Serra established a mission in what is now San Luis Obispo, back in 1772. Mission grapes were planted around the mission for sacramental wine. At the time, the mission produced the most prized wines in Alta California.

In 1845, the mission was sold to Captain John Wilson, and ceased its’ use as a church. By 1856, the official city of San Luis Obispo was incorporated, and by 1861 became a stagecoach route for those traveling between San Francisco and Los Angeles. About this same time, Pierre Hoppolyte Dallidet revived the original mission vineyard, and others soon began planting vineyards of their own. Just down the road, in what would become Edna Valley, dairyman Edgar Steele had purchased 58,000 acres for his dairy farm, and housing for his employees. In 1883 Lynford Maxwell subdivided the area, and called it Maxwellton. The local citizens later renamed it Edna. Even later, the entire valley became known as Edna Valley. Most of the grapes produced in the valley were shipped to San Francisco.

Paragon Vineyard

The Edna Valley remained a rural farming area until 1973, when two families planted grape vines in the valley. Jack and Catherine Niven, as well as the Goss Family both started in that year. The Nivens planted the Paragon Vineyard with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, creating the Edna ValleyWinery. Norman Goss also planted Chardonnay at the Chamisal vineyard. Chamisal was the first commercially produced wine in the valley.

In 1975, Andy MacGregor planted his first vineyard and few years later planted the Orcutt Vineyard. The fourth winery was founded in 1978, by Corbett Canyon (anyone remember the old commercials with the echoing “canyon, canyon, canyon”?).

Claiborne & Churchill was founded in 1983 by Claiborne Thompson and Fredericka Churchill. They focused on Riesling and Gewürztraminer. 

Winemaker John Alban began planting Rhone Varietals Grenache, Syrah, Roussanne and Viognier in the early nineties. Alban wines are highly sought after, and expensive. John is one of the founders of the “Rhone Rangers”, who promoted the use of Rhone grape varieties in the Central Coast.

While the region is often thought of as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir country, you can clearly see that is not the case.

Jack Niven was the one who first recognized the uniqueness of the Edna Valley, and began the process to have it recognized as an AVA. In June, 1987, the Edna Valley AVA was established, covering 28,858 acres of which approximately 2,923 is planted.

The new AVA was distinguished by the close proximity to the Pacific Ocean. The hilly valley is oriented along a northwest to southeast alignment and runs about 10 miles. It is located on average, about 600 above sea level. This allows the cool Pacific breezes and morning fog to enter the valley from Morro Bay, through a gap in mountains known as Los Osos Valley. Edna valley is roughly bounded by Lake Lopez to the south, Islay Hill to the north, the Santa Lucia Mountains to the west, and Los Machos hills to the east.
The volcanic range, known as the Nine Sisters, helped create the soil found in the valley. This volcanic range starts with Morro Rock in the northwest, and ends with Islay Hill in the southeast. Much of the valley was once part of the Pacific Ocean and ancient marine sediments have left a fertile base of calcareous shale and course sand. The soil is further enriched with dark humus, loam and clay. The Edna Valley appellation has one of California’s longest growing seasons. The extended growing season gives complex flavors to the grapes, with more balance in terms of sugars and acidity. The cool growing conditions result in traditionally very low yielding crops.

The Edna Valley is small. There are only 23 “resident” (production facilities or estate vineyards) wineries in Edna Valley AVA, but the close proximity to Hwy 101 makes it a popular stop for wine lovers. Edna Valley is also the AVA with the highest percentage of sustainably farmed vineyards, certified under the SIP (Sustainability in Practice) Certified™ program.

Arroyo Grande Valley

Edna Valley wines are often grouped with those of the contiguous Arroyo Grande Valley, but the Arroyo Grande Valley climate is more diverse than it neighbor to the north, and while the AVA covers more acreage, there is less planted with grape vines.

Arroyo Grande translates to “wide riverbed” in Spanish. While its’ history is similar to that of Edna Valley, the first recorded vineyard development dates back to 1879, when Henry and Rosa Ditmas grew Zinfandel and Muscat grapes in the area. Zinfandel is still made from the ancient vines.

In 1968, Jack Foote experimented with vineyards in Arroyo Grande. The region was thought to be too cold to produce quality grapes. However, his vines were successful, and soon others became interested in growing grapes area.

Talley Vineyard

Arroyo Grande Valley was granted AVA status in February, 1990. The AVA covers a little over 39,000 acres, but only about 1,230 is planted. The AVA is composed of a 16-mile-long winding valley that has a southwest to northeast orientation. Similar to Edna Valley, the soil is made up of sedimentary and volcanic soils over a bedrock layer known as “Franciscan Assemblage”. Also similar to Edna Valley, the western most side benefits from the cool ocean breezes and fog, but the Eastern side is beyond the normal fog line, and is therefore warmer. The west is where most of the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are planted, while the warmer, more mountainous east is where the Rhone varieties and Zinfandel are found.

There are fewer wineries in the Arroyo Grande Valley. Currently there are only eleven “resident” wineries located in the AVA. But, those eleven are very diverse, due to the many microclimates. They include Laetitia (previously Maison Duetz) in the southwest, which was the first sparkling wine producer in the area (1982). Laetitia is the largest producer in the AVA, followed by Talley Vineyards. Talley Vineyards’ farming history began in 1948 when Oliver Talley started growing vegetables (peppers, cabbage, avocados and cilantro) in the Valley. In the early 80s, his son Don added grapevines. Talley Vineyards is located mid-valley, and is known for their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Above the fog line is Saucelito Canyon, which has revitalized the old growth Zinfandel vines from the Ditmas Vineyard.

While there aren’t many wineries in Edna Valley and Arroyo Grande Valley, what you will find is cool region wines. The soil and climate create wines that aren’t found in other regions of California. For this reason, many wineries, which are not located in the area, purchase grapes from the region to produce wines. So next time you are driving the Central Coast, don’t miss these two smaller AVAs. You’ll be glad you stopped.

Wine Tasting in Walla Walla

We left the forested city of Spokane, Washington and headed south on interstate 90, then onto 395. The further we got from Spokane, the more the land opened up…water everywhere, and green, grassy rolling hills. Far off in the distance I thought I caught a glimpse of Mount Rainier. As we reached Pasco, we got our first view of the Columbia and Snake Rivers. It was here that we saw vineyards along the banks of the Columbia and far off on the hillsides of Horse Heaven Hills.

Spokane Falls

For this trip, we chose to focus on the Walla Walla area of the Columbia River Valley. The previous night we had met up with old friends at the Wolf Lodge in Couer D’Alene, Idaho. They brought a bottle of Va Piano Cabernet Sauvignon, and we added a bottle L’Ecole No.41 Cabernet to complement our steak dinners. They advised us on some wineries to visit on our trip down, and to avoid what looked like the shortest route to Walla Walla. While more direct, the backroads are windy country roads. As it was, the trip from Spokane to Walla Walla took just about 2 hours and 45 minutes.

It has been 30 years since I was last in Walla Walla. I’m sure they must have been growing grapes back then, but I certainly don’t recall the town being a wine town. Now there are over 80 wineries located in Walla Walla, spread across five “tasting districts”: Westside, Downtown, Southside, Eastside, and Airport. A sixth district would be the wineries located in Oregon, which are literally a block or two from some of the Southside wineries.

From Va Piano

As we drove to the wine region, you can help but notice the basalt rock outcroppings, reminding you that this region was dramatically influenced by volcanic action. The volcanic and sandy loam soil have the great drainage that grape vines love. Most wineries refer to their vineyards as having soils of loess  (pronounced “luhss”), made up of wind-blown deposits of sand and silt. The other large influences are those of the Columbia River, Snake River, Yakima River and Walla Walla River. This area would be a desert, in the rain shadow of the Cascade mountain range, if not for the availability of water.

The Columbia Valley AVA has nine smaller AVA’s within its’ large boundaries:  Ancient Lakes AVA, Horse Heaven Hills AVA, Lake Chelan AVA, Rattlesnake Hills AVA, Red Mountain AVA, Snipes Mountain AVA Walla Walla Valley AVA, Wahluke Slope AVA, and Yakima Valley AVA.

Most people think of Washington as being so far north, that they shouldn’t be able to grow great wine grapes. However, when you look at a map of the world, the Columbia Valley AVA is located at the same latitude as Bordeaux, France. Being this far north gives the grapes more daylight hours during the growing season. As in Bordeaux, this is Cabernet Sauvignon country, but Merlot, Chardonnay, Syrah, and numerous other grape varieties are grown.

We entered Walla Walla from the west, along Hwy 12, driving through dips and valleys that influence the weather in this region. Pockets of colder air settle into the valleys, and flow into the open areas. This day the weather was warm, but they were expecting a heatwave into the 90’s within a few days.

L'Ecole No.41

The first winery we came to was the iconic L’Ecole No.41. This wine tasting room is located in an old (1945) school house (just as depicted on their wine label). Founded in 1983, they are the third oldest winery in the region, only preceded by Leonetti Cellars and Woodward Canyon Winery. What a great way to start the day. The comfortable tasting room has plenty of space to enjoy your tasting. The tasting staff was friendly and guided us through their wines, and showed us maps, locating their vineyard sources. I came here for their Cabernet Sauvignon, which did not disappoint. The Apogee, Ferguson and Perigee were all perfect examples of this AVA: dark cherry, cassis, herbal tones of tobacco, and well-structured tannins, making for great wines to cellar. They also have some interesting Semillon and Chenin Blanc, but one standout for me was their Grenache Rosé. Luckily, they offer shipping to California, and with the hot weather that was anticipated, for a couple extra dollars, they ship with cold packs. All my wine arrived safely and cool.

Tasting room at Cougar Crest

Our next stop was just down the road at Cougar Crest Winery. Here they have a large selection of wines to purchase and taste, including the normal mix for the area, plus Tempranillo, Malbec, traditional Port grapes and Viognier. We were the only people in the tasting room, so got full attention from the two tasting room people. We tasted many of the wine available for sale, and enjoyed the tasting room atmosphere with their winery cat, and gift shop. It has been two weeks, and I haven’t seen my shipment of wine yet. We’ll see how it eventually arrives.

Va Piano

Next we went to the Southside District of Walla Walla, and visited Va Piano Vineyards. This winery sits right on the border of Washington and Oregon, surrounded by vineyards. This winery has a large following, based on the number of people we saw having lunch in their picnic area, and the packed tasting room located in what looks like a Tuscan villa. And, for good reason…the wines are very nice! They offered two different tasting flights, so we did both, by splitting our tasting between two people. The regular flight was only $10 (as it was at every winery we tasted). The reserve flight was $20. Don’t let anyone tell you different, there is a difference between the current releases and the reserve releases. Almost everything we purchased was from the reserve list. Just like L’Ecole No. 41, these wines are perfect for cellaring. Big, dark fruit and tasty. My shipment also has not yet arrived, but they did call, and say they would wait for the weather to cool a bit before shipping.

Locati Cellars tasting room

After a quick bite to eat in the downtown area, we stopped at Locati Cellars, located in the Marcus Whitman Hotel, right in the heart of downtown. We stopped here to see what other grape varieties tasted like in the region. As you might have guessed by their name, these were Italian grape varieties. Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese, Barbera, Dolcetto and Primitivo, are just some of the available wines. We were told that all their wines were actually produced in Oregon, just a few blocks away, and the family has been producing wine for a century. These Italian varieties have great acidity to them, and make for great food wines. Their prices are also very good. The most expensive wine on their list was the Primitivo at $35…and for good reason….tons of fruit and smooth tannins. All wines shipped and arrived in good condition. Also, when we got home, I noticed we were on their facebook page.

Tranche Cellars vineyards

Our last wine tasting was in the Eastside District, at Tranche Cellars. At first, we thought for sure that our GPS was off. We drove through a residential area, winding around the roads, and then made a left turn into a large vineyard, and in the center was a very modern looking building. This wine tasting experience was different that the previous four. It didn’t have the same quaint feeling we had in the other tasting rooms. This was modern, and stark. The wines were based on Bordeaux and Rhone varieties (including: Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier, Picpoul Blanc, Clairette Blanche, Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Counoise). Once again, we had the wines shipped. They arrived within a week. The wines were warm, so I immediately cooled them down, and we’ll have to see how they did.

Lastly, we drove around the Airport district. It was getting late in the day, and we had to head back to Spokane. So, no tastings, but wanted to see what this area had to offer. Here we found about 12 wine tasting rooms, concentrated within a few blocks of each other. You could spend all day parked in one spot, and visit numerous wineries. On top of that, the airport is right there, and Alaska Airlines is offering to check-in your first case of Washington wine at no cost. This is perfect for anyone visiting the area.

Unfortunately, this was a quick, one-day trip to the area. I wanted to get a “lay of the land”, and a taste of the terroir. Both were accomplished. The winery trail booklets were very informative of the multiple wine tasting opportunities, dining locations, and places to stay. I think the next trip to the area will be for at least two nights, and will extend into the Yakima AVA, which rivals Walla Walla for the number of tasting rooms

Santa Cruz Mountains AVA

A few years back, I wrote about the Central Coast viticultural areas. No one commented on the lack of information about the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA. My guess is that most hadn’t heard of it, or had about the same limited exposure to this area as I had. Well not anymore. For this article, I will rectify the glaringly small blurb, and share what I learned on a recent trip to the region.

photo care of  www.testarossa.com

Wine production in the Santa Cruz area dates back to around 1804, when the Franciscan missionaries and later the Jesuits, settled in the area. The church usually planted mission grapes to create their sacramental wine, but the cooler climates produced a bitter, inferior wine. For that reason, Black Muscat was planted, and used to make a sweet, port-like, wine. The best known was made at the Novitiate Winery, now the home of Testarossa Winery.

http://www.santacruztrains.com/2013/07/ben-lomond-station.html

The mountain vineyards would arrive later in the mid 1800’s, as a result of logging in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Loggers cut over 18 million board feet of redwood, leaving large swaths of land cleared. Cleared spaces allowed homesteaders to plant fruit, vegetables, and vineyards. The first known vineyard, in the mountains was planted by a Scotsman names John Burns, who named the mountain near his vineyards, “Ben Lomond”, after a wine district in Scotland. 

The vineyards spread over the mountain and down into the Santa Cruz area when an “Italian Wine District” was established. By 1875, existing records noted that Santa Cruz had 262,275 vines (about 300 acres) and was making 70,000 gallons of wine a year. By the mid 1880’s, the Santa Cruz Mountains were producing award winning wines, not just locally, but world-wide. The Vine Hill Winery won international acclaim in 1884, and the Ben Lomond Wine Company won at the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris. Unfortunately, a huge forest fire tore through the Santa Cruz Mountains in 1899, destroying many wineries and most of the vineyards.

Winemaking took a big turn when famed Frenchman, Paul Masson, planted 40 acres of vines above Saratoga in 1896, and opening a winery in 1901. Masson was already known for his California “Champagne”. He grew grapes in the region until 1936, when he sold the vineyards to Martin Ray. Ray immediately pulled out the grapevines Masson had planted, and replaced them with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes that now dominate the area. Ray was also the first known winemaker to produce single varietal wines, as most California wines were field blends of different grapes.

Prohibition, as in other wine regions, had a huge impact on the premium wine business in Santa Cruz. Matter of fact, Santa Cruz was the birthplace of California's temperance movement. The wineries that survived produced “medicinal” or sacramental wine, while others simply went underground. The first winery to emerge from Prohibition was run by the Bargetto family. John and Phillip Bargetto opened their place in Soquel in 1933, and are still in business today.

In the 1960s and 1970s, there was a resurgence of winemaking in the Santa Cruz Mountains. By the early 70s, a small group of Santa Cruz Mountain winery owners applied to create their own AVA. By 1981, the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA was established. It was one of the first AVA’s recognized by altitude (from as low as 400 feet, to as high as 3,200 feet) and defined by its mountain topography.

The Santa Cruz Mountains AVA is a mountainous area (who woulda guessed, based on the AVA name?), bounded by Half Moon Bay on the north, Watsonville (the flatter “vegetable bowl “area) and the Monterey Bay to the south, and Silicon Valley to the east. The appellation encompasses about 400,000 acres, within three counties: Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and San Mateo. Only about 1,500 acres are currently planted with vines.

The appellation can really be split into two different growing regions. The west side of the mountains faces the Pacific ocean, and is often covered in fog. This cooler region can be looked at as more “Burgudian” in style (more Chardonnay and Pinot Noir). The eastern side of the mountains is Bordeaux region, where you’ll find Cabernet Sauvignon. The east side is influenced by the warmer San Francisco Bay. Needless to say, there are many micro-climates throughout the region, just as there diverse soils. The most sought after soil, limestone, is present in many of the finer vineyards in the area. Sun exposure and elevation further influence the vineyard, and make this appellation one of the most terroir driven regions in California.

There are numerous sub-regions within the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA:  Skyline, Saratoga/Los Gatos, Summit, Coastal Foothills, and Corralitos/Pleasant Valley. Additionally, Ben Lomond Mountain AVA is within the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA.

Some of the oldest wineries in California are located in this AVA. If you watched the movie “Bottleshock”, you would be familiar with the 1976 Judgement in Paris. While the focus of that movie was on Chateau Montelena and their Chardonnay, there was also a red wine tasting. One of the red wines that competed (a 1971 Cabernet) came from Ridge Vineyards, while another white (a 1973 Chardonnay) came from the David Bruce Winery.

When you look at a map of the Santa Cruz Mountains, the wineries all look fairly close together….that is until you actually get up in the area. As we found out, many of the roads are single lane, deadend roads, that require you to drive long distances to see one winery, then head back to the main road, only to head up another deadend road for the next winery.

In my next article, I will share my 4-day tasting trip to the Santa Cruz Mountains, and some of the great finds of the trip.