California s Superstar vineyards 3 of the Best

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Harry Horn
6 years ago
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1 Beautiful grapes ready for harvest. Just as California boasts iconic winemakers, like André Tchelistcheff, Paul Hobbs, Helen Turley and Phillipe Melka, it is also home to iconic vineyards. For wine lovers, their names are important, because their reputation for outstanding wine is indisputable. Here are three superstar California vineyards worth keeping in mind.

To Kalon Located at the center of Napa Valley between Hwy. 29 and Oakville, To Kalon has a long, complicated history of multiple owners, multiple parcels and controversy.

2 To Kalon Located at the center of Napa Valley between Hwy. 29 and Oakville, To Kalon has a long, complicated history of multiple owners, multiple parcels and controversy. Its ownership and boundaries have changed repeatedly, beginning with H.W. Crabb, who by 1872 had planted more than 100 acres of vines at his To Kalon vineyard. His wines gained worldwide acclaim, until phylloxera destroyed Napa s bustling wine industry in the 1880s. Harvest at To Kalon Vineyard

3 A series of owners followed, some purchasing different parcels of the property and some adding to it. The Churchill family, David Perry Doak (a San Francisco steel baron), Martin Stelling, Italian Swiss Colony, the federal government, Krug Winery, Beaulieu Vineyards, Robert Mondavi Winery, Andy Beckstoffer and Constellation Brands have all owned part of the property at one time. The portion purchased by Beaulieu in 1943 went to Napa viticulturist Andy Beckstoffer 50 years later. Beckstoffer requires 19 of his 20 buyers to make a To Kalon vineyard designate. His price for a ton of To Kalon is 100x the retail price of the bottle. Constellation Brands bought Robert Mondavi Winery and now controls the lion s share of this historic, coveted vineyard. Bien Nacido Further south, Bien Nacido Vineyard is the standout icon on California s Central Coast. In 1969, the Miller family purchased the property in Santa Barbara County s Santa Maria Valley, as well as an adjacent piece that was part of an 1837 California Spanish land grant originally totaling 9,000 acres. The vineyard site occupies approximately 2,000 acres. The Millers planted Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the 1970s taking note of its cool (Region 1) climate and long growing season. Bien Nacido is also home to California s first cool climate Syrah.

Bien Nacido Vineyard To put the Bien Nacio name on their bottles, winemakers must submit the wine to the family for tasting and approval. Bien Nacido Vineyards is our intellectual property.

4 Bien Nacido Vineyard To put the Bien Nacio name on their bottles, winemakers must submit the wine to the family for tasting and approval. Bien Nacido Vineyards is our intellectual property. Just because someone is purchasing fruit from us, doesn t automatically allow them to use the name, says Nicholas Miller, family member and V.P. Sales & Marketing. Per our contracts the use of name has to be approved by us and usually means we meet to taste the wines. Also, Nicholas explains that legally, any wine touted as a vineyard-designate has to have at least 95% of its wine from that vineyard.

5 Hyde Vineyard Larry Hyde worked for Ridge, Stags Leap and Joseph Phelps before purchasing 179 acres in Napa s Carneros district to develop Hyde Vineyard. Larry developed more than just its 44 different blocks of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay he was also instrumental in the creation the Hyde-Wente Chardonnay and Hyde-Calera Pinot Noir, two low-yielding grape selections behind some superlative bottlings. Before the Hyde Vineyard name can attach itself to a label, Larry Hyde must taste and approve that bottling. These three top tier vineyards are proud promoters of world class California wine. Know of any other iconic Golden State vineyards? Have you visited them and experienced their wines? Any favorites? We love to hear your take on other iconic California vineyards, and the wines they produce. Salud! Summary

6 Article Name California's Superstar Vineyards - 3 of the Best Description Here are three superstar California vineyards worth keeping in mind. To Kalon of Napa Valley, Bien Nacido Vineyard in Santa Maria Valley, and Hyde Vineyard in Napa. Author The California Wine Club Publisher Name The California Wine Club Publisher Logo

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