NEW CLASSIC WINEMAKERS OF CALIFORNIA NEW CLASSIC WINEMAKERS OF CALIFORNIA CONVERSATIONS WITH STEVE HEIMOFF FOREWORD BY H. WILLIAM HARLAN UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS BERKELEY LOS ANGELES LONDON University ofCalifornia Press, one ofthe most distin- guished university presses in the United States, enriches lives around the world by advancing scholarship in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Its activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation and by philanthropic contributions from individuals and institutions. For more information, visit www.ucpress.edu. University ofCalifornia Press Berkeley and Los Angeles, California University ofCalifornia Press, Ltd. London, England © 2008 by Steve Heimoª. Foreword © 2008 by H. William Harlan. All photographs by author unless otherwise noted. Photograph ofMerry Edwards on page 46 by Ben Miller. Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Heimoª, Steve. New classic winemakers ofCalifornia : conversations with Steve Heimoª / foreword by H. William Harlan. p. cm. Includes index. isbn978-0-520-24722-2 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Vintners—California—Biography. 2. Wine and wine making—California—History. I. Title. tp547.a1h45 2008 641.2'20922794—dc22 2007005166 Manufactured in the United States ofAmerica 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is printed on Natures Book, which contains 50% post-consumer waste and meets the minimum requirements ofansi/niso z39.48-1992 (r1997) (Permanence ofPaper).8 FOR MOM, AS PROMISED CONTENTS FOREWORD: H. WILLIAM HARLAN/ xi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS/ xv Introduction / 1 1970s Bill Wathen, Foxen Winery & Vineyard/ 11 Dan Morgan Lee, Morgan Winery / 19 Genevieve Janssens, Robert Mondavi Winery / 29 Rick Longoria, Richard Longoria Wines / 39 Merry Edwards, Merry Edwards Wines / 47 Tony Soter, Etude Wines / 57 Andy Beckstoªer, Beckstoªer Vineyards / 67 Ted Seghesio, Seghesio Family Vineyards / 75 Kent Rosenblum, Rosenblum Cellars / 83 Margo van Staaveren, Chateau St. Jean / 91 1980s Bob Levy, Harlan Estate / 105 Brian Talley, Talley Vineyards / 115 Heidi Peterson Barrett, La Sirena, Showket, Paradigm, Other Wineries / 125 Greg La Follette, De Loach Vineyards, Tandem Winery / 135 Randy Ullom, Kendall-Jackson / 145 Doug Shafer and Elias Fernandez, Shafer Vineyards / 153 Kathy Joseph, Fiddlehead Cellars / 163 Mark Aubert, Colgin Cellars, Aubert Wines, Other Wineries / 171 1990s Adam and Dianna Lee, Siduri Winery / 185 Greg Brewer, Brewer-Clifton, Melville Vineyards and Winery / 193 Justin Smith, Saxum Vineyards / 203 Michael Terrien, Hanzell Vineyards / 213 Gary, Mark, and Jeª Pisoni, Pisoni Vineyards & Winery / 223 Rolando Herrera, Mi Sueño Winery, Baldacci Family Vineyards, Other Wineries / 233 John Alban, Alban Vineyards / 241 Javier Tapia Meza, Ceàgo Vinegarden / 249 Gina Gallo, Gallo Family Vineyards / 257 GLOSSARY/ 265 INDEX/ 273 RRRoooccckkkpppiiillleee LLLaaakkkeee AAAllleeexxxaaannndddeeerrr NAPA SSSooonnnooommmaaa VVVaaalllllleeeyyy DDDrrryyy CCCrrreeeeeekkk 111333 KKKnnniiiggghhhtttsss PPPooopppeee VVVaaalllllleeeyyy VVVaaalllllleeeyyy VVVaaalllllleeeyyy 111444HHHeeeaaallldddsssbbbuuurrrggg HHHooowwweeellllll Lake CCCaaallliiissstttooogggaaa MMMttt... Berryessa CCChhhaaalllkkk HHHiiillllll RRRuuussssssiiiaaannn RRRiiivvveeerrr DDDiiiaaammmooonnnddd CCChhhiiillleeesss VVVaaalllllleeeyyy MMMttt... VVVaaalllllleeeyyy RRuussssiiaann RRiivveerr GGGVVV111aaarrreee555lllllleeeeeeyyynnn111666,,,111777 111888SR,,,111aon999staa BBBeeennnnnneeetttttt SSSpppMMMrrriiitttnnn...ggg222000SSSttt...222222 RRR222HHH333666111uuueee222tttlll222555hhheeeeee777nnnOOOrrr222aaafaffaaooo222kkkrrrvvv222dddiii444lllllleee333000 AAAPPPttteeelllaaaaaassskkk SLteaagps VVVaaalllllleeeyyy 222888,,,222999 YYYooouuunnntttvvviiilllllleee 333111 SSSooonnnooommmaaa MMMooouuunnnttt 323322 Napa MMMttt... VVVeeeeeedddeeerrr NCOOMRAeTSnHTdoScoinnoom1aNapSaacramento SONOMA CCCaaarrrnnneeerrrooosssNa rpea viR San Francisco 2 CCCaaarrrnnneeerrrooosss 333333 Livermore San Jose SF Bay Area Santa Cruz CENTRAL Mountains VALLEY Monterey 3,4 NORTH CENTRAL 5 COAST Paso Robles San Luis Obispo 6,7 SAN PABLO SOUTH 8,9,10 11,12 BAY CENTRAL Santa Barbara COAST Los Angeles 1 Ceàgo Vinegarden (Javier Tapia Meza) 17 Merry Edwards Wines (Merry Edwards) 2 Rosenblum Cellars (Kent Rosenblum) 18 Siduri Winery (Adam and Dianna Lee) 3 Morgan Winery (Dan Morgan Lee) 19 Kendall-Jackson (Randy Ullom) 4 Pisoni Vineyards & Winery (Gary, Mark, and 20 La Sirena Wines (Heidi Peterson Barrett) Jeff Pisoni) 21 Colgin Cellars (Mark Aubert) 5 Saxum Vineyards (Justin Smith) 22 Aubert Wines (Mark Aubert) 6 Talley Vineyards (Brian Talley) 23 Beckstoffer Vineyards (Andy Beckstoffer) 7 Alban Vineyards (John Alban) 24 Showket Vineyards (Heidi Peterson Barrett) 8 Brewer-Clifton (Greg Brewer) 25 Robert Mondavi Winery (Genevieve Janssens) 9 Melville Vineyards and Winery (Greg Brewer) 26 Harlan Estate (Bob Levy) 10 Richard Longoria Wines (Rick Longoria) 27 Paradigm Winery (Heidi Peterson Barrett) 11 Foxen Winery & Vineyard (Bill Wathen) 28 Chateau St. Jean (Margo van Staaveren) 12 Fiddlehead Cellars (Kathy Joseph) 29 Hanzell Vineyards (Michael Terrien) 13 Gallo Family Vineyards (Gina Gallo) 30 Baldacci Family Vineyards (Rolando Herrera) 14 Seghesio Family Vineyards (Ted Seghesio) 31 Shafer Vineyards (Doug Shafer and Elias Fernandez) 15 Tandem Winery (Greg La Follette) 32 Mi Sueño Winery (Rolando Herrera) 16 De Loach Vineyards (Greg La Follette) 33 Etude Wines (Tony Soter)