Vintage Eve 10/2014 Sonoma Part One: First Time at Ramey and Mazzocco

February 20, 2018 by evebushman Leave a Comment

I haven’t been to Sonoma in over five years. It’s a large wine area to cover and this time I focused on Healdsburg wineries that had created a buzz: Ramey Wine Cellars, Mazzocco Sonoma Vineyards and Winery, Seghesio Family Vineyards, and Mauritson Family Winery. (2018 update: Part Two, on Seghesio Family Vineyards and Mauritson Family Winery, will run in my column on next Tuesday 2/27/18.)

Ramey Wine Cellars

http://www.rameywine.com

David Ramey, winemaker and proprietor, shoveled his first grapes in 1978, after attending UC Santa Cruz and then later to Davis for a masters in enology. Ramey’s first harvests were in Sonoma in ‘78 and France in ‘79 at Jean-Pierre Moueix. (Petrus was one the wineries also managed by Moueix.) Ramey came back in ‘80 and then spent the next 22 years at Simi, Matanzas Creek, Château Petrus again, Chalk Hill, Dominus and Rudd.

In ‘96 Ramey had the opportunity to make his own wine, a Chardonnay from Hyde Vineyard. Once his wife agreed, he made 260 cases in his first vintage. Today Ramey has released the 2011 from the exact same vineyard. Ramey Wine Cellars makes 40,000 cases, in what Ramey calls a “large small winery.” Co-owned with his wife, Ramey has no partners or investors.

Ramey told us that he purchased a vineyard with an old “Hop Kiln” on the property. He plans on converting the hop kiln into a tasting room and building caves for a winery. The property sits along the Russian River and is called Westside Farms. It has 42 acres planted to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. He is working on the permitting process now and would like to complete the project by 2017.

In 1987 at Matanzas Creek Winery, Ramey was one of the first winemakers in California to whole cluster press Chardonnay grapes, and he is considered a legend in the industry. His Chardonnays are made in a French Burgundian style and flavor, and he goes for more “lift” with California ripening grapes. None of the wines are filtered; they are fined using traditional French methods.

Communications Director Alexandra O’Gorman led us through a tasting of four whites and four reds.

(Aroma and flavor notes separated by 😉

2012 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay (2012 – 2014 all drought years*)

The only one that was cloudy, definitely due to being unfiltered; oak, butter, crisp apple; tart apples, white pepper, nice bite with a long acidic finish. Like a Sauvignon Blanc with some oak notes.

2012 Russian River Valley Chardonnay

Lemon lime, grapefruit, vanilla; toasted oak, same fruit, not as acidic a finish, more balanced.

2011 Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay

Pear, cinnamon, creamy; tart, acidic, oak more prominent on palate, nice balanced finish.

2011 Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay

Rose gardens, butterscotch, medium toasted oak; more oak, moist yet dry, tart Granny Smith apples.

2012 Sonoma Coast Syrah (Make 2 different Syrahs per year)

Pungent plums, juicy blackberry and black cherry, spice rack, mulled wine notes; beautiful, stemmy, lots of black pepper and dried dark fruit. ‘

2012 Claret

Bright red to blue fruits, black pepper, smoke; Exceptional blend of fruit from all over Napa Valley, dry, cigar, dark chocolate. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot. ‘

2012 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Ramey makes four different Cabernet Sauvignon based wines per year.)

Balanced fruit and spice on the nose, including cherry, menthol; great dark drying fruit, not too peppery, ready to drink.

2011 Annum Cabernet Sauvignon (25% Cabernet Franc)

Velvety rose, plum, cigar box; deep and dark fruit, not too much pepper, lovely balance.

*As far as any issues caused by the drought, in 2014 Ramey received 20% more fruit than anticipated.

Mazzocco Sonoma

http://www.mazzocco.com

Touring the outdoor winery with our charming winemaker, Antoine Favero, proved to be a hoot! Favero’s wit and charm got me past any fear of climbing stair after to stair to get a view of sweet bubbling fermenting grape juice, the local Sonoma airport and piles of reusable grape compost. We also tasted sun-sweetened Cabernet grapes in their clusters fresh from harvest!

Most of the harvested grapes are only fermented via natural yeast according to Favero. The winery was built in the ‘80s and is one of the rare ones that is all outdoors. The barrel room didn’t have any electric cooling units; instead the unique ceiling was built to bring in the cool air, and, as an added gift, it was beautiful to look up at.

After my travel pal Claudia Sheridan practiced the art of “punch down” we returned to the tasting room to sample a few award winning wines (see tasting notes below) and later, enjoy a picnic lunch with Favero.

Best of Class and Double Gold medals

2012 Stuhlmuller Reserve Chardonnay

Oak, cream and butter aroma notes followed by tart lemon lime and creamy finish.

2012 Zinfandel, Briar

Red cherries, mint; spicy, light tannins, long finish.

2012 Zinfandel, Sullivan

More mature darker fruit, bursting cherries, dusty plums, charred oak; pungent dark fruit, greet-me-in-the-face spice and pepper.

2012 Zinfandel, Pony Reserve

Red, blue and black fruit, black pepper, dark dry chocolate; blue fruit, chocolate again.

2012 Zinfandel, Maple Reserve

Milk chocolate, cracked green pepper, spicy; Nice balance of fruit and spice, drink now with or without food, just go for it.

2012 Zinfandel, Smith Orchard Reserve

Perfumy nose, flower garden, dark fruit, cracked black pepper; intense, spicy, very good.

2012 Antoine Philippe Reserve (Zinfandel blend)

The most balanced nose with notes of dust, crushed spices, good and fruity; milk to dark chocolate, incredible balance, smooth – shoot me that is good. (Favero sent us home with a bottle and an ice chest; this bottle, opened and in the car most of the time, lasted three days and could’ve gone longer.)

Facebook album link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10204030874999605.1073741881.1455706632&type=1&l=ef858e481a

More From Napa: Phifer Pavitt, Tank Garage Winery, Larkmead, Joseph Phelps and Switchback Ridge

December 29, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

This is the last article in my series on the Napa Valley for 2017. Today we will have a virtual taste from Phifer Pavitt, Tank Garage Winery, Larkmead and Joseph Phelps.

Phifer Pavitt

We met with Luke Speer, the Director of Hospitality, for our tasting. Phifer Pavitt is known (written up in Wine Spectator 13 times so far) for their “Date Night” Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. New for them: the XRoads Cabernet Sauvignon. A sparkling has recently been added but, woe is me, none was available for tasting during our visit.

We began with the 2016 Phifer Pavitt Sauvignon Blanc – fresh, crisp, lemon-lime, fleshy peach with low acid and a long finish. I’m partial to this wine as I’ve known the winemaker before he made commercial wine and have been a longtime fan: Gary Warburton. Next we tried the 2013 Date Night – It was big, dry and tannic with exceptional plump blue to black fruit, fig, smoke, aromatic and perfumy. Their red winemaker Ted Osborne always does a great job. Now onto the 2014 Date Night – I got a bit brighter fruit than I did from the 2013, but with the same plumpness. Very well done. The 2014 XRoads Cab had great fruit from the valley floor: red fruit, dried blueberry, black cherry, and very balanced with the tannins. Destined to be a hit.

www.phiferpavittwine.com

Tank Garage Winery: Completely Out of the Tasting Room Box

Can’t recall exactly where I heard about the Tank Garage Winery, but it was either via a wine trade or marketing magazine. I had read it was a unique space with a unique brand. What I discovered is that this is a must stop for those looking for a different experience, or those new to wine looking for some fun.

Several out-of-the-box ideas flew at me:

Turned a 1930s era filling station into a tasting room and…a cozy Speakeasy in the back for members only.

The wines are all one and done. Each release is an all new blend, name and package.

The official motto is actually “Never Dream Alone” and they’ve “found a ton of amazing people to dream” with them.

All of their wines are in fact small batch. At one point, they were all under 125 cases, but as they’ve grown, some are as large as 500 cases, like their brand new Chrome Dreams.

They have four wines that are distributed at larger production including a Rosé, Chardonnay, Cab and Red Blend called All or Nothing, which is primarily Zin, Cab and Petite Sirah.

The Wine Club has three levels, 3-Bottle, 6-Bottle and 12-Bottle. The Half-Tank and Full-Tank options are just for purchases in the tasting room.

The wines we quickly tasted through (I didn’t make an appointment and had another coming up) included a 2016 “California Stroke” White Wine, California, 92% Vermentino with 8% Verdelho, skin fermented; 2015 “Nothing Gold Can Stay” 100% Chardonnay, Napa Valley, 40% new oak and 60% neutral; 2015 “Like You Stole It” Red Wine, Contra Costa County, blend of Mourvedre, Grenache and Carignane; 2015 “Take It Easy” Red Wine, Sonoma County, a blend of 96% Zinfandel, 3% Petite Sirah and 1% Carignane; 2014 “The Heavy” Red Wine, Napa Valley – the only label that stays with each vintage – and a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc.

Larkmead Vineyards

Jeff Smith from Hourglass suggested we make a reservation to taste at Larkmead. Beautiful tasting areas both inside and out, we snagged a couch and settled in for a few tastes. We did learn that the vineyards were established back in the 1800s and the first vintage came in 1930s! Look up Lillie Hitchcock Coit (yes, of Coit Tower fame) to sleuth around more. Lillie had a wild life before she died in 1929. She was the first female volunteer firefighter and sold grapes to churches during prohibition – among other things.

The wines are “heavily allocated” to loyal members. Though all from the valley floor the vineyards have a diversity of soils and gravel. One vineyard, the Dr. Olmo, is named after the famed UC Davis Dr. Olmo that is credited for fighting Phylloxera. We tasted three wines: 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon was all mature developed fruit, velvety soft, pepper and nicely balanced black currant, black plum and black currant with crushed black pepper and spice. The 2014 Dr. Olmos started with that barnyard nose with the addition of dark chocolate and blackberry while the taste was dry with layered black fruit and tasted oak. The final wine, the 2014 Solari Cab had that barnyard funk, prune, ripe berries, dusty, mint and tannin. The lingering length on this one made it our favorite.

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

The benefits of membership: calling to make an appointment as you park the car in their lot! We had just received our allocation but my hubby wanted to taste the new Insignia before we put it away for a few years. We got to try more than that, and as I wasn’t “covering” the winery I just wanted to at least give their wines a shout out, sans tasting notes, as I’ve never ever been disappointed with Joseph Phelps: 2014 Pinot Noir, Pastorale Vineyard, Sonoma Coast; 2014 Pinot Noir, Quarter Moon Vineyard, Sonoma Coast; 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley; 2012 INSIGNIA, Napa Valley (I did note this one as “perfect”); 2014 INSIGNIA, Napa Valley; and a 2015 INSIGNIA, Napa Valley, barrel sample.

Switchback Ridge

Last but not least we had the opportunity to try another winery new to us: Switchback Ridge. Their 2014 Switchback Ridge Merlot gave off that interesting funky barnyard nose, saddle leather at first. Some of that blew off and I got good dark fruit while the 2014 Switchback Ridge Cabernet had pungent thick fruit that softened in the glass, a bit of mint and licorice on the nose as well. In the mouth I tasted layers of blackberry, black cherry, cigar, oak and tannin. Bob Foley makes these two wines.

www.switchbackridge.com

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Vintage Eve Circa 8/2013: Tasting, and Learning, from Louie Lucas of Lucas and Lewellen Vineyards

June 20, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

Walking into the Lucas and Lewellen Vineyards tasting room on the popular Copenhagen Drive in Solvang, I was pleased to have my winery appointment set up with Louie Lucas himself. Before we even sat down he started giving us some history of his winery.

Louie Lucas is on the far right, with his hands on his award-winning grapes. Photo from Facebook.

With 400 acres, and four different properties, Lucas and Lewellen grows 25 grape varietals. The tasting room had been open for 10 years – serving up to 25 wines. The planting began in 1970 and Lucas has been in the area for 40 years.

The current winemaker for the last five years is Megan McGrath Gates, who went to UC Davis for her wine credentials.

Wining Awards For Others

Lucas and Lewellen Vineyards has a long history of selling grapes to Napa wineries as well as more local winemakers. So, his grapes “win awards for others”. And he also makes wines for others, like actress Jane Seymour. Amongst his list is Chardonnay to Kendall Jackson, more goes to Jed Steele of Steele wines, Muscat to Napa’s Castello di Amorosa, Gewurztraminer to V. Sattui and Syrah to winemaking legend Heidi Barrett.

I asked Lucas if I could mention this in my article, he hesitated for two seconds and then agreed, saying, “Its too late for them to get me!”

Lucas’ father and grandfather were grape growers, and what they produced had to be perfect and blemish free, even the stems had to be cured. “You grow good grapes,” Lucas said. “And you get good wine.”

“Today we buy from catalogs when shopping for root stocks,” Lucas said in regards to how things have changed in 40 years. “So many more variations then we had before, and all are supposed to be resistant to disease, we shall see.”

Lucas and Lewellen has 1200 French oak barrels, and buys both new and used. They added 300 new barrels last year and are experimenting with hybrid barrels that are made from half American and half French oak.

Tasting

2011 Blanc de Noirs Brut Sparkling wine, 80% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay

Juicy fruit strawberry and peach on the nose, nice toast and jam on the palate. They don’t make the wine, instead they use a sparkling wine facility to make it, and only use their handpicked grapes. Outstanding.

Viognier 2012

A touch of stainless steel, followed by peach, kiwi, candied ginger and pear on the nose. Very balanced on the taste. Perfect.

2009 Chenin Blanc

White peaches, lime, green grapes, green grass. Great viscosity, mouth coating, not acidic.

Gewurztraminer 2011

Lemons, earth, peppermint on nose. Same gentle mouthfeel and low acid.

2011 Old Vine Moscato

2% residual sugar. Candied orange, wet wood, cloves.

2012 Pinot Noir Rose (100% Pinot)

Cherry, stems, rose petals…again, that nice balance and viscosity.

2009 Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir, Estate

New clones since the “movie” (a nod to “Sideways”), and now making outstanding Pinot Noir wines from 10 different clones.

Good dark cherries, dry, green peppercorns.

2010 High Nine Pinot 667 clone, Santa Maria.

Smokey, charred, bright red fruit, long finish.

Malbec 2010

Blue and red fruit, dry, medium length. A favorite.

2007 Petit Verdot

Inky black color, blue fruit, blueberry jam rolled up in a pancake on the nose. Mature and tannic on the palate. Another fave.

2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Cote del Sol (means “The Sun side”)

Balanced red and blue fruit and tannins, very good, long finish.

2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Valley View

83 cab percent and all other Bordeaux grapes

Balanced, dusty, plums bell pepper.

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 6

Dark purple, jammy, dry toast, plums.

http://www.llwine.com

Tasting Room: 1645 Copenhagen Dr., Solvang, CA 93463

Announcing the Mendocino Coast’s Premier Food & Wine Event – WINESONG

May 17, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

FORT BRAGG, CA – Tickets are now on sale for the 33rd Annual Winesong event — a spectacular weekend of award winning wine, fabulous food, fine art, music, merriment, and charitable giving. Produced by the Mendocino Coast Hospital Foundation, the main event takes place at the gorgeous Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens on Saturday, September 9th, with A Pinot Noir Celebration at the nearby Little River Inn on Friday, September 8th. In addition, Winesong has just announced key honorees at this year’s event: Wine pioneer Nils Venge of famed Saddleback Cellars has been named Honored Vintner, Wine writer and aficionado Dan Berger and photographer and former wine industry executive George Rose have been named Auction Chairs, and local Anderson Valley Artist Rebecca Johnson has been named the 2017 Artist of the Year. The Hospital Foundation is thrilled to honor these individuals who have been incredibly supportive of Winesong and our goals to help with the equipment needs of the Mendocino Coast District Hospital.

1911175_698254950197521_1231258920_o Winesong allows attendees the opportunity to explore lauded wines from Mendocino County and around the world, all while sampling culinary delights from locally-based purveyors, as well as a selection of local brews and spirits. World-class artwork is also on display, all set against a backdrop of the stunning Botanical Gardens and the majestic Pacific Ocean. Winesong aims to create harmony between one of the most breathtaking vistas on earth and all of your other senses, all while raising money for our rural hospital.

This year’s Honored Vintner, Nils Venge, is universally regarded as one of the foremost pioneers of the Napa Valley wine industry. Born to Danish immigrants, Venge’s exposure to wine came at an early age, as his parents operated a wine and liquor import and distribution company in Southern California. Venge continued his pursuit of wine at the University of California in Davis where he earned a BS in Viticulture in 1967. Following a tour of duty in Vietnam as a Navy Reservist, Venge moved to the Napa Valley to pursue his interest in winemaking. In the subsequent years, Venge worked for the notable wineries Charles Krug, Sterling, Villa Mount Eden and Groth. During his tenure at Groth, Venge became the first American winemaker to receive a perfect 100 point rating from Wine Critic Robert Parker Jr. The 1985 Groth Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon catapulted Venge to a venerated position in the California wine industry. Nils Venge continues to produce outstanding wines at his Oakville facility, Saddleback Cellars.

Auction Chair Dan Berger is a former Los Angeles Times Wine Columnist and a lifelong journalist who spent ten years as a general assignment reporter and editor for The Associated Press. He began writing about wine in 1976 and has been nationally syndicated since 1979. He and his wife, Juliann Savage, publish a private weekly wine newsletter, Dan Berger’s Vintage Experiences, which began in February 1996. He has contributed articles to Wines & Vines, Decanter Magazine in London, Wine Press Northwest, Tasters’ Guild Journal, Sommelier Guild Journal, the privately published California Grapevine, trade journals Cheers and Beverage Dynamics, and numerous others. He has been a keynote speaker at wine marketing seminars and has been asked to judge several wine competitions over the years. Dan has also garnered many awards, including Wines and Vines magazine’s “Wine Writer of the Year.” In 2010, Mr. Berger was inducted into the Wine Media Guild Hall of Fame in New York. He is on the board of directors of the International Riesling Foundation. He is an aficionado of Napa and Sonoma wines.

More than 40 years ago, Auction Chair George Rose began his long career as a photographer. Throughout the years, he has traveled a long and winding road through the elite world of popular music, film, news, politics, and sports, eventually leading him to California’s Wine Country. During his prolific years as a Los Angeles-based photojournalist, Rose developed a remarkable and historic body of photographic work focused on popular culture. His independent assignments, focused primarily on the entertainment industry, have been published in USA Today, Time, Newsweek and Rolling Stone. Over 40 vintage prints of his are in the permanent collection of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. In 1987, Rose won a World Press Photo Award for news, and was named California “Newspaper Photographer of the Year” in 1976 by the University of Missouri, School of Journalism. The Los Angeles Times twice nominated him (1979 and 1980) for a Pulitzer Prize. For the past 25 years, Rose was a wine industry executive communications director at four successful wine companies: Fetzer Vineyards, Allied Domecq Wines USA, Kendall-Jackson, and J Vineyards & Winery. During this time, he continued to pursue his passion of photography. In 2015, Rose moved to Santa Barbara County’s Santa Ynez Valley. Much of his time is devoted to documenting the natural environment of the county as well as top vineyard estates up and down the coast of California. He is also a contributing photographer with Getty Images.

2017 Artist of the Year Rebecca Johnson grew up in an art-centric family in rural Hopewell, New Jersey. Her parents were designers, artists and art educators. “Life is art” was the family credo. This philosophy enriched and continues to inform Rebecca’s art and career. As a young artist Rebecca embraced the path of the successful professional. She received her BFA from Tyler School of Art and her MFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. She studied bronze casting at the Johnson Atelier in New Jersey and stone carving in quarries in Vermont. A fulcrum of change occurred when The British American Arts Council awarded her a three-month fellowship to work in Northwest Wales. In this land of stonewalls, craggy mountains, wild coast and rich folkloric history Rebecca’s ideas gestated. Time and solitude created space for her to thoroughly see and imbibe the light, color and form of the land. Her exterior and interior visions integrated and enhanced each other. Rebecca discovered a new degree of courage and conviction to follow her work to its true ultimate power, rural nature and a poetic vision. Rebecca now lives and works in Northern California, Mendocino County, a place of raw elemental forces. Her studio is located in the Anderson Valley, where inside a large renovated barn she creates paintings. The doors of the studio open to a hillside meadow filled with her stone sculpture. The calm beauty of this rural place resonates in her work.

Below is a quick overview of what you can expect at this year’s Winesong event. Tickets to each event are available for purchase at: http://winesong.org/events/purchase-tickets/.

A Pinot Noir Celebration: Meet the Winemakers
Friday, September 8, 2017 | 1 to 4 p.m.

The weekend kicks off with a prestigious Pinot Noir tasting, presented by Winesong and hosted by Little River Inn. Attendees will enjoy Pinot Noir from renowned Anderson Valley, along with wines from other award-winning pinot regions, alongside tastes of Little River Inn’s finest culinary offerings. General Admission Tickets for A Pinot Noir Celebration: Meet the Winemakers are $75 per person.

Wine & Food Grand Tasting in the Gardens
Saturday, September 9, 2017 | 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Stroll through the lush Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens while enjoying vintages poured by world-class wineries from Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa, and beyond. Sample beer, spirits, and food from 50 of Mendocino County’s finest purveyors. The tasting is accented by various musical groups performing a variety of styles including jazz, classical, blues, calypso and folk rock. General Admission Tickets with festival seating at auction and access to wine and food tasting are $125 per person for Early Responders; $150 per person after June 1st.

Silent & Live Charity Auctions
Saturday, September 9, 2017 | SILENT: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; LIVE: 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The centerpiece of Winesong weekend is the Charity Auction, featuring both a silent and live auction. Nearly 200 lots will be on offer, featuring spectacular wines from the world’s most prestigious wine producers, rare vintages, large format bottles and special vertical and horizontal collections, as well as original art from acclaimed California artists and highly coveted international and domestic vacation packages. Auction Reserve Tickets with assigned seating under the auction tent (w/catered lunch) and access to wine and food tasting are $225 per person for Early Responders; $250 per person after June 1st.

For further information, please visit http://winesong.org /events/purchase-tickets or call (707) 961-4688.

About Winesong & the Mendocino Coast Hospital Foundation

Winesong is produced by the Mendocino Coast Hospital Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds for the Mendocino Coast District Hospital. Its mission is to help the small rural Hospital provide the best possible medical care to residents as well as the many visitors to the Mendocino Coast. Winesong proceeds have enabled the Hospital to purchase chemotherapy equipment, portable ultrasound machines for the Emergency Room as well as a state-of-the-art Diagnostic Imaging Center, Cardiology Equipment, a Bedside Medicine Verification System and most recently, a Nurse Call System and a Patient Monitor Alert & Telemetry System.

Perlis Picks: Historic Vineyard Society Year in Review

January 21, 2017 by Michael Perlis 1 Comment

The Historic Vineyard Society is an organization that is very near and dear to my heart. Dedicated to preserving California’s old vines, the HVS Board members, led by Mike Dildine, have not only spearheaded the efforts to save these important properties but their wineries are responsible for producing some of California’s most exciting wines: Mike Officer [Carlisle], Bob Biale [Biale], Tegan Passalacqua [Turley and Sandlands], David Gates [Ridge] and Morgan Twain-Peterson [Bedrock]. Also on the project team is Joel Peterson [Ravenswood and Once and Future Wine].

I recently received the HVS year-in-review email and wanted to share it with Eve’s Wine 101 readers…

Happy New Year, Friends!

It’s hard to believe, but another year has come and gone, and as we reflect on the last twelve months, we’d like to update you on the latest HVS happenings and give a preview of what’s to come for the Historic Vineyard Society in 2017.

The year in review

In February, HVS board members conducted a tasting at the annual ZAP festival; this year, the premise was California Great Growths, showcasing exceptional old vine vineyards and wines made from them. Attendees very much enjoyed the discussion and a tasting of delicious wines from historic vineyards, and we look forward to participating at ZAP again in the future.
With the goal of educating the next generation of winemakers about historic vineyards, HVS Board Members conducted two educational tastings and presentations in 2016: the first, at UC Davis in March; the second, at Cal Poly in May. Both events were well attended by students eager to help carry the torch of preserving historic vineyards, and we plan to continue these tastings in the future, both in California and beyond.
May marked the 6th annual Vineyard Tour & Dinner, celebrating the historic vineyards and wines of the Russian River Valley. A record attendance of about 150 guests enjoyed an informative vineyard tour of Limerick Lane Vineyard, Carlisle Vineyard, Papera Ranch and Belloni Vineyard, led by the inimitable Jake Bilbro and HVS Board Members. Despite the inclement weather, a fabulous time was had by all.
In conjunction with the May Vineyard Tour and Dinner, HVS was excited to announce the release of the 2013 vintage HVS wine, a blend made by multiple HVS wineries from the old vines of Bedrock Vineyard. This is a project we hope to continue in years to come, with a different historic vineyard featured each year. Guests at the 2017 Vineyard Tour and Dinner will once again have the opportunity to purchase the HVS wine, this time from the 2014 vintage, a blend from Pagani Ranch.
HVS conducted a pop-up tasting at Cadet Beer & Wine Bar in Napa in November, with HVS board members pouring a variety of wines to showcase historic vineyards ranging from Napa (Hayne Vineyard and Aldo’s Vineyard) to Lodi (Bechtoldt Vineyard), the Russian River (Two Acres) and Sonoma (Bedrock Vineyard, Alta Vista Vineyard and Pagani Ranch).

What’s new in 2017

Save the date: the 7th annual Vineyard Tour & Dinner is scheduled to take place on June 10th, 2017 at Pagani Ranch in Sonoma Valley; as Morgan describes it, one of the most historically and qualitatively gilded vineyards in the Golden State. Stay tuned for further details on what is sure to be another memorable HVS event.
We are excited to announce that HVS was selected by Philadelphia-based freelance videographer Meredith Nutting for a video series on “Heritage Seeds,” with episodes on wheat, apples and grapes. The project will be pitched to the National Geographic Channel, the Smithsonian Channel and PBS, and we will most certainly keep you posted as the project develops in 2017.
We plan to schedule another tasting this year at Cadet Beer & Wine Bar in Napa, set up as a guided, classroom-style tasting to allow guests to hear from HVS board members about these historic vineyards and the wines grown therein.
Foundation Plant Services has invited HVS to send in clone selections from historic vines to be tested and treated/removed of any virus, then propagated. This has kept the HVS board members busy into harvest, as they’ve begun flagging vines to take cuttings this spring and sent into the FPS — this has the potential to allow public access to HVS selections and even create a special HVS clonal selection in years to come.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Historic Vineyard Society, we thank you for your support over the last six years. We invite you to visit the HVS website, where we are continuing to uncover new historic vineyards across California. We welcome your contributions in support of California’s historic vines, which can be made on the website.

We look forward to a wonderful year ahead.

Cheers,

HVS Board Members:

Signed by Mike Officer, Bob Biale, Tegan Passalacqua, David Gates, Morgan Twain-Peterson and Mike Dildine.

Michael Perlis has been pursuing his passion for wine for more than 25 years. He has had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show him the way, as well as a wonderful wife who encourages him and shares his interest. After a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as he possibly could, he had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Now, as Contributing Editor for Eve’s Wine 101, he does his best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers. Michael is also Vice President of Eve Bushman Consulting (fka Eve’s Wine 101 Consulting) http://evebushmanconsulting.com/ and President of MCP Financial. Michael can be contacted at michaelthezinfan@aol.com or michael@evebushmanconsulting.com.

J Lohr Winemaker Steve Peck named ‘WINEMAKER OF THE YEAR’ BY THE SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY WINE INDUSTRY

July 28, 2016 by evebushman Leave a Comment

San Jose, Calif.–J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines announced that Red Winemaker Steve Peck has been named ‘Winemaker of the Year’ by the San Luis Obispo County wine industry. Peck was nominated for ‘Winemaker of the Year’ by an esteemed group of industry associations that includes the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, the San Luis Obispo Wine Country Association, the Independent Grape Growers of the Paso Robles Area and The Vineyard Team. After being nominated, Peck was voted the ‘Winemaker of the Year’ honor by his industry peers in recognition of his leadership and accomplishments on behalf of San Luis Obispo County winemaking. San Luis Obispo County is California’s third largest wine region, and the home to J. Lohr’s sustainably-certified vineyards and winery in Paso Robles.

Eve with J. Lohr winemaker Steve Peck

As the red winemaker for family-owned J. Lohr for the past decade, Peck leverages his passion for viticulture and his comprehensive technical knowledge to lead J. Lohr’s red wine program. This program includes more than 2,600 acres of red varieties, primarily focused on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Petite Sirah in Paso Robles, and more than 140 acres of Pinot Noir in the Santa Lucia Highlands and Arroyo Seco appellations of Monterey County. With an academic focus on chemical engineering and fermentation sciences, Steve put himself through UC Davis as part of the team at Joseph Phelps Vineyards, before pursuing opportunities in the biotech industry.

Inspired by an early mentorship making homemade wines with his uncle, Peck dedicated himself to learning the art of winemaking on his own time. In 2001, his love of winemaking brought him back to the industry full-time as winemaker for Five Rivers Winery, and in 2004, he also became responsible for the red wines at Jekel Vineyards. In 2007, Peck was named red winemaker for J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, and from 2007 through 2015, he sat on the board of the Central Coast Vineyard Team, serving as board president for the last four years.

“Steve’s deep knowledge of Paso Robles’ growing conditions and soils, regard for the nuance of winemaking craft, and unrelenting pursuit of true varietal characteristic in our red wines has garnered him great respect within J. Lohr and across the wine industry,” said Director of Winemaking, President/COO Jeff Meier, who has been with J. Lohr for 33 years. “Everything we do at J. Lohr yields a continual focus on improvement and quality, and the wines in our portfolio demonstrate Steve’s acumen and passion at its best. He is indeed a deserving recipient for recognition by the San Luis Obispo County wine industry.”

As part of an acclaimed winemaking team that includes Winemaker, White Wine, Kristen Barnhisel, and Assistant Winemaker Brenden Wood, Peck is widely recognized for helping to make some of the finest wines in J. Lohr’s history, with his influence shaping all of the red wines in four J. Lohr signature tiers. These tiers include J. Lohr Estates, J. Lohr Vineyard Series, J. Lohr Cuvée Series, and the limited-release wines of J. Lohr Gesture, Rhône varieties and blends that have fueled growth of the Lohr wine club since their release in 2009. Recent high praise for J. Lohr red wines include Double Gold Medal/Best of Class of Region, 98 points, for each of the 2012 J. Lohr Cuvée St. E, 2014 J. Lohr Gesture Mourvèdre, and the 2013 J. Lohr Tower Road Petite Sirah, all awarded by the 2016 California State Fair; the Chairman’s Trophy and 97 and 96 points respectively for the 2012 J. Lohr Cuvée PAU and the 2013 J. Lohr Tower Road Petite Sirah, awarded by the 2016 Ultimate Beverage Challenge; and countless Double Gold, Gold and Best of Class/Best of Region for the 2013 J. Lohr Gesture Syrah. Steve was especially pleased to

see the 2014 J. Lohr Gesture Syrah awarded Best of Class at the Mid-State Fair’s 2016 Central Coast Wine Competition.

Previous J. Lohr award recipients include J. Lohr Vineyard Manager Steve Carter, who was named 2003 Winegrape Grower of the Year, and J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines Founder Jerry Lohr, who was honored as the 2008 Wine Industry Person of the Year. Visit www.midstatefair.com for more information.

About J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines

Founded four decades ago by Jerry Lohr, and still family-owned and operated today, J.Lohr Vineyards & Wines crafts a full line of internationally recognized wines from more than 5,000 acres of sustainably-farmed, estate vineyards in Paso Robles, Monterey County’s Arroyo Seco and Santa Lucia Highlands appellations, and St. Helena in the Napa Valley. Offering an expressive range of styles, J. Lohr produces four tiers of signature wines showcasing its estate grapes–J. Lohr Estates, J. Lohr Vineyard Series, J. Lohr Cuvée Series and J. Lohr Gesture.

David Parrish: The Veteran Wine Star who’s Driving the Future of Parrish Family Vineyard

July 24, 2016 by evebushman Leave a Comment

After years working alongside visionaries including Robert Mondavi in Napa, the masterful winemaker continues to innovate and evolve his family’s award-winning winery.

Paso Robles, California – As a child working the 740-acre vineyard planted in Atascadero by his grandfather, David Parrish knew he wanted a life among the rolling vine rows of wine country.

Years later after graduating from UC Davis, Dr. Mark Kliewer, the then-head of his alma mater’s Viticulture Department, recruited Parrish to assist in a 5-acre vineyard trial exploring new trellis techniques. The trial not only helped boost Napa Valley vineyards, his work led Parrish to develop 24 proprietary patents for modern trellising systems and structures that are still used today.

His trellising work caught the attention of the then-fledgling Napa community, and soon, in the late 1970s, Parrish was working alongside Napa’s most innovative grape growers, including the legendary Robert Mondavi.

Mondavi and his neighbors believed Napa could be a world-class wine region, and that it all started in the vineyards.

David Parrish helped them achieve that lofty goal.

“It was quite an exciting time. None of us knew we were making history. We were just going for it and working our tails off,” says Parrish. “What I did know while working up there, and with Mondavi, was that this idea of transforming an area into a world-class region was not exclusive to Napa—that the same could be done in Paso Robles. To put it another way, as I finished up in Napa, I knew my work was just beginning.”

With the vision of continuing the family legacy on the central coast, David planted 40 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon on his Creston ranch in 1995. In 2004, David crafted his first vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon; in 2011 he and his family opened the tasting room in Downtown Paso Robles; and in 2013 and 2014 he planted 80 acres in the Templeton Vineyard, and 30 acres in the Adelaida Vineyard.

“Much has changed in Paso Robles since I was a kid working alongside my grandfather. We have become a world-class region and we’re dedicated to ensuring that continues for generations to come. Parrish Family Vineyard is proud to be part of this community that knows the key to great wine starts with the farming, and farming requires constant innovation,” says Parrish. “This brings up another thing I learned from my days working with Mondavi, that the key to success is to wake up every day with one single goal: to make each vintage better than the last.”

Today, Parrish Family Vineyard is a notable marquee destination for discovering award-winning Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux varietal wine. David and his family will be opening a new winery and tasting room in the Adelaida District of Paso Robles next year.

ABOUT PARRISH FAMILY VINEYARD

Parrish Family Vineyard is a premiere producer of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Paso Robles, Adelaida District, and is dedicated to crafting sophisticated wine that represents the true varietal characteristics farmed on their coastal-influenced family vineyards in the preeminent Paso Robles region, including the Creston and Templeton Districts. Parrish Family Vineyard’s aim is to produce world-class Cabernet Sauvignon from their superior Adelaida Vineyard and inspire lasting experiences at your table or in their welcoming tasting room. Through their innovative approach and sustainability and philanthropic efforts, they work to be a positive force in the wine world and local community. Follow Parrish Family Vineyard on Facebook,Twitter, and Instagram, or visit www.parrishfamilyvineyard.com.

Green Medal Awards Announced: Sustainable Winegrowing Leadership

May 30, 2016 by evebushman Leave a Comment

SAN FRANCISCO — Recipients of the second annual California Green Medal: Sustainable Winegrowing Leadership Awards were announced and honored at a lunch reception and ceremony April 20 in Sacramento. The California Green Medal, developed to showcase leading wineries and vineyards committed to sustainability, is presented by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, the California Association of Winegrape Growers, Wine Institute, Lodi Winegrape Commission, Napa Valley Vintners, Sonoma County Winegrowers and The Vineyard Team. Many association partners also helped to promote the awards which were selected by a panel of wine and sustainability experts.

Accepting the 2016 California Green Medal Awards were: (L-R) Lucas Pope of Halter Ranch Vineyard;Katie Jackson of Jackson Family Wines; Jason Haas of Tablas Creek Vineyard; and Dirk Heuvel of McManis Family Vineyards.

Awardees of the four 2016 Green Medals are:

LEADER AWARD, given to the vineyard or winery that excels in all “3 E’s” of Sustainability—Environmentally sound, socially Equitable and Economically viable.
Winner: Jackson Family Wines has been a sustainability innovator and an early adopter of healthy land management practices since the winery’s founding in 1982, with more recent actions guided by a company-wide sustainability strategy and a comprehensive audit of environmental impacts in 2008. Incorporating triple bottom-line sustainability principles across all aspects of their business, the company deployed solar arrays at eight wineries and collaborated with Tesla to reduce energy demand and increase grid reliability, utilized industry-first water conservation technologies, introduced human resource initiatives to improve employees’ well-being, paid a price premium for certified sustainable winegrapes and led voluntary drought initiatives.

ENVIRONMENT AWARD, given to the vineyard or winery that best demonstrates Environmental Stewardship through maximized environmental benefits from implementing sustainable practices.
Winner: Halter Ranch Vineyard. The environmental stewardship commitment by Halter Ranch Vineyard owner Hansjörg Wyss is demonstrated by the decision to preserve 1,700 acres of the Halter Ranch property with 18% planted to vineyards that work in harmony with the undeveloped acres to provide habitat, wildlife corridors and biodiversity. The winery also works with the Wyss Foundation to help local communities and partners conserve millions of acres. Halter Ranch conserves water, resulting in over a 50% reduction in irrigation; captures rain and winery water bringing over two million gallons back to irrigation ponds; and farms 281 acres of vines without removing oak trees or displacing existing wildlife and plant life.

COMMUNITY AWARD, given to the vineyard or winery that is a Good Neighbor & Employer using the most innovative practices that enhance relations with employees, neighbors and/or communities.
Winner: Tablas Creek Vineyard. Since its establishment in 1989, Tablas Creek has been a trendsetter for its wine region, actively involved in the Paso Robles community through the local winery association and by hosting workshops to share sustainability practices. The winery has partnered with organizations such as must! charities, the local animal shelter, arts and youth sports organizations and has donated more than $100,000 to support local youth and arts programs since 2002. Tablas Creek promotes productivity and job satisfaction by compensating employees with fully funded medical, dental and vision benefits, employer-matching 401k plans, educational support, wine shares and annual profit-sharing bonuses to both part-time and full-time employees. Staff are encouraged to continue education.

BUSINESS AWARD, given to the vineyard or winery that best demonstrates Smart Business through efficiencies, cost savings and innovation from implementing sustainable practices.
Winner: McManis Family Vineyards. With a focus on constant improvement of practices and adoption of the latest farming and winemaking technologies, McManis Family Vineyards’ water use efficiency measures in the vineyard include the use of soil moisture sensors, flow meters and distribution uniformity tests; while their winery recycles water and averages one gallon of water to produce one gallon of wine. Sustainable practices have also decreased energy use, diesel use and tractor work and limited the impact on soil. Making sustainability a core part of their business strategy has not only benefited the environment, surrounding community and employee retention, but has streamlined processes in the vineyard, winery and office, resulting in economic gains that help ensure a thriving business for future generations.

“The awards program provides an exciting opportunity for California growers and vintners to be recognized for their hard work and dedication to sustainability,” said Allison Jordan, CSWA Executive Director. “The challenge was selecting four winners from the stellar applications we received from vineyards and wineries of all sizes from throughout California. The committee and judging panel were impressed by the breadth and depth of sustainable practices being used to conserve water and energy, maintain healthy soil, protect air and water quality, preserve wildlife habitat, and enhance relations with employees and communities, all while improving the economic vitality of vineyards and wineries.”

The second annual California Green Medal was judged by a panel of wine and sustainability experts. They include: Karen Block, Industrial Relations Manager, Viticulture & Enology, UC Davis; Hunter Francis, Director/Founder, Center for Sustainability in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo; Allison Jordan, Executive Director, California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance; Camron King, President, Lodi Winegrape Commission; Karissa Kruse, President, Sonoma County Winegrowers; Kelli McCune, Senior Project Manager, Sustainable Conservation; Michelle Novi, Industry Relations Manager, Napa Valley Vintners; Cyril Penn, Editor in Chief, Wine Business Monthly; and Beth Vukmanic Lopez, SIP Certification Manager, The Vineyard Team.

Sponsors are:
Exclusive Media Sponsor, Wine Business Monthly
Platinum Sponsors, Nomacorc
Silver Sponsors, CC Wine Caves, Farm Credit Alliance, Marin Clean Energy, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, SureHarvest
Bronze Sponsors, Ag Unlimited, Preserva Products, Ltd.

Partnering organizations: Bay Area Green Business Program, Fish Friendly Farming, Lake County Winegrape Commission, LandSmart, Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association, Madera Vintners Association, Mendocino WineGrowers, Inc., Monterey County Vintners & Growers Association, Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group, Napa Valley Grapegrowers, Paso Robles Wine County Alliance. Russian River Valley Winegrowers, San Luis Obispo Vintners and Growers Association, Santa Barbara County Vintners Association, Santa Cruz Mountain Winegrowers Association, Santa Rita Hills Vintners and Growers Association, Sonoma County Vintners, Sonoma County Winegrape Commission and Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association.

Visit: www.greenmedal.org for more information.

Perlis Picks: THE OTHER WINE COUNTRY, PART IV, Mazzocco-Sonoma

March 5, 2016 by evebushman Leave a Comment

One of the great things about Sonoma County is its size and diversity. While many people think of Sonoma as being about Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, nothing could be further from the truth. While excellent representations of these varietals do come from the area, Sonoma is also known for great Zinfandels and Rhones.

Winemaker Antoine Favero, photo courtesy Mazzocco-Sonoma

As Karen and I were heading to the Dry Creek Valley AVA, the first thing that came to my mind was Zinfandel.

First stop, Mazzocco-Sonoma.

As the self-named “Zinfan”, I actually had a pretty big hole in my resume. While I had heard of the incredible Zinfandels being produced by winemaker Antoine Favero, I had never actually tasted them. Well, that was about to be remedied.

We drove to the winery on Lytton Springs Road in the Dry Creek Valley and Antoine met us at the tasting room. We went upstairs to chat.

Antoine’s journey to ultimately become winemaker at Mazzocco is pretty unique. Born in France, he and his family moved to Peru and then when he was 9-years old they moved again to Northern California. Growing up in Nor Cal and experiencing all it had to offer as well as the start of the “farm to fork” movement, it seems pretty natural that Antoine would study enology at UC Davis and become a winemaker, eventually joining Wilson Winery in 2003.

In addition to owning Wilson Winery and Mazzocco (which was founded in 1984 but acquired in 2005 by the Wilsons), Ken and Diane Wilson also own:

Matrix Winery

deLorimier Winery

Jaxon Keys Winery & Distillery

Soda Rock Winery

Pezzi King

St. Anne’s Crossing

Besides being winemaker at Mazzocco, Antoine is winemaker at Soda Rock featuring his Bordeaux varietals as well as being co-winemaker with Diane Wilson at deLorimier Winery in Alexander Valley.

Mazzocco is not a “one trick pony” and makes other outstanding wines besides Zinfandel. Knowing that once we went to the Zin there would be no looking back, Antoine suggested we try a few of the other wines first…

2013 Meola Chardonnay – lightly oaked, bright fruit flavors.

2012 Fascination – blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot – yes, Zin can be used as a blending grape too.

2012 Caz – 50/50 blend of Zin and Cab. Really delicious.

All three were tasty, well made wines. But Antoine knew what we were there for and it was time to….drum roll…bring on the Zins!

The Mazzocco website lists 31[!] Zinfandels from the 2012 and 2013 vintages. Obviously, we couldn’t taste them all…well, maybe we could have if we didn’t have other commitments for the day….so Antoine put together a representative tasting of the varietal for which Mazzocco is best known.

2013 Beasley

2013 Maria

2013 Fog

2012 Seaton Reserve

2012 West Dry Creek Reserve

In addition, we tasted the 2012 Scholar Zinfandel, proceeds of which help to fund scholarships for children of vineyard workers.

It was easy to tell, after tasting all of these, which barely made dent in the number of Zins produced by Mazzocco, why the winery is so famous for this varietal.

“But wait, there’s more…”

Antoine produces three more very special Zinfandels, affectionately known as “The Three Amigos”. Named “Juan Rodriguez”, “Antoine Philippe”, and “Kenneth Carl” after the vineyard manager, winemaker and owner respectively, these were truly three of the best Zinfandels I have ever tasted. Ranging in price from $100 – $150, these are definitely special-occasion wines, but also definitely worth it.

But all these wines are worth seeking out, and I’m not the only one to think so, as borne out by the number of Gold [and Double Gold] medals received by Mazzocco at the recent 2016 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. That’s nothing new for Antoine, as the Golds and high scores have been coming in since he started with Mazzocco. Well deserved accolades!

TO BE CONTINUED…

From UC Davis: NEWLY IDENTIFIED ENZYME MAY BE THE CULPRIT IN PIERCE’S DISEASE GRAPEVINE DAMAGE

February 8, 2016 by evebushman Leave a Comment

UC Davis plant scientists have identified an enzyme that appears to play a key role in the insect-transmitted bacterial infection of grapevines with Pierce’s disease, which annually costs California’s grape and wine industries more than $100 million.

The researchers hope that the discovery, which runs counter to existing theories, will lead to new diagnostics and potential treatments for Pierce’s disease. Their findings are reported in Scientific Reports, an online journal of the Nature Publishing Group, at http://www.nature.com/articles/srep18598.

“With a bacterial disease — much like cancer — if you understand how the virulent form spreads, you can better control or remove it, ” said Abhaya Dandekar, a professor of plant sciences and senior author on the study.

“We anticipate that this discovery could open new ways to think about dealing with Pierce’s disease and highlight other areas of immune response, in general, that haven’t yet been considered,” he said.

About Pierce’s disease

Pierce’s disease, first identified in the 1890s, is caused by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa and is characterized by yellowed and browning leaves that eventually drop from the vine. The disease is transmitted from vine to vine by small, winged insects called sharpshooters.

Pierce’s disease is established in Northern California, where it is transmitted by the blue-green sharpshooter, which lives near rivers and streams. The disease became a serious threat to California agriculture in 1996 when the glassywinged sharpshooter — another Pierce’s disease carrier native to the Southwest — was discovered in the Temecula Valley of Southern California.

How infection progresses

It’s been known for a number of years that when Xyllela fastidiosa invades a grapevine, it produces a biofilm or gel in the xylem — the vascular tissue that transports water and some nutrients throughout the vine.

Scientists have theorized that this biofilm damages the vine by clogging up the xylem, preventing the flow of water to the leaves. That theory seemed to explain the yellowing of the leaf edges and eventual death of the leaf tissue.

But not all of the evidence stacked up to fit that theory, Dandekar said. For example a heavy accumulation of Xyllela fastidiosa in grapevine leaves was not always accompanied by severe disease symptoms in leaves. And, in some infected grapevines as well as other host plants, the leaves showed severe symptoms but the xylem had very little blockage.

So Dandekar and colleagues set out to investigate an alternative mechanism by which Xyllela fastidiosa might be wreaking havoc with the vine’s physiology.

Secrets of the “secretome”

The research team began by analyzing the bacteria’s secretome — the entire collection of enzymes and other proteins secreted by a disease-causing agent like Xyllela fastidiosa during the infection process. Such secreted proteins are known to play key roles in triggering many plant diseases.

The resulting data indicated that an enzyme, which the researchers named LesA, was quite abundant during Xyllela fastidiosa infections and shared characteristics with similar enzymes known to be capable of breaking down plant cell walls.

The researchers went on to confirm their suspicions by demonstrating that a mutant strain of Xyllela fastidiosa bacteria — with a specific gene knocked out, or inactivated — lacked the ability to cause infection in grapevines.

“The LesA enzyme has the ability to move through cell membranes, equipping the Xyllela fastidiosa bacteria to invade the grapevine and to live in its xylem tissues, where it feeds on fatlike compounds called lipids,” Dandekar says.

In this way, the LesA enzyme triggers the process that causes the typical Pierce’s disease leaf damage — a process completely unrelated to the xylem blockage and water stress that had previously been thought to cause the symptomatic leaf damage.

The research for the newly published study was conducted by Rafael Nascimiento and Hossein Gouran, both graduate students in Dandekar’s laboratory. Dandekar said that his research team plans to move forward with Pierce’s disease research in hopes of developing ways to counteract the disease.

Funding for the newly published study was provided by the Pierce’s Disease Board of the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

Additional information:
* Related: Fused genes tackle deadly Pierce’s disease in grapevines: http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=10151
* Related: UC Davis cracks the walnut genome: http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=11410
* Related: Springtime for wheat starts with a gene that ‘sees’ light: http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=10965

A Pinot Noir Celebration: Meet the Winemakers Friday, September 8, 2017 | 1 to 4 p.m.

Wine & Food Grand Tasting in the Gardens Saturday, September 9, 2017 | 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Silent & Live Charity Auctions Saturday, September 9, 2017 | SILENT: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; LIVE: 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

About Winesong & the Mendocino Coast Hospital Foundation

A Pinot Noir Celebration: Meet the Winemakers
Friday, September 8, 2017 | 1 to 4 p.m.

Wine & Food Grand Tasting in the Gardens
Saturday, September 9, 2017 | 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Silent & Live Charity Auctions
Saturday, September 9, 2017 | SILENT: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; LIVE: 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.