Finding Comfort in Old Vines
A view of the ancient Stampede Vineyard in Springtime
In times of vast and overwhelming uncertainty, the wines I crave are rich, velvety, and fuller bodied; something that's going to warm you from the inside out. While there's still a bit of a chill in the air, and well, we're not going outside much these days anyway, it's a great time to crack open something that will envelop the senses and give you a tiny moment of escape.
One of my favorite comfort wines is old-vine California Zinfandel. There's something so reassuring about a wine that comes from centenarian vines. Their steadfastness, their will to dig deep, and more importantly, the intensity and concentration they bring to their tiny yield of fruit. There's a sense of being connected to the past with these old vines. Zinfandel was one of the first grapes to be planted in this country. Dating back to the 1820's when nursery owner, George Gibbs brought cuttings from Vienna all the way to Long Island. In fact, Zinfandel was a big hit in the northeast for many years, before cuttings were taken to California in the late 1840's. It was quickly discovered that vines would grow much more easily in the California climate, and by using the European "head-training" technique, they didn't require any special wiring or equipment.
For many, Zinfandel has a bit of a sordid reputation, having been used for various bulk wines labeled "White Zinfandel" or turned into wines that could be mistaken for Port, clocking in at 15% ABV or more. I'm here to urge you to give it a second chance. Many of these gnarly, head-trained vines are being treated with the utmost respect in the hands of some phenomenal winemakers. Seek out The Stampede Vineyard Zinfandel from Maître de Chai which shows finesse and restraint, while maintaining the luscious quality you want from vines planted in the 1920's. Together with the Pergelos family who owns the vineyard, they have worked tirelessly converting this vineyard to organic farming and have not used any synthetic herbicides or fungicides in at least four years in the hope of keeping this heritage alive and well for another century.
Gnarly old vine from the Bedrock Vineyard courtesy of Polaner Selections
I could not speak about high quality, impeccably-farmed Zinfandel without mentioning the Bedrock Vineyard. Originally planted in 1854, and then replanted in 1888, these vines continue to amaze us by making exceedingly flavorful wines. The Heritage Red from Bedrock Wine Co. coaxes every ounce of aroma from this incredible site. The team at Bedrock has been committed to preserving old vines across California, embracing no-tilling practices, planting cover crops to improve soil health, and increasing biodiversity to limit the need for pesticides with natural predators.
Although not quite as "ancient", Sky Vineyards has been carefully tending to their Zinfandel vines since 1973. Located at 2100 ft above sea level on Mt. Veeder, nestled between the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, lies this humble vineyard of Zinfandel and now also Syrah. The vines are farmed organically, with no irrigation, and with a variety of cover crops. Even the winery aims to be as low-impact as possible, run entirely by solar power and a small generator, with minimal water usage and all cellar work done by hand. These wines are anything but rustic, however. This is an elegant Zin if ever there was one. Driven by minerality, light on its feet, truly speaking to its unique, mountain origins.
The fact that so many of these vines are still alive through bouts of phylloxera, through Prohibition, through droughts, and times of war, and yet, they keep thriving, keep producing. That is truly something worth celebrating.