Coastal vintners redefining terroir
A new breed of intrepid winemakers is eschewing tradition, experimenting with obscure grape varietals and fresh aromatics. Could it change the region’s flavor profile?
The missionaries who planted Monterey’s first vineyards two centuries ago couldn’t possibly have imagined their ritualistic drink for Catholic Mass would someday be used for self-enlightened stretching exercises. But on a recent Saturday morning, a group of about a dozen women flexed in their yoga pants among the trellises in a Sangiovese vineyard at Folktale Winery and Vineyards in Carmel Valley, then closed class with a complimentary glass of rosé.
On the surface, the weekend Vinyasa Flow class is just another novelty bid by Northern California wineries to attract tasters. But within the wineglasses wielded by the vineyard yogis, the Sangiovese in that bright rosé represents a significant break from the region’s entrenched wine culture.
Monterey is known as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir country: Those two wines account for more than half the plantings in the 40,000 acres in the Monterey American Viticultural Area. Its most famous subregion, the Santa Lucia Highlands, is worldrenowned for its Pinot and Chard. Sangiovese, however, is among the least popular of all red grapes grown in the area, making up a mere 84 acres harvested last year, according to the Monterey County 2016 Crop Report. And Folktale doesn’t stop with Sangiovese. Its lineup includes other C-list varietals, including Viognier and Gewürztraminer.
Why, you have to wonder, would anyone do this?
“As winemakers, you want to try and have fun and take people out of their comfort zones,” says Folktale winemaker David Baird. “People who visit (Monterey) are going to find a lot of wineries that are taking risks.”
By embracing obscure varietals, a newer generation of ambitious Monterey vintners are crafting wines that — while traditionally less favored by consumers — are redefining the region’s terroir. It’s an about-face from the palate-obliterating fruit bombs sometimes found farther north and farther inland in Napa and Lodi, a turn toward balance and refinement.
Thanks to the cooling air of its bay, Monterey’s is a mild growing season, with lower soil temperatures and without much rainfall, that allows grapes to ripen slowly, at a steady pace. UC Davis classifies the area’s climate as comparable to prime Pinot and Chardonnay regions like Sonoma and Burgundy. .Monterey’s location on the Pacific imbues wines with a signature acidity and minerality — plus occasional hints of seashells and salinity. It’s a welcome home for a wide variety of grapes, says Ian Brand, owner of I. Brand & Family Tasting Room in Carmel Valley Village.
“Working in this area makes a lot of sense,” says Brand. “We’ve ended up with a distinctive set of wines that are higher in acid and soil inflected.”
So it was only a matter of time before the vintners began branching out.
Clusters of tasting rooms have emerged over the past decade in Carmel, Cannery Row and Monterey County’s River Road Wine Trail, and the scene beckons to adventurous oenophiles. Span-
ish grapes such as Grenache and Albariño are an increasing presence around Monterey, as is Chenin Blanc, a variety most associated with the Loire Valley in France.
To find some of Monterey’s best new enterprising wines, follow the head-nodding strains of Funkadelic emanating from the center of Carmel Valley Village. That’ll take you to the I. Brand & Family Tasting Room, tucked near area stalwarts like Talbott, Parsonage and Bernardus. The tasting room, which opened in November and features a turntable and record collection at its heart, gears its experience for those with funky, adventurous tastes. A 6-by-8foot geological map of Monterey County hangs to the side of the bar, offering a sense of pride and place.
“This is the longest and most temperate growing region ever,” Brand says. “What makes this area distinct is its geological canyon, and the opening (of Monterey Bay) is 20 miles wide, like a giant funnel. We like the vineyards that we feel are less trampled over as a region.”
Brand produces his wines in nearby Salinas, and bottles them under the brands La Marea (translation: “The Tide”) and Le P’tit Paysan (“The Little Farmer”). The names reflect a salt-ofthe earth sensibility, both in terms of its boutique production scale (10,000 cases annually) and oceanic influence. Brand’s focus is grapes that are generally an afterthought in the area — including Petite Sirah, Mourvedre and Viognier — but that nevertheless carry the region’s intrinsic properties. His 2015 Albariño, for example, was sourced from a calcium-rich Monterey County vineyard near the Salinas River. Take a sip and you’ll find a touch of salinity, like a suggestion of the sea, with its bright citrus flavors.
Closer to the Pacific, among more than a dozen tasting rooms in Carmel-by-the-Sea, the 11year-old Caraccioli Cellars is experimenting as well. The winery is perhaps best known for its vivacious sparkling wine, which is made in the traditional methode champenoise. Now they’re planting toward the future. In the spring of 2018, the family plans to graft a few acres of Syrah, another grape that’s been overlooked in Monterey.
“Monterey has a huge amount of opportunities, and you’ll see a lot more exciting things in five to 10 years with all the (new) fruit that’s been planted,” says Scott Caraccioli, the winery’s general manager, in a phone call after a night of harvesting Pinot Noir grapes. He predicts that Grenache’s popularity will continue to grow, along with vintners dedicating more vineyards to Chenin Blanc. Some of those plantings are still in their infancy and the area is just getting a taste of its full potential for wine. “You’re finding pockets of things, like (Brand’s) single-vineyard Grenache and Albariño and other grapes that people weren’t growing,” Caraccioli says.
Thamin Saleh, the owner of Jeninni Kitchen + Wine Bar in Pacific Grove who has lived on the Monterey Peninsula for more than 30 years, senses a surge in the region’s wine scene. Over the past decade, he’s seen diners gravitate away from lush, jammy wines toward ones that emphasize balance and refreshing flavors.
On a recent night as much of Pacific Grove settled into tranquility, the inside of Saleh’s wine bar was buzzing. If this were the late 1990s, he probably would’ve been pouring Chardonnay that tasted closer to movie popcorn butter than grapes, or inky highalcohol Cabernet Sauvignon.
Saleh says the new breed of Monterey wines fit perfectly with his dinner program. Not only do they tend to be much easier on the wallet than California and French trophy wines, but the brightness and structure make them a cinch to pair with food. Rather than recommend an overripe Sauvignon Blanc, Saleh is more likely now to direct customers to a floral bottle of Le P’tit Paysan Viognier from Arroyo Seco’s Cedar Lane Vineyard.
“I like the changes,” Saleh says. “(Local) growers have been looking for alternatives in the past eight to nine years. They’re making great Syrah, Cabernet Franc and other varietals. It’s received really well.”
“This region has always been evolving, especially for wine,” he adds. “We do great Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but we need to do (something) more.”