Wow! Fantastic discussion. This is like a thesis/dissertation on clones, cubed. Some of you guys should write a book - seriously… I’m really glad that I can purchase and consume wines of such historic significance. Cheers!
Wente was actually the first to label a California wine by varietal (Sauvignon blanc in 1935).
Cool piece of info Jason! Of all grapes too.
Ha right?! Of all grapes. I work for Murrieta’s Well, which is owned by Wente so I’ve heard that fact a few times.
Wente labeled the first American Chardonnay in 1936.
Down the street, Concannon released the first labeled “petite sirah” in 1961.
If anything I would have been sure it was the Chardonnay! Any idea how the public responded to the labeling at the time? Who even knew what Petit Sirah was? Interesting that it took so long to do that one after the Wente label. But the Wentes were primarily grape-growers right? Did they think they could sell more grapes by doing it that way? What would encourage them to do that, since that’s not how French wines were labeled?
Good questions Greg. Let me ask around (hopefully I can talk to some Wente family members about it).
Connection between Schoonmaker and Wente
from The Makers of American Wine: A Record of Two Hundred Years
By Thomas Pinney
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Great info Jason. Now I have to poke around a bit. What’s also interesting is that they included Livermore with Napa. How times change. Apparently over his life he came to appreciate Zinfandel too, initially calling it a mediocre grape and then deciding that it was OK and finally deciding that it was as good a grape as any.
You’re mistaken on that. Perhaps confusing the years for the specific varieties you cite, thinking SB was the first of any? There were definitely varietally labeled Zins and Cab Sauvs before that. As Charles Sullivan put it in A Companion to California Wine "“Before the 1930s few bottles of California wine carried any reference on the label to the variety or varieties of grape from which the wine was made. Zinfandel was the chief exception, although even most ZInfandel was actually sold in bottles labeled claret. Occasionally bottles were labeled Riesling and Cabernet.”
I’m just going from sources such as the state parks ca.gov website and others. I’m not an expert on these things. Interested in learning more about this subject.
That is interesting. Glad he saw the light/ My cellar is half zin half cab and I always am bummed when a good zin producer loses a source of old vine zin. Ya Livermore has history! Starting to see a revival in the last few years but it has a ways to go. Excited to have Robbie Meyer (peirson Meyer, del dotto, previously Lewis and peter Michael) making our wines at murrieta’s well in Livermore. Estate vineyards and winery (now tasting room) dating back to 1884.
At a seminar today sponsored by ZAP they addressed old vines as 50-years old. While field blends were the norm, several of the producers including Peachy Canyon and Biale felt they actually raised the price of their Zins. Most of the rest of the producers felt they just wanted to make Zinfandel but might put in some PS and Alicante for color. They also said there have been moves in Paso and Napa to protect old vines that are being pulled for low yields.
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Those old Zinfandel vineyards that are field blends were promiscuously planted by Italian Americans.
Thanks Morgan, and all, for a fascinating and informative discussusion on old vine plantings, field blends and varietal labelling.
In Robert Mondavi’s autobiography ‘Harvests of Joy’ he says he labelled his Sauvignon blanc as ‘Fume Blanc’ in 1968 because “much of the sauvignon blanc being made in America was of poor quality and as a result the reputation of the varietal was not very good” which must mean that varietal labelling of Sauvignon blanc was common enough by then for wine drinkers to recognise the name.
This lengthy 1884 newspaper piece details the importation, nomenclature, and relative traits of vines sold by John Hamilton Drummond of Sonoma Valley.
Sonoma Democrat, Vol XXVII, # 28
“Introduction of New Wine Grapes”
April 26, 1884
"There is at this day much doubt about who first introduced into Sonoma County some of the most valuable varieties of grapes now grown. Knowing that Mr. J. H. Drummond, of Glen Ellen, was importing directly from Europe a large number of vines, some of which will doubtless become famous wine grapes in the future, for the purpose of making a record of their first introduction into Sonoma County, and as a matter of public interest, Mr. R. A. Thompson requested Mr. Drummond to furnish a list of his importations for publication and received from that enterprising and skillful viticulturist the annexed reply:
"[To] R. A. Thompson, Santa Rosa
“Dear Sir: At your request I append the names of the vines imported by me direct from France to Glen Ellen, and add a few notes to what are apparently the most deserving varieties. At the ep will be found vines raised from seed.”
“1879”
"Pinot gris de Bzurot, from the Bourgogne; apparently a good bearer; bunches small, close and berries nearly black when ripe; leaves woolly, almost as as white as Meunier; color hardly dark enough for present demand.
"Gamai noir, from the Bourgogne; Great bearer; requires short pruning; wine ordinary quality; color good.
"Macalba, from the Roussillon. Used for sweet wines.
"Grenache blanc, bears well; quality of wine unknown; small quantity made this season for first time.
"Franc Cabernet, from Lafite. Nearly same as Cabernet Sauvignon; bears less.
“1880”
"Semillon, from Yquem. The most famous of French white wine grapes, the dominant vine of the Sauternes; bears well; bunches fair size, loose; very sweet; skin thin, little pulp. The wine made here has been most highly spoken of by wine experts.
"Cabernet Sauvignon, from Lafite. The dominant vine of most famous claret vineyards. Small grower; tendency to make poor wood; shy bearer, bunches small and loose; berries small; sweet; of peculiar vinous flavor; wine most excellent; bouquet and color good.
"Cruchinet noir, Lafite. Small bearer; blends with above.
"Petite Sirrah, the famous vine of the Ermitage, requires sheltered locality and rustic growth: wine and color excellent. Does not set well in cold exposure.
"Kadarkas noir. The dominant red wine vine of Hungary making the well known Carlowitz wine; immense bearer; requires short pruning; ripens late.
"Balint, Hungary. White wine grape, said to make the wine of the Magyars.
"Furmint. Hungary. The producer of the famous Imperial Hungarian Tokay.
“1881”
"Franc Pinot, Bourgogne. The vine producing the most noted products of Burgundy; ripens early; shy bearer; needs long pruning.
"Noirien. Supposed to be similar to above.
"Pinot Murad. A light variety, not suitable tor red wine,
"Pinot de Pernand. Bourgogne. A hybrid between the Franc Pinot and the Gamai; is supposed to combine the quality of the former with the bearing powers of the latter; ripens early; bears well when not subjected to cold winds when flowering.
"Gamai Nicolas. Bourgogne. The best of all the Gamais; bears well; vine and color good; ripens early.
"Gamai fin Trousseau and Gamai Abondant. More common varieties of the same tribe.
"Plant de Roi, Only fruited here to small extent.
"Morillon Blanc / Chardenay blanc Musque: Excellent white wine; Chablis.
"Pinot gris vin de Champagne. Closely resembles pinot noir.
“1883”
"St. Macaire, Gros Mancin and Verdot Colon, from Margaux; are known as vines of the district of the marshes (Talus, Entre deux Mers) of the Gironde; are said to bo very productive red wine vines making wines of medium quality. The first named seems to give promise of good bearing qualities and color.
"Cabernet Sauvignon , from Margaux; same as vine from Lafite by the wood and leaf; not yet fruited.
"Metervin Sauvignon and de Sauterne. Margaux; white wine vines, Sauterne type.
"Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc Cabernet, from Chateau Brown-Catenac at Margaux, probably same as vines before mentioned.
"Petite Verdot, Merlot, and Malbec, from same vineyard are esteemed claret varieties.
"The collection of the Champagne varieties from Epernay consisted of Noir Vert Dore D’Ay, Blanc Vet Dore D’Avize, Pinot Noir d’Epernay, and Meunier d’Epernay. The last is the true Miller of Burgundy and is different from the vine hitherto so called in this locality.
"From Beaune in the Bourgogne, came, Pinot Franc, ou fin noir, gris same as before mentioned.
"Pinot Blanc.
"Pinot Gros Race ou de Pernand.
"Gamai Noir.
"Gamai Teinturier, good bearer, vine of intense color but rough.
"Aligote Blanc.
"Gami Blnc.
"From Yquem, St. Emillion, not yet fruited, appears to be Semilion and Sauvignon, Sauterne varieties, the latter owing to its strong and peculiar flavor is only propagated in small quantities, 1-5 to 1-6 only. ‘The grand crus’ of the Sauterne are 1-5 Sauvignon, 4-5 Semilion.
“The above are all highly esteemed wine varieties.”
"The following came from the Government Horticultural School at Versailles:
"Muscats, Troveren, Muscat blanc (very early), Muscat Rogue de Madere, Early Muscat of Saumur, Muscat Lienval, Muscat St. Laurent, Muscat d’Alexandre d’Aumour, Muscatellier Noir, Muscat Bifer, Muscat Escolata, Muscat Bowood, Muscat Ottonel, Nieu Muscat.
"The Chasselas are C Vibert Hardy, C de Florence, C de Chambourcy, C Rose, C Balavry, C Mosgue, C Beau Hardy, C Muscadine, C de Negrepone and Chasselas fondant Rose.
"Unclassed Varieties: Madeliene Royale, Van der Laan (called by Robert Hogg, Scotch white cluster.) Chichaud (dept. de l’Ardeche), Poulsard Musque, (Jura), Raisaine (Aubernas), Corinth Rose, Rumonga (Roumania) Meunier, Bourgogne, Saint Antoine (Pyrenees-Orientales), Rosake Zolo (probably same as Rumonga), Mayorcain (Var. immense bunch, color white), Precoce de Saumer, Aliatus, Mardjeny Rose, Madeleine Anjevine blanche, Fintindo Noir (Spain), Saint Trone, Bande (Drome), Gradiska (Bosnia) Madeleine noir, St. Julian Noir (ripens early) Contesa Bianca (Italy) Blanc Courtiller, Bicane (Indre-et Loire, berries large white, bunch large), Black Alicante (Spain), Noir de Lorrian C te’Odert, Panse blanc. Arny the Noir, Precoce Oudebine, Marbais, Pis de Cherve blanc (Austria and Hungary, large white grape), Pinot blanc precoce (Bourgogne), Blanc Copi (Lot-et-Garonne), Barbera (one of the best vines of Asti, Italy), Ulliate Vrai, Doctor Hogg (called after Robert Hogg the Ampelographist), Dodrelabi (Caucase), Valteliner, Noir de Pressano, (Gironde), Augusta, Bakator (Hungary), Cot a Queue Rouge [variety of Malbec], Marcain Noir (Morocco), Noir hatif de Marseille, Schiradzouli (Persia, large long green berry, large bunch). Syrian, Clairette rose, Forster’s seedling (very large bunch). Mezes (Hungary). Boudales hatif (earliest French black table grape, large berry described also as as useful wine vine). Malvoisie Vacheron blanc, Blauer Portugueser, Keinich blanc, Milton (named after the poet, bunch is of beautiful appearance), Ribier (Morocco, very large oval black grape), Superbe de Candollo, Listan blanc (Spain produces the wines of San Lucar, Paxaret, Xeres, etc., is famous for sherry, is very early). General La Marmora, Diamant Traube, Gros Guillaume (large black grape, a most vigorous grower), Gros Colman (said to be largest black grape cultivated), Prunella noir, Aramon (probably the heaviest bearer amongst the French black grapes), Obery ou beau blanc. Boudales, Blanc Cardon, Long d’Espagne, Oeil de Tours, Jalabert Rose, Feher Som (Hungary), Sicilien, Pinot Ponner, Calabre noir (probably same as Boudales), Mill Hill Hambourg, Damas blanc (or Mayorquin), Olivette noire, Malvoise Hardy blanc, Lignan (Italy, ripens very early and remains good on the vine until the latest varieties are ripe), lnsolia Bianca (Italy), Malvoise, Vigno de Yedo (Japan, long, loose bunch, rose colored berries), Sainte Marie.
"From the collection of Mr. Henry Vilmorin, in the vicinity of Paris…
"…Through the courtesy of Messrs. Andrieux, Vilmorin & Co, of Paris, who take a great interest in California viticulture, all the French varieties were obtained and these gentlemen voluntarily sent what were probably the first seeds of the Cochin China tuber vine, received in California, and tubers of the same; these were distributed round, some going to the gardens at the Public Park, San Francisco (1882), but no reports have been received. In spring of this year more tubers and seeds were received, some of the seedlings have grown, but no report of the tubers has been received. Last month (October) fresh tubers were received and were forwarded to Mr. David Burbank of Santa Rosa, who has kindly offered to try and propagate them. This gentleman has raised seedlings of different wild vines partly given by Messrs. Velmorin & Co., and partly obtained direct from original sources. Some of the varieties also being propagated here. The seedlings referred to as sent by Messrs. Velmorin, Andrieux & Co., were vines of Kashmir—Katcheebourie. Kauvaury, Opiman and wild forest vine, wild vine of the Caucasus.
“Chinese vines: Spinovitis Davidii, two varieties, white and black and Ramanti, obtained direct from original source. Wild vine of Kashmir (in 1880), vine seeds from Himalaya (Naini Tal), and vine seeds from Little Thibet.”
“From Mr. C. A. Wetmore a most valuable wine vine was obtained, the Tannat or Madiran, and amongst other vines from Mr. Crabb of Oakville, Napa County, may be especially mentioned the so called Pied de Perdrix and Gros Blaurer, both yielding wines of intense color.”
“[From] J.H. Drummond
Glen Ellen, Nov. 23rd, 1883.”
California Digital Newspaper Collection website:
- Sonoma County Archived Newspapers
John H. Drummond establishes the “Dunfilian Vineyard” and sources of his imported grapevine cuttings:
The San Francisco Merchant, April 13, 1883
“An Enthusiastic Vigneron”
Biography of J.H. Drummond:
Google Books
Cyclopedia of American Agriculture: Farm and community (1909)
by Liberty Hyde Bailey
Published by Macmillan
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Fascinating read Drew!
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Thanks Brig! ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
That is a great survey on the history and reasoning behind interplanted vineyards.
Even though the following paragraphs merely serve as the introduction to a group interview, Kelli White does a good job of explaining how field blends were the default choice in viticultural history.
GuildSomm
“Interview: The Major Role of Minor Grapes”
by Kelli White
May 17, 2019
"In a recent conversation with my colleague Admin, Eric Baugher of Ridge confessed, ‘Carignan is my favorite of the blending grapes. It’s just fantastic. High acid, elegant tannins, lots of bramble fruit, even some plum - gorgeous flavors. It really has a lot of Zinfandel-like qualities, so the two of them together reinforce the effect on the palate.’
"They had been speaking of the ‘mixed blacks’ field blends of California, a historic style of wine that Ridge continues to honor. During Prohibition, the popularity of home winemaking saw virtually all the vineyards of California replaced with a handful of varieties, namely Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignan, Mourvèdre, and Alicante Bouschet. These hearty cultivars were well suited to the long cross-country train trip that brought them to the various basements and bathtubs of Boston, Miami, and elsewhere.
“…Such wines are considered a classic representation of California’s past, but the history of complex blends - both in the bottle and in the vineyard - extends back to the very earliest days of viticulture, not just in California but around the world. Indeed, the dominance of single-variety wines is a relatively recent phenomenon.”
"Collectively, we took a step toward single-variety wines when phylloxera swept the globe in the second half of the 1800s. In many areas, this led to a winnowing of diversity as wine regions retrained their focus and adjusted to life on rootstocks. A century later, single-variety wines became the norm for the New World, and as they rose in popularity, some in the Old World paid attention. Though the vast majority of Europe’s wines are labeled according to region, it is now not uncommon to see the word Riesling on the front of a German label, or Nebbiolo on a wine from Piedmont.
"Interestingly, ‘red blends’, especially those made in a slightly off-dry style, continue to be a big seller in the United States. But as they tend to be sold at lower price points, the category’s reputation has become somewhat diminished. Though some premium blends (Bordeaux, Champagne, GSM) have maintained their pedigree, most of today’s finest wines seem to be monovarietal - or, at the very least, are marketed that way. Even historically minded Ridge sells most of its blends as Zinfandel.
"But this might be shifting. First of all, climate change is making a pretty strong case for the practical nature of blends. Planting a range of varieties that feature different bloom dates, degrees of cold-hardiness, drought tolerance, and chemical compositions can be thought of as a kind of insurance policy against erratic weather patterns. Furthermore, a new generation of wine drinkers is coming into its own and seems fairly disinterested in the ‘rules’. Certainly, if blue wine can emerge as a category, then anything is possible.
“To get a clearer picture of current trends in and strategies of blending, I interviewed four winemakers from various corners of the globe. The participants are Brad Hickey, Proprietor and Winemaker of Brash Higgins in McLaren Vale; Pierre Graffeuille, General Manager of Château Léoville Las Cases, Clos du Marquis, Château Nénin, and Château Potensac in Bordeaux; Jason Haas, General Manager of Tablas Creek in Paso Robles; and Axel Heinz, Winemaker and Estate Director for Ornellaia and Masseto in Tuscany…”.
Read the interview section of this article here.
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CA Wine Masters
“Field Blends and Their Overriding Influence”
by Allen Balik
"…Joel [Peterson] points to the mid-19th Century when horticulturists from the East began exporting Zinfandel and other varietals to the West Coast. In the 1880s, influential viticulturist Charles Wetmore strongly advocated for ‘co-planting and co-fermentation’ which became generally adopted. The maverick in Joel believes, ‘A winemaker’s choice to vinify separately and blend after fermentation can be viewed as an expression of control. While relying on a co-fermented field blend is more an organic expression of the vineyard.’
"…For some additional local perspective, I spoke with Ridge Vineyards COO and Montebello Winemaker Eric Baugher who succeeded, and was mentored by, the iconic Paul Draper (an outspoken disciple of the vineyard being more important than a specific varietal). Two of Ridge’s most prominent field blends, ‘Lytton Springs’ and ‘Geyserville’, both located in Sonoma County, no longer carry a varietal label.
"In the 1890s, the ‘Old Patch Vineyard’ in Geyserville was replanted as Eric explained, ‘With bundles of sticks that were pre-mixed in no particular order.’ In addition to the popular varietals of the day (Zinfandel, Carignan, Alicante Bouschet, etc.), Ridge has also identified several whites and ancient Bordeaux varietals. Eric’s overall observation and experience with field blend is quite simple: ‘There seems to exist an alchemy of sorts when field blends are co-fermented that does not appear to exist with post-fermentation blends.’ This does not diminish the greatness that can be found with post-fermentation blending but rather points to the benefits that begin with the age-old tradition of an interplanted vineyard.
“…There’s no question that field blends add a different expression to the finished wine and are now largely found in old-vine vineyards. Joel Peterson went on to say with a smile, ‘You can usually judge the age of a vineyard by how mixed up it is.’ And that’s not necessarily a bad thing!”
Los Angeles Times
“When Is a Zin Not a Zin?”
by W Blake Gray
March 10, 2010
"…According to federal law, for a wine to be called Zinfandel or any other varietal name, it must contain at least 75% wine from that grape. The law is designed to protect consumers, but one consequence is that it has created several generations of American wine drinkers who believe a varietal wine is always better than a blend.
"That’s certainly not the case when it comes to old-vine, single-vineyard Zinfandel. In fact, it’s a denial of California history. When these historic vineyards were planted a hundred years ago and more, grapes were almost never planted purely by variety. Zin was almost never planted by itself; it was planted in a mix of vines called a ‘field blend.’
“…‘We’ve always found that the mixed vineyards are better than the straight Zinfandel vineyards,’ says Ridge Vineyards vice president of vineyard operations David Gates. ‘They have greater depth of flavor. We pick all the grapes together and co-ferment them all together’…”.
In the following video, Ridge Vineyards’ head winemaker John Olney explains some of the motivations behind interplanting grape varieties, and how decisions are made in the field and cellar to address vintage variation.
Ridge Vineyards Youtube video
“The Art of Field Blends at Ridge Vineyards”
October 20, 2021
Eater
“California’s Tim Burton-esque Historic Vineyards”
by Talia Baiocchi
February 7, 2012
The above article mentioned a forthcoming book by Mark Ryan called Old Vines: The Heritage Vineyards of California.
However, no trace of such a publication can be found online. Does anyone know whatever became of this?
I encountered a new term this afternoon: “Complantation” / “Complanting”.
I am not sure whether this is a new piece of jargon adopted by European vintners or if its use simply has fallen out of favor over time.
Interplanting Grape Cultivars:
“Field Blend” = “Complantation” = “Viticultura Promiscua”
“Complantation is the practice of planting multiple grape varieties in a single terroir. It is the oldest form of viticulture known before the appearance of clones and the depletion of biodiversity. It ensures regular harvests by creating a complex and naturalist ecosystem.”
Definition from Wine Decoded
by Madeleine Horrigan
Marcel Deiss
The Complantation:
“Why the Complantation? The Return to Naturalness”
Ideal Wine
“Domaine Gourt de Mautens: Rarity, ‘Complantation’ and Biodynamics, The Keys to Success”
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