While some may think of apples, baristas and rain when they consider the Pacific Northwest, people who know and love great wine look to this region for some interesting, well-made ones. Yes, California gets most of the west coast wine attention, but Washington and Oregon have seen a significant change in their wine culture in the past 10 years. Washington alone has gone from 75 wineries approximately 12 years ago to literally hundreds, and wine grapes are considered its 4^th largest fruit crop.

It can’t possibly be coincidence that Andy Beckstoffer’s most well-known piece of wine country is rooted in viticultural history.  Since Civil War days, his 89 acres, known as the Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, have been notable. A mix of sun-kissed sandy soil and fine vintage sediment left over from floods-past make high-quality grapes plentiful, especially when Beckstoffer has added new technology and technique to foster that growth.

Since the ‘70s, Beckstoffer has worked diligently to shine the California wine spotlight on what matters most: its grapes.  And, perhaps it’s his attention to all the conditions that lead to high-quality fruit that has more than 50 wineries as loyal customers, including Paul Hobbs, Bounty Hunter, Carter, Janzen, Provenance, Realm, Tor, Schrader and Waypoint.

Beckstoffer is now the largest independent grower on California’s North Coast, owning and farming more than 3,000 acres of vines in Napa, Mendocino and Lake counties.  Consequently, he has noted “his responsibility” for maintaining a higher standard in viticulture.  “We have to have something different, something better to recommend our grapes.  We have to have the best terroir, the best clones, the best trellising system.  And that’s a wonderful challenge to meet,” he said in Wines and Vines in 1994. 

From the start, Beckstoffer was looking at how best to approach rootstocks, grafting, trellising, pruning, soil compaction, irrigation and vine spacing.  He has weather sensors, moisture sensors and other technology to keep track of the grapes. Whether it is helping to control costs, knowing how to curb the nematodes and other pests, or preserving and protecting the land, Beckstoffer has led the way, which is a bit surprising when one considers his education was in engineering and business administration.

His environmentalist leanings have led him to take steps that break away from standard practice. Others seem to follow suit as he finds a better way for doing business.  From having one rootstock that is resistant to a nematode commonly found in the soil there to opting for a European approach to clean up scions, branches with new buds, rather than heat treatment, he considers how best to build wine character, rather than take it away.

Clearly, Beckstoffer’s work has paid off.  Wine connoisseurs recognize that his grapes mean quality wine. The reviews are quite clear.  In Wine Spectator’s recent ranking of California Cabernets, 16 of 20 wines with Beckstoffer grapes earned a rating above 92.  The other four were in the upper 80s. 

What does high quality cost?

In 1975, Beckstoffer started the Napa Valley Grape Growers Association with a primary goal being to organize and help develop pricing strategies collectively.  Grape growing just wasn’t profitable as wineries controlled negotiation, so producers were getting out of the market. 

He recommended basing the price of a ton of grapes on the future price of a bottle of wine.  According to his Web site, “Under his bottle price formula, wineries projected the retail price of the finished wine and agreed to a standard multiple for each grape variety.  If a winery planned to price a bottle of cabernet sauvignon at $10, and the standard multiple of that grape was 100, the price of the grape would be $1,000 a ton.”  Mondavi and Christian Brothers quickly adopted the formula, and grape growers were essentially back in business.

A bit of history

This emphasis on horticulture is nothing new at To Kalon.  The original owner, Hamilton Walker Crabb, is considered the “first true horticulturist involved in Napa Valley wine”; he grew more than 400 different grape varieties and was a research leader in developing rootstock resistant to phylloxera, a common grapevine pest.  Also, he was the one who coined the name, To Kalon, which is Greek for “the highest beauty” or “the highest good” in 1868 when he took ownership.

The interest in horticulture continued with To Kalon’s second owner, a banker, E.W. Churchill, who set aside land for the Department of Agriculture to do viticulture research in 1911. The University of California-Davis now has its Oakville Experimental Vineyard there designed to understand how field practices influence fruit composition and wine quality.  Beckstoffer additionally started clonal research for Cabernet on his tract in 1980.

Sunny days

So, what happens to the grape grower who seems to have it all?  He continues to look for technology to help him deal with whatever Mother Nature throws his way. These days, it is a winter heat wave.  The good news is a sunny, dry winter makes vines less susceptible to fungal disease eutypa and more time to get ahead on drip irrigation repair and pruning.  The bad news: it could force early buds and leave plants thirsty. 

Available at HinsdaleCellars.com:

The Carter Cellars Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon is available at HinsdaleCellars.com. The last two vintages of  wine from the legendary original To Kalon vineyard have garnered Spectator ratings of 95 and 96 points respectively.  This wine is a seamless montage of cassis and dark berries, with alluring notes of spice inviting the senses ever deeper into the wine’s many-nuanced flavors. Dense and concentrated, this Cab delivers the size, length, and depth one would expect from a truly great wine. Avialable here for $147.99/bottle.

                                                                                                      – Ivy F. Kupec

Who wouldn’t want to buy a bit of magic? Somewhere in the cedar-laced, dark fruity cult wine known as Screaming Eagle resides an obvious enchantment. Nothing else could explain how a fledgling winery started by a real estate agent – albeit one with uncanny instincts – could overcome inexperience, a vineyard-wide fanleaf virus outbreak, and now – apparently – global economic woes that jeopardize the entire investment wine industry.

Just this month, 12 bottles of Screaming Eagle’s inaugural 1992 vintage were among the top sellers in Hong Kong at the annual wine merchants Acker Merrall & Condit autumn auction where 13 percent of its wine remained unsold, compared to only 8 percent unsold at an auction held just seven months earlier and prior to the Wall Street fallout. But, bad times didn’t ground the Screaming Eagle, which bucked the trend with the case they’re selling for $871,200 and proving that even in tough times, this bird flies. But it is the 2005 vintage that may prove to be the most coveted yet.

History

In 1992, novice winemaker Jean Philips found that she could make a decent homemade wine from the same grapes she had been selling to her Napa Valley winery neighbors for the past six years. Consulting first with nearby Robert Mondavi Winery and then actually hiring Mondavi consultants, Richard Peterson and his winemaker daughter Heidi Peterson Barrett, the team quickly turned out a first-class wine in 1992 that critic Robert Parker awarded 99 points and sent the limited production’s prices skyrocketing.

Philips intentionally kept production small reportedly to maintain quality control, with her personally tending to each vine. Several wine experts have noted that her land in Napa is perfect for producing a sensational cabernet. Volcanic red soil on a gentle west-facing slope east of the Napa River with excellent drainage and exposure are credited for the wine’s unique characteristics.

In 2005, however, Philips hit a bump in the road. Grapevine fanleaf virus from a neighboring vineyard would require significant replanting, at the least. That year, instead of 600 or 700 cases, only 400 cases could be produced, but the wine still met rave reviews.

Today, owners Charles Banks and Stanley Kroenke, who bought the winery in 2006, have had the soil inoculated against fanleaf and carefully chose replacement cuttings to rebuild the vineyard.

2005: A special vintage?

No bottle of Screaming Eagle has been reviewed as any less than “outstanding.” In fact, 10 of the 15 years that Screaming Eagle has been reviewed, Parker has branded it “extraordinary,” including the 2005 vintage known for its currant, black cherry and wild berry tones. The tannins are described as “soft, round and polished, yet firm enough to give every indication that the wines will age quite well for 10 to 20 years. Oak plays a minimal role as a flavor accent, lingering in the background,” according to Wine Spectator.

The lesson learned from the Screaming Eagle’s story is that this is a bird that always finds a way to soar. Even as other wine investors may be tempted during these dire times to forego the investment and just drink the wine, the Screaming Eagle retains its value, allowing its owners to consume this magical elixir only when the time is right.

-Ivy Kupec