Feature Article
Field blends were more common decades ago when the old Italian winemakers combined a variety of red and white grapes into a Zinfandel foundation.
Viticultura Promiscua:
"Old Vines", Zinfandel, and the
Mystery of Field Blends
Zinfandel plays an vital role in the history of the Sonoma Valley. One can hardly think of “Old Vines” without picturing the Valley of the Moon.
And yet, labels bearing the words “Old Vines” bring up a couple of questions: What does “Old Vines” really mean, and are these vineyards really all about Zinfandel?
by
Bradley Gray
February 12, 2007
Zinfandel was only part of the makeup of what was called the field blend, although it certainly played a central role. This is the way that these old Zinfandel vineyards were planted and harvested by Italian immigrants “back in the day”. What is known as a field-blended Zinfandel can host varietals such as Petite Sirah, Carignane, Alicante Bouchet, Grenache, Colombard (yes, even white varietals), Lenoir, Mataro and others. These vineyards weren’t planted in orderly rows of each varietal, but rather in a fashion that appears a little willy-nilly, with varietals alternating seemingly at random. At least, until the winemaker understands his vineyard.
Amazingly, many of these wines known as field-blended Zinfandels seem to mysteriously chime in at exactly 75 percent Zinfandel on the stat sheets, allowing the label to wear the varietal name Zinfandel.
It’s apparent that this old-school form of winemaking is zooming toward extinction, as the marketplace puts more and more demands on what winemakers are doing to market their wines.
In an effort to explore the terms “Old Vines” and “Field Blend,” I rounded up three of the best-qualified winemakers and grape growers in the Sonoma Valley to shed some light.
Jeff Gaffner is the owner and winemaker of Saxon Brown Wines. His Zinfandel comes from the Casa Santinamaria Vineyard, which is just west of the town of Sonoma. The vineyard is named after the heroine in Jack London’s Valley of the Moon . It was planted in the late-1800s and farmed by his family since the 1930s. Jeff is a purist about field-blended wines, and a stroll through his vineyard is like a walk back in time. His wines are expressive, and truly a labor of love.
Will Bucklin found his interest in field-blended Zinfandels when his family purchased Old Hill Ranch in 1981. Bucklin Old Hill Ranch is the oldest Zinfandel vineyard in the Sonoma Valley, having been planted in 1851, and it has produced some of the most famous Zinfandels ever bottled. In addition to Bucklin “Old Hill Ranch” Zinfandel, Ravenswood continues to bottle astounding wines from grapes purchased from Bucklin.
Joel Peterson is the closest thing to God when it comes to California Zinfandel. Peterson founded Ravenswood Winery in 1976, and continues to set the trends which define what California Zinfandel is today. He speaks with knowledge and authority, particularly when it comes to Zinfandel in the Sonoma Valley. What Robert Mondavi is to California Cabernet Sauvignon, Peterson is all of that and more to Zinfandel.
All three are students of their vineyards. They take tremendous care in understanding why one varietal might be planted on the hillside, while another was planted on a low, wet spot in the vineyard. While Will Bucklin understands why the table grapes were planted next to the picnic table, all three continually try to solve the mystery of their vineyards, even while they act as custodians of a forgotten time.
There are only a handful of these ancient field blend Zinfandel vineyards left in California. Many were ripped out for more lucrative varietals, while others have had the “blend” varietals (i.e. Petite Sirah, Alicante, Grenache) pulled out and replaced with Zinfandel. Joel, Will and Jeff explained that one of the factors which contributed to the continuing existence of these vineyards was the White Zinfandel phenomenon, which has given them a place in the market.
Amazingly, many of these wines known as field-blended Zinfandels seem to mysteriously chime in at exactly 75 percent Zinfandel on the stat sheets, allowing the label to wear the varietal name Zinfandel.
It’s apparent that this old-school form of winemaking is zooming toward extinction, as the marketplace puts more and more demands on what winemakers are doing to market their wines.
In an effort to explore the terms “Old Vines” and “Field Blend,” I rounded up three of the best-qualified winemakers and grape growers in the Sonoma Valley to shed some light.
Jeff Gaffner is the owner and winemaker of Saxon Brown Wines. His Zinfandel comes from the Casa Santinamaria Vineyard, which is just west of the town of Sonoma. The vineyard is named after the heroine in Jack London’s Valley of the Moon . It was planted in the late-1800s and farmed by his family since the 1930s. Jeff is a purist about field-blended wines, and a stroll through his vineyard is like a walk back in time. His wines are expressive, and truly a labor of love.
Will Bucklin found his interest in field-blended Zinfandels when his family purchased Old Hill Ranch in 1981. Bucklin Old Hill Ranch is the oldest Zinfandel vineyard in the Sonoma Valley, having been planted in 1851, and it has produced some of the most famous Zinfandels ever bottled. In addition to Bucklin “Old Hill Ranch” Zinfandel, Ravenswood continues to bottle astounding wines from grapes purchased from Bucklin.
Joel Peterson is the closest thing to God when it comes to California Zinfandel. Peterson founded Ravenswood Winery in 1976, and continues to set the trends which define what California Zinfandel is today. He speaks with knowledge and authority, particularly when it comes to Zinfandel in the Sonoma Valley. What Robert Mondavi is to California Cabernet Sauvignon, Peterson is all of that and more to Zinfandel.
All three are students of their vineyards. They take tremendous care in understanding why one varietal might be planted on the hillside, while another was planted on a low, wet spot in the vineyard. While Will Bucklin understands why the table grapes were planted next to the picnic table, all three continually try to solve the mystery of their vineyards, even while they act as custodians of a forgotten time.
There are only a handful of these ancient field blend Zinfandel vineyards left in California. Many were ripped out for more lucrative varietals, while others have had the “blend” varietals (i.e. Petite Sirah, Alicante, Grenache) pulled out and replaced with Zinfandel. Joel, Will and Jeff explained that one of the factors which contributed to the continuing existence of these vineyards was the White Zinfandel phenomenon, which has given them a place in the market.
Bradley Gray (BG): Explain what a field blend is, and how they are different from other “Old Vine” Zinfandels.
Joel Peterson, Ravenswood Winery
Joel Peterson (JP): To me, a field blend is like cooking with more than one spice. It adds lots of personality, an array of flavors and some great ripeness. The old Italian farts who planted these vineyards knew what they were doing. They understood the physiology of their plants, but they never said a lot. Getting information from them was a right-of-passage, and you tended to hang on every word.
Will Bucklin (WB): Field blend vineyards give the appearance of randomness, but the old-timers put a lot of thought into it. They tended to get really defensive about that. But there was a method to it, and I’m learning every day.
JP: You have to keep in mind that the old Italians weren’t trying to make Zinfandel. They were trying to make good wine. They were looking for a notion of balance. This was way before we had acid and tannins in bags. They used these other varieties to achieve that. It was their craft. That’s why you see a higher preponderance (in old Zinfandel vineyards) of Alicante in Russian River or Carignane in Dry Creek – because they needed acid. There were differences in climate and culture. Wine was much more of a local occupation.
Jeff Gaffner(JG): Yes, Alicante was popular with home winemakers during Prohibition. You could put it in boxes and sent it on trains to San Francisco for some quick cash. That explains why it was growing next to the train tracks.
JP: People would go to the railcars in San Francisco much like we go to a farmer’s market. The railcars were marked (with what varietal they contained). People would buy boxes of grapes and make their own wine in bathtubs. Three years after prohibition, there was still more wine being made at home than commercially.
BG: Tell me a little about the history of Zinfandel in California.
JP: The original plantings of grapes in California (with the exception of Mission grapes introduced by Junipero Serra) were brought by New Englanders who came in for the gold rush. Many of them didn’t have a clue. They were just trying stuff. Zinfandel was the first one which really took hold in California, and people recognized it as a grape varietal. Then, at Old Hill Ranch, William McPherson Hill planted what he thought was Black St. Peter (Black Alicante) and also planted some different grape varietals. But they focused on Zinfandel because it was pleasing.
WB: And it had a fair amount of alcohol. When the New Englanders came, the only grapes growing here were Mission grapes, which were also field blends. It was the ubiquitous name for all field blends which were here. While dining with General Vallejo, British explorer Sir George Simpson once said; “Politeness alone induced me to swallow it.” That probably makes him one of the first wine critics!
Will Bucklin, Old Hill Ranch
BG: So, Black St. Peter was what we know today as Zinfandel? What were the names for field blended wines?”
JP: Burgundy and Claret. If a wine was mostly Zinfandel with Petite Sirah and Carignane it was “Claret.” If it was mostly Petite Sirah with Zinfandel and Carignane, it was known as “Burgundy.”
It was really dumb luck that Zinfandel arrived here when it did. It just happened to be the perfect grape for this environment. It’s a Croatian grape, as it turns out, and it thrives here.
BG: Do “Old Vine” Zinfandels age better because of this notion of blending?
JP: When vines are old, they are much more in harmony with their spot. They are better balanced than others because they are in the right locations. Cabernet, in time, goes out of balance, while Zinfandel comes in. The difference is that today, Zinfandel has a higher raspberry and black cherry tone. In the old days, it was considered a medium-bodied wine, similar to Pinot Noir. Now, we pick it ripe. The Zinfandels which are “Old Vine” are more of a mixed field blend.
JG: Field blends have so much personality each year. Grapes ripen at different speeds, giving different flavors. Each vintage (of Saxon Brown Zinfandel) tells a story; like in 1999, when we had a big Petite Sirah crop. You can really taste that in the wine, and it tells a great story.
BG: If you could establish Truth in Labeling of Zinfandel, what would you require to call a wine “Old Vines?”
JG: I think it’s a moving target. To me, it should be pre-World War II. California changed because of the war. It was a defining line. Those vines had to weather trying times, the Depression, Prohibition, phylloxera, etcetera. They tell a story of survival.
Jeff Gaffner, Saxon Brown Wines
JP: I divide it into four categories. Zero to ten years old are “Young Vines.” Ten to fifty years old are what I call “Tour Vines.” They produce good wine, but it takes more work to achieve deep balance. Fifty to Eighty years (or vines which produce less than three tons per acre) are “Old Vines.” They are balanced, and doing what they are supposed to do. Eighty years and older are “Ancient Vines.”
Now, that’s a whole different category. A percentage of them die, and others don’t produce very much. They tend to be aggressive. Wine-geek wise, there is something really special about them.
WB: I’m very cautious about terminology derived to sell wine. I think the back label is an excellent place to define your terminology.
JP: Yes! When you degrade it as a marketing term, you also lose what’s valuable about it. It’s the same as fleshing out the idea of a wine being a “Reserve.”
BG: What is the future of the field blend?
WB: When Otto (Will’s relative) bought Old Hill Ranch, he was fortunate to have met Joel, because it was dilapidated and producing very little fruit. (Joel Peterson contracted to buy the grapes.) He decided to keep it and farm it, and I know he farmed it at a loss until 1993 or ‘94. We only got a half-ton per acre. We obviously want to be solvent, and with old vine vineyards, that’s challenging.
JP: What I am seeing currently in the market is a very slow but consistent move toward non-varietal, California varietally-based wines. There are a number of these wines on the market. This is a category which is developing, and there is potential for a true California category using these field blends to make fascinating wines.
BG: Are there any organizations which promote or preserve these field blend vineyards?
WB: You mean FAP (Field Blend Advocates and Producers)?
(Laughter around the table) -
JP: No, it’s still very early. The curve is just starting to come back up.
WB: As I learn about field blends and our vineyard, I think there is something to be said for field blends. The current technique would be to plant a row of Zinfandel, a row of Petite Sirah and a row of Grenache, and then either pick separately or together, and ferment separately or not. This would give you a lot of leverage as a winemaker. Our vineyard is planted “salt and pepper (or, no particular order, like rows or blocks). By planting a true field blend – salt and pepper-- it prevents you from doing what you might otherwise do, which would be to make a really good Zinfandel or a Petite Sirah. So, it really forces your hand. Mike Lee (Patianna Organic Vineyards) just planted a field blend.
JP: I planted a mixed field of 10 acres of Petite Sirah and Alicante.
JG: Some of the clients whom I consult for are actually planting field blend Zinfandels.
WB: There is an Italian philosophy called Viticultira Promiscua, which is about inter-planting and growing. It’s not at all about promiscuous grape vines, but rather about other things going on in the vineyard. What does it mean when you plant two different plants next to each other, and they grow together and inter-mingle and is it worth considering when planting a field blend?
JG: Because these vineyards grow together, there is symmetry. To me, it’s a stewardship of the site. There is something mystical about farming.
WB: That mystical quality actually has more authenticity to it, in my mind, than biodynamic farming.
BG: To wrap up, tell me about the flavor profile of field blended old vine Zinfandel.
JP: Field blends produce, simply, the best wines ever produced in California. I think that they are our Bordeaux. They’ve found their location. Field blends have more dark fruit flavors, they tend to be more structural, they have more spice, more pepper, more complexity, along with an incredible diversity of flavor and feel.
WB: They are incredibly complex. You stick your nose in over and over, and they just keep on giving. As the night progresses, they keep changing, like a chameleon.
JG: To me, they tend to really evolve in the glass! They have this brightness of flavor, and this fantastic cranberry-raspberry signature. (Non-field blended) Zinfandels kind of have that Zin-berry signature. I think they have more structure, and I personally think they are more interesting when they get older.
BG: Joel, Will and Jeff all have different philosophies when it comes to winemaking. Of the three, Jeff is clearly the purist. He picks everything the same day, as did the old timers who planted the Casa Santinamaria Vineyard. Joel and Will may pick varietals separately, ferment separately, and then blend. Or, they may not. It is a matter of ripeness to them.
Get a taste of Sonoma Valley Zinfandels. Read Bradley Gray’s reviews of Zinfandels from Ravenswood, Saxon Brown, and Bucklin .
~ Bradley Gray, Regional Correspondent
To comment on Bradley’s writings and thoughts, contact him at b.gray@appellationamerica.com
Joel Peterson, Ravenswood Winery
Will Bucklin (WB): Field blend vineyards give the appearance of randomness, but the old-timers put a lot of thought into it. They tended to get really defensive about that. But there was a method to it, and I’m learning every day.
JP: You have to keep in mind that the old Italians weren’t trying to make Zinfandel. They were trying to make good wine. They were looking for a notion of balance. This was way before we had acid and tannins in bags. They used these other varieties to achieve that. It was their craft. That’s why you see a higher preponderance (in old Zinfandel vineyards) of Alicante in Russian River or Carignane in Dry Creek – because they needed acid. There were differences in climate and culture. Wine was much more of a local occupation.
Jeff Gaffner(JG): Yes, Alicante was popular with home winemakers during Prohibition. You could put it in boxes and sent it on trains to San Francisco for some quick cash. That explains why it was growing next to the train tracks.
JP: People would go to the railcars in San Francisco much like we go to a farmer’s market. The railcars were marked (with what varietal they contained). People would buy boxes of grapes and make their own wine in bathtubs. Three years after prohibition, there was still more wine being made at home than commercially.
BG: Tell me a little about the history of Zinfandel in California.
JP: The original plantings of grapes in California (with the exception of Mission grapes introduced by Junipero Serra) were brought by New Englanders who came in for the gold rush. Many of them didn’t have a clue. They were just trying stuff. Zinfandel was the first one which really took hold in California, and people recognized it as a grape varietal. Then, at Old Hill Ranch, William McPherson Hill planted what he thought was Black St. Peter (Black Alicante) and also planted some different grape varietals. But they focused on Zinfandel because it was pleasing.
WB: And it had a fair amount of alcohol. When the New Englanders came, the only grapes growing here were Mission grapes, which were also field blends. It was the ubiquitous name for all field blends which were here. While dining with General Vallejo, British explorer Sir George Simpson once said; “Politeness alone induced me to swallow it.” That probably makes him one of the first wine critics!
Will Bucklin, Old Hill Ranch
JP: Burgundy and Claret. If a wine was mostly Zinfandel with Petite Sirah and Carignane it was “Claret.” If it was mostly Petite Sirah with Zinfandel and Carignane, it was known as “Burgundy.”
It was really dumb luck that Zinfandel arrived here when it did. It just happened to be the perfect grape for this environment. It’s a Croatian grape, as it turns out, and it thrives here.
BG: Do “Old Vine” Zinfandels age better because of this notion of blending?
JP: When vines are old, they are much more in harmony with their spot. They are better balanced than others because they are in the right locations. Cabernet, in time, goes out of balance, while Zinfandel comes in. The difference is that today, Zinfandel has a higher raspberry and black cherry tone. In the old days, it was considered a medium-bodied wine, similar to Pinot Noir. Now, we pick it ripe. The Zinfandels which are “Old Vine” are more of a mixed field blend.
JG: Field blends have so much personality each year. Grapes ripen at different speeds, giving different flavors. Each vintage (of Saxon Brown Zinfandel) tells a story; like in 1999, when we had a big Petite Sirah crop. You can really taste that in the wine, and it tells a great story.
BG: If you could establish Truth in Labeling of Zinfandel, what would you require to call a wine “Old Vines?”
JG: I think it’s a moving target. To me, it should be pre-World War II. California changed because of the war. It was a defining line. Those vines had to weather trying times, the Depression, Prohibition, phylloxera, etcetera. They tell a story of survival.
Jeff Gaffner, Saxon Brown Wines
WB: I’m very cautious about terminology derived to sell wine. I think the back label is an excellent place to define your terminology.
JP: Yes! When you degrade it as a marketing term, you also lose what’s valuable about it. It’s the same as fleshing out the idea of a wine being a “Reserve.”
BG: What is the future of the field blend?
WB: When Otto (Will’s relative) bought Old Hill Ranch, he was fortunate to have met Joel, because it was dilapidated and producing very little fruit. (Joel Peterson contracted to buy the grapes.) He decided to keep it and farm it, and I know he farmed it at a loss until 1993 or ‘94. We only got a half-ton per acre. We obviously want to be solvent, and with old vine vineyards, that’s challenging.
JP: What I am seeing currently in the market is a very slow but consistent move toward non-varietal, California varietally-based wines. There are a number of these wines on the market. This is a category which is developing, and there is potential for a true California category using these field blends to make fascinating wines.
BG: Are there any organizations which promote or preserve these field blend vineyards?
WB: You mean FAP (Field Blend Advocates and Producers)?
(Laughter around the table) -
JP: No, it’s still very early. The curve is just starting to come back up.
WB: As I learn about field blends and our vineyard, I think there is something to be said for field blends. The current technique would be to plant a row of Zinfandel, a row of Petite Sirah and a row of Grenache, and then either pick separately or together, and ferment separately or not. This would give you a lot of leverage as a winemaker. Our vineyard is planted “salt and pepper (or, no particular order, like rows or blocks). By planting a true field blend – salt and pepper-- it prevents you from doing what you might otherwise do, which would be to make a really good Zinfandel or a Petite Sirah. So, it really forces your hand. Mike Lee (Patianna Organic Vineyards) just planted a field blend.
JP: I planted a mixed field of 10 acres of Petite Sirah and Alicante.
JG: Some of the clients whom I consult for are actually planting field blend Zinfandels.
WB: There is an Italian philosophy called Viticultira Promiscua, which is about inter-planting and growing. It’s not at all about promiscuous grape vines, but rather about other things going on in the vineyard. What does it mean when you plant two different plants next to each other, and they grow together and inter-mingle and is it worth considering when planting a field blend?
JG: Because these vineyards grow together, there is symmetry. To me, it’s a stewardship of the site. There is something mystical about farming.
WB: That mystical quality actually has more authenticity to it, in my mind, than biodynamic farming.
BG: To wrap up, tell me about the flavor profile of field blended old vine Zinfandel.
JP: Field blends produce, simply, the best wines ever produced in California. I think that they are our Bordeaux. They’ve found their location. Field blends have more dark fruit flavors, they tend to be more structural, they have more spice, more pepper, more complexity, along with an incredible diversity of flavor and feel.
WB: They are incredibly complex. You stick your nose in over and over, and they just keep on giving. As the night progresses, they keep changing, like a chameleon.
JG: To me, they tend to really evolve in the glass! They have this brightness of flavor, and this fantastic cranberry-raspberry signature. (Non-field blended) Zinfandels kind of have that Zin-berry signature. I think they have more structure, and I personally think they are more interesting when they get older.
BG: Joel, Will and Jeff all have different philosophies when it comes to winemaking. Of the three, Jeff is clearly the purist. He picks everything the same day, as did the old timers who planted the Casa Santinamaria Vineyard. Joel and Will may pick varietals separately, ferment separately, and then blend. Or, they may not. It is a matter of ripeness to them.
Get a taste of Sonoma Valley Zinfandels. Read Bradley Gray’s reviews of Zinfandels from Ravenswood, Saxon Brown, and Bucklin .
~ Bradley Gray, Regional Correspondent
To comment on Bradley’s writings and thoughts, contact him at b.gray@appellationamerica.com
