Scaggs Vineyard
About
We’ve come to see Scaggs Vineyard as belonging to a tradition and a community— growers and wine-makers, meat and cheese producers, gardeners, writers, foragers and cooks— all committed to the practices of ecological sustainability, the rigorous pursuit of quality, and the simple pleasures of the table.
Location Description
Located in the heart of Oakville, California.
Features
- Our goal is to make expressive wines.
Additional Information
- Meeting / Conference Facilities:
- Caves:
- Wedding Facilities:
- Picnic Facilities:
- Dog Friendly:
- Winery Tours:
- Wine Tasting:
- Art or Architecture:
- Organic / Biodynamic:
- Awards:
- Wine Club:
- Lodging / Bed & Breakfast:
Winemaker
In every field and craft, there are practitioners, those who follow the lead of others, and visionaries, those who always seek to push their craft and knowledge to the next horizon. Winemaking is no different, and in this field, Ken Bernards is widely acknowledged to be one of California's visionaries. Since his first harvest in 1986, Ken has remained on the leading edge of winemaking technique in California, using scientific experimentation in the vineyards and in the winery, while at the same time adhering to traditional, small-scale methods, such as fermenting in small open-top vessels or oak barrels, utilizing hand punch-downs, and seeking to allow the vineyard's character to speak through the wines. This exemplifies his winemaking philosophy: a delicate and ever-changing balancing act between traditional wisdom, scientific assessment, and artistic insight.
Upon completing his degree in chemistry at Oregon State University, Ken accepted a position with Domaine Chandon as a research enologist, or experimental winemaker. He was able to design and perform his own experiments in every area of viticulture and enology. During these years, Ken honed his scientific reasoning, learning to isolate cause and effect in the vineyard, in the winery, and, ultimately, in the glass. Ultimately, though, Ken's passion called for more than just experimentation. True, he had come to value the importance of being scientific about decisions in the vineyard and in the winery. However, a visit to Burgundy spoke to his artistic side, awaking a desire to make his own finished wines full of mystery and nuance, wines that express the individuality of each vineyard. In 1992, Ken made his first five barrels of Ancien Carneros Pinot Noir, marking the beginning an ongoing quest for great Pinot Noirs. He was able to further pursue his desire to work on a smaller scale, hand-crafting single-vineyard wines as the winemaker for Truchard Vineyards from 1993-1997.
From 1998 on, Ken has been living his dream daily, making his own wines under the Ancien label, and small production estate-grown wines for select vineyards. His approach to winemaking, both practically and philosophically, go hand in hand with the aims of Scaggs Vineyard: to allow growing conditions, varietals and vintages to manifest themselves within the wine; to strive for wines with depth and complexity and the ability to evolve. Ken continues to be involved with winemaking, winery design, and vineyard planning in regions as diverse as Oregon, California, and Chile. All part of his ongoing quest to discover more and more about the science and art of making timeless and expressive wines.
Upon completing his degree in chemistry at Oregon State University, Ken accepted a position with Domaine Chandon as a research enologist, or experimental winemaker. He was able to design and perform his own experiments in every area of viticulture and enology. During these years, Ken honed his scientific reasoning, learning to isolate cause and effect in the vineyard, in the winery, and, ultimately, in the glass. Ultimately, though, Ken's passion called for more than just experimentation. True, he had come to value the importance of being scientific about decisions in the vineyard and in the winery. However, a visit to Burgundy spoke to his artistic side, awaking a desire to make his own finished wines full of mystery and nuance, wines that express the individuality of each vineyard. In 1992, Ken made his first five barrels of Ancien Carneros Pinot Noir, marking the beginning an ongoing quest for great Pinot Noirs. He was able to further pursue his desire to work on a smaller scale, hand-crafting single-vineyard wines as the winemaker for Truchard Vineyards from 1993-1997.
From 1998 on, Ken has been living his dream daily, making his own wines under the Ancien label, and small production estate-grown wines for select vineyards. His approach to winemaking, both practically and philosophically, go hand in hand with the aims of Scaggs Vineyard: to allow growing conditions, varietals and vintages to manifest themselves within the wine; to strive for wines with depth and complexity and the ability to evolve. Ken continues to be involved with winemaking, winery design, and vineyard planning in regions as diverse as Oregon, California, and Chile. All part of his ongoing quest to discover more and more about the science and art of making timeless and expressive wines.
History
In 1996 we moved to the hills above Napa Valley. We’d found a beautiful spot, virtually untouched, with a good well and the layered horizon of a Chinese landscape painting. We were planting fruit trees one day when a vineyardist friend stopped by and suggested we put in some grape vines he had on his truck, leftovers from another job. They were syrah cuttings that had come from Lee Hudson in Carneros. The idea of growing grapes in the Napa Valley didn’t seem too far fetched, but what transpired the following spring when those fledgling vines leafed out was unexpected —they took root in us as deeply as they had the hillside.
We'd come to love the Rhone wines of France, particularly those of the Southern Rhone, and explored the possibility of planting more Rhone varietals on our hillside. Research indicated they'd be a good match for our climate and the soils in our hills, so in addition to the newly planted syrah, we chose mourvedre and grenache cuttings from Tablas Creek, whose clones came from the esteemed Beaucastel Vineyard in Chateaneuf-du-Pape. And we imbibed a good deal of the Beaucastel philosophy, too: minimal intervention in winemaking to allow for maximum expression of terroir, that evocative French concept whose meaning encompasses the earth, air, water and soul of a place. From the start we were committed to sustainable farming practices-- our steep hillsides and narrow vine rows committed us to farming by hand—and under the guidance of Bob Schaeffer, co-founder of Soil Culture Consulting, the vineyard was certified organic by California’s CCOF in 2006.
We made our first wine in 2000 and have experimented over the years, testing techniques and blends, learning more about our grapes, our soil, our preferences. Each harvest has a story to tell, to be continued.
We'd come to love the Rhone wines of France, particularly those of the Southern Rhone, and explored the possibility of planting more Rhone varietals on our hillside. Research indicated they'd be a good match for our climate and the soils in our hills, so in addition to the newly planted syrah, we chose mourvedre and grenache cuttings from Tablas Creek, whose clones came from the esteemed Beaucastel Vineyard in Chateaneuf-du-Pape. And we imbibed a good deal of the Beaucastel philosophy, too: minimal intervention in winemaking to allow for maximum expression of terroir, that evocative French concept whose meaning encompasses the earth, air, water and soul of a place. From the start we were committed to sustainable farming practices-- our steep hillsides and narrow vine rows committed us to farming by hand—and under the guidance of Bob Schaeffer, co-founder of Soil Culture Consulting, the vineyard was certified organic by California’s CCOF in 2006.
We made our first wine in 2000 and have experimented over the years, testing techniques and blends, learning more about our grapes, our soil, our preferences. Each harvest has a story to tell, to be continued.
The Team
Boz Scaggs, Proprietor:
Boz Scaggs is renowned among his fans and fellow musicians as one of America's preeminent R&B artists. Now he's earning respect in a different but not disconnected field as a producer of elegant, multi-layered French-style red and rosé wines.
On his Napa property, where the vineyard and the orchards are certified organic, Boz is hands-on in vineyard management and works closely with his winemaker in crafting a small, highly select production of estate wines: just 350 cases yearly of a Rhone-style red blend (grenache, mourvedre, syrah and counoise) and 100 cases of a grenache rosé.
A singer, songwriter and guitarist, Scaggs had several records and a solid fan base behind him when his 1975 album Silk Degrees became one of the landmark pop records of the decade. Subsequent releases ushered in more hits and years of touring. It was on Scaggs' return from one summer tour, not long after he and his wife had purchased their Napa property and planted their first grapes ("without a lot of forethought") that he felt a pull in a new direction. " It was near midnight when I pulled down the drive, the moon close to full and the night unusually warm," he writes. "I got out of the car halfway down to stretch my legs and just register being home again, and in the moonlight I saw those fledgling vines I’d forgotten were even there. More to the point, I felt those vines. Their energy was palpable, seductive and lasting. There’s the weight—real and symbolic-- of a cool cluster of grapes in hand as the sun is just clearing the horizon on the morning of harvest, or knowing as you taste your wine—knowing with all your senses and then some—that this is unmistakably the taste of your place."
Scaggs is a founding partner of the San Francisco live music club, Slim's, and co-owner of The Great American Music Hall, another anchor of the Bay Area live music scene. He continues to record and tour with his own band and as part of The Dukes of September Rhythm Revue where he shares the stage with Donald Fagen of Steely Dan and Michael McDonald, formerly of The Doobie Brothers. Boz's most recent record is MEMPHIS.
Dominique Scaggs, Proprietor:
Dominique Gioia Scaggs wears several hats at Scaggs Vineyard, some outdoors among the vines and others behind a desk attending to the paper trail of wine. "My family has always lived in a food-and-wine-centric universe," she says, "so I'm not surprised to find myself here, but the truth is that the first small syrah planting we did was a kind of happy accident, and in a series of serendipities, the rest has followed. One of the best bits of luck we had was that the land we'd settled on was particularly favorable to growing the Rhone varietals we loved to drink. "
Dominique moved to California in 1988 to work for North Point Press, a much-loved small press that closed its doors in 1991; she continued to work in book publishing at Pantheon Books' Berkeley office and as a freelancer. Independent projects included compiling and editing two books on culinary icon M.F.K. Fisher on behalf of the Fisher estate: A Welcoming Life: The MFK Fisher Scrapbook (Counterpoint, 1997) and The Measure of Her Powers: An MFK Fisher Reader (Counterpoint, 1999.)
Boz Scaggs is renowned among his fans and fellow musicians as one of America's preeminent R&B artists. Now he's earning respect in a different but not disconnected field as a producer of elegant, multi-layered French-style red and rosé wines.
On his Napa property, where the vineyard and the orchards are certified organic, Boz is hands-on in vineyard management and works closely with his winemaker in crafting a small, highly select production of estate wines: just 350 cases yearly of a Rhone-style red blend (grenache, mourvedre, syrah and counoise) and 100 cases of a grenache rosé.
A singer, songwriter and guitarist, Scaggs had several records and a solid fan base behind him when his 1975 album Silk Degrees became one of the landmark pop records of the decade. Subsequent releases ushered in more hits and years of touring. It was on Scaggs' return from one summer tour, not long after he and his wife had purchased their Napa property and planted their first grapes ("without a lot of forethought") that he felt a pull in a new direction. " It was near midnight when I pulled down the drive, the moon close to full and the night unusually warm," he writes. "I got out of the car halfway down to stretch my legs and just register being home again, and in the moonlight I saw those fledgling vines I’d forgotten were even there. More to the point, I felt those vines. Their energy was palpable, seductive and lasting. There’s the weight—real and symbolic-- of a cool cluster of grapes in hand as the sun is just clearing the horizon on the morning of harvest, or knowing as you taste your wine—knowing with all your senses and then some—that this is unmistakably the taste of your place."
Scaggs is a founding partner of the San Francisco live music club, Slim's, and co-owner of The Great American Music Hall, another anchor of the Bay Area live music scene. He continues to record and tour with his own band and as part of The Dukes of September Rhythm Revue where he shares the stage with Donald Fagen of Steely Dan and Michael McDonald, formerly of The Doobie Brothers. Boz's most recent record is MEMPHIS.
Dominique Scaggs, Proprietor:
Dominique Gioia Scaggs wears several hats at Scaggs Vineyard, some outdoors among the vines and others behind a desk attending to the paper trail of wine. "My family has always lived in a food-and-wine-centric universe," she says, "so I'm not surprised to find myself here, but the truth is that the first small syrah planting we did was a kind of happy accident, and in a series of serendipities, the rest has followed. One of the best bits of luck we had was that the land we'd settled on was particularly favorable to growing the Rhone varietals we loved to drink. "
Dominique moved to California in 1988 to work for North Point Press, a much-loved small press that closed its doors in 1991; she continued to work in book publishing at Pantheon Books' Berkeley office and as a freelancer. Independent projects included compiling and editing two books on culinary icon M.F.K. Fisher on behalf of the Fisher estate: A Welcoming Life: The MFK Fisher Scrapbook (Counterpoint, 1997) and The Measure of Her Powers: An MFK Fisher Reader (Counterpoint, 1999.)
Practices & Techniques
Since 2005, the vineyards, fruit and olive orchards at Scaggs Vineyard have been certified organic by CCOF. (California Certified Organic Farmers) Our winemaker, Ken Bernards, and his winery operation are also CCOF certified.
A blend of classic southern Rhone varietals: mourvedre, grenache , syrah and counoise. They're built around a mid-palate structure that relies on the firmness of mourvedre with the other varietals layering above and below it. Grenache, with its brightness and softness lifts the wine and the palate; mourvedre picks up where grenache leaves off and brings backbone and continuity to the whole; syrah adds spiciness and broadness in counterbalance to the less tannic, lower alcohol counoise. Before bottling the wine is aged in well-seasoned French oak barrels for 11 months.
A blend of classic southern Rhone varietals: mourvedre, grenache , syrah and counoise. They're built around a mid-palate structure that relies on the firmness of mourvedre with the other varietals layering above and below it. Grenache, with its brightness and softness lifts the wine and the palate; mourvedre picks up where grenache leaves off and brings backbone and continuity to the whole; syrah adds spiciness and broadness in counterbalance to the less tannic, lower alcohol counoise. Before bottling the wine is aged in well-seasoned French oak barrels for 11 months.
Estate Vineyards / AVA
Scaggs Vineyard sits at the northernmost reach of the Mt. Veeder Appellation within the Mayacamas Ridge, at an altitude ranging from 1100 to 1400 feet. The micro-climate in our hills is milder, by as much as ten degrees summer and winter, than that of the Napa or Sonoma Valley floors on either side of us. Typically our grapes take 3 or 4 weeks longer to ripen than at the lower elevations. Soils in the vineyard, residue of what was at one time a high lake bed, are high in complex mineral content with sand, shale and volcanic elements.
Planted in 1998-2000, the vineyard blocks scattered over the hillsides make up a little over two acres of Rhone varietals: mourvedre, grenache, and syrah; in 2007 we added a small amount of counoise. The care we take in farming is the most important work we do for the wine. The steepness of our hills means that cultivation and harvesting must be done entirely by hand. We follow an annual no-till cover crop program of native grasses, legumes and beneficial flowers. Vine spacing is 6 x 5 on trellises.
Planted in 1998-2000, the vineyard blocks scattered over the hillsides make up a little over two acres of Rhone varietals: mourvedre, grenache, and syrah; in 2007 we added a small amount of counoise. The care we take in farming is the most important work we do for the wine. The steepness of our hills means that cultivation and harvesting must be done entirely by hand. We follow an annual no-till cover crop program of native grasses, legumes and beneficial flowers. Vine spacing is 6 x 5 on trellises.