Fiano: "One of Italy's greatest native wine grapes"

In a recent Wine Spectator article, Robert Camuto posed the question as to whether Fiano was Italy's greatest white wine. Ian D'Agata does not allow himself to be limited by grape type. Instead, he sees the variety as one of Italy's greatest native wine grapes, given its ability to make a wide range of wines: from light- to full-bodied; from dry to sweet; and from easy-drinking to age-worthy (Native Wine Grapes of Italy).

According to D'Agata, Fiano is one of Italy's oldest cultivars. The grape grows in medium-small, winged, pyramidal bunches with medium, oval-shaped berries. The skin is thick, with a yellow-green color that is spotted brown when ripe. This late-ripening variety is sensitive to odium but, due to its thick skin, is resistant to botrytis.

Fiano is thought to be native to Lapio, a small town west of the municipality of Avellino. It had almost disappeared in its native region but was resurrected by Antonio Mastroberardino who produced his first vintage in 1945. In addition to Campania, Fiano can now be found growing in Molise, Basilicata, Puglia, Sicily, the US (California and Oregon), and Australia (Barossa Valley, Margaret River, Adelaide Hills, Heathcote, and Riverland).

The chart following shows the distribution of Fiano terroirs within Campania.

Irpinia, the ancient name of Avellino Province, is home to three of the four Campania DOCG production zones. Irpinia's landscape is characterized by mountains, hills, and plains separated by rivers and streams. The region experiences short, very cold, snowy winters and mild, long summers. Annual rainfall is more than adequate.

There are marked differences in wines from various sites but, in Ian D'Agata's view, Fiano does best on volcanic soils in that they "allow the formation of penetratingly pure mineral and delicately fruity aromas ..." 

Fiano di Avellino DOCG is the area wherein the highest quality Fiano is produced. Ian is especially partial to the three "subzones," outlined in black on the Fiano di Avellino map in the chart above. Feudi di San Gregorio divides the wines into five classes depending on where they are grown in the DOCG. These zones are highlighted by multi-colored demarcation lines and red arrows in the Fiano di Avellino map above.

The chart below shows the allowed Fiano quality wine production zones.

I have tasted a few of the Fiano wines identified above:

The 2020 Mastroberardino Fiano di Avellino DOCG was elegant with a slightly powdery note, sweet white fruit, spice, and green herbs. On the palate, lemon-lime, minerality, salinity and a toasted bread character.

The 2019 Feudi di San Gregorio Pietracalda Fiano di Avellino DOCG was aged on the lees -- with batonnage -- for between 4 and 5 months post-fermentation. On the nose, intense apple, citrus, genip, and floral aromas. Fresh, rich, and balanced on the palate with a slightly bitter finish.

Tempe di Zoè produces Fiano wines from grapes grown in Cilento under the Paestum Fiano IGT appellation in vineyards "nestled between the mountain and the Tyrrhenian Sea." The grapes are fermented in steel tanks (after a soft pressing) and the resulting wine is aged for 6 months inm steel tanks (75%) and French oak barrels (25%). The wines spend an additional 2 months in bottle before release on the market.

The 2020 version of this wine showed herbs, spice, walnuts, a hint of honey, and minerality on the nose. Bright and fresh on the palate initially, with faded lime, minerality, and a limestone finish. With the passage of time, the wine settled down into a nice, easy-drinking gait.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

The Aglianico cultivar, the least-known of the great reds

Two of Campania's four DOCG classifications are based on the Aglianico variety which is itself further deployed, as regards styles, classification, and geography. I examine the characteristics of the variety, its origin and current deployment, and the nature of its wines.

Aglianico, according to Ian D'Agata (Native Wine Grapes of Italy). "is one of the world's great red grapes ... it is generally believed to be one of Italy's three best wine grapes but in my opinion ... it's one of the world's dozen or so best wine grapes." Jancis Robinson is just as fulsome in her praise of the  variety: "There are some grape varieties that, like Cary Grant and Catherine Deneuve, exude class. Aglianico ... is one of these." While my post covered Aglianico in Campania, the praise of these two experts extend beyond that region to include the variety's presence in neighboring Basilicata. Jancis Robinson specifically mentions it as "the signature grape of Taurasi in Campania and Aglianico del Vulture just over the border in the hills of Basilicata." 

What are the characteristics of this grape variety? The chart below shows selected characteristics of the cultivar and illustrates that, while there are a common set of agronomic and environmental aspects, growing-area differences are evident, as shown in the famous biotypes from Taurasi, Taburno, and Vulture, each one, according to D'Agata, "responsible for the unique characteristics of an eponymous wine."

Where are Aglianico's origins? A number of proposals have been advanced but, again, D'Agata, "... the exact origin of Aglianico and of its name remains unclear." He points to the first mention of the variety in a 1520 document attesting to vineyards owned by the Count of Conversano and planted to Aglianiche. Significant DNA study of the cultivar continues.

A total of 9973 ha of Aglianico are planted across Italy, with 69% of that total in Campania, 23% in Basilicata, and the remainder distributed between Molise, Puglia, Calabria, and Sicily. The variety is partial to dry, sunny climes and volcanic soils. The Campania and Basilicata terroirs wherein the cultivar can be found are illustrated in the following chart.

Aglianico has also won converts outside of Italy with vines planted in Australia, the United States (Texas, Arizona, and California) and in Canada's Niagara Peninsula.

The high concentrations of acid, sugar, and flavors in Aglianico lend themselves to versatility and that is exhibited by the cultivar being deployed in every key wine style in its favored lands. As the chart below shows, Aglianico can be vinified as a white (Irpinia DOC), sparkling, still red, or passito wine.

But it is as a still red wine that Aglianico has gained its fame and notoriety. These wines show floral aromatics when young and acquire spice and herbal qualities with age; and they have a remarkable ability to age. The wines are high in acid and tannins and are outstanding markers of the growing region while, at the same time, retaining the grape's definitive personality.

The Aglianico red wines from Taurasi are full-bodied, with elevated tannins and acidity. The wines show black and red berry fruit flavors and black olive and herbal notes when young and spice and smoke with age. Taburno wines are lighter in color than its Taurasi counterpart with red fruit notes, higher acidity, and lower tannin levels. The wines from Aglianico del Vulture, according to D'Agata, are known for their rich plum notes and mineral nuance.

I have tasted a few examples of Mastroberardino Aglianico wines.

The 2015 Taurasi DOCG was non-turgid in the glass. It showed beeswax, star apple, violet florals, sweet tar, clay, and thyme on the nose. Expands quickly and fully on the palate. Medium weight with good, palate-cleansing acidity and a long, spicy finish. Dark purple fruit on the palate with silky tannins that provide just enough texture. Not an overly complex wine.

The 2015 Taurasi Riserva DOCG showed a balsamic note on the nose along with spice, tar, chocolate, herb, mint, cassis, dark fruits, smoke, charcoal, licorice, and beeswax.. Sour cherry on the palate, red fruits, coal and a smokiness. Ripe tamarind. The acidity rides on a wave that persists into the finish and beyond.

The Mastro Rosso Campania IGT is a blend of Aglianico, Piedirosso, and other varieties grown in different areas of Irpinia and Sannio. The grapes are grown at 350 m in south-facing vineyards sited on predominantly clayey-calcareous soils. The 20-year-old vines -  average density 3000 vines/ha -- are trained Guyot. The grapes are vinified in stainless steel tanks and are refined in bottle for at least month.

The 2018 version of the Mastro Campania IGT is easy-drinking. Vanillin, tar, sage, cassis, and beeswax on the nose. Red fruit and spice on the palate with an abbreviated finish.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Mastroberardino: The foremost producer of premium wines in Campania

Mastroberardino, the largest producer of premium wines in Campania, as well as being one of Italy's most highly regarded producers, has roots in Irpinia Province that reach back into the 18th century. It was in 1758 that Pietro di Berardino founded his winery in the town of Artipaldi, the farm eventually being officially registered by Cavalier Angelo in 1875. Post the formation of the initial entity, Pietro was referred to as "Maestro" and that, in combination with the historical family name, is the nomenclature by which the family has been known thenceforth.

The Campanian wine industry was decimated by phylloxera during the 1930s and suffered further declines with the onset of WWII. When Antonio, representing the 9th generation, returned from the war, the family estate was in ruins but he, along with his brother Walter, embarked on a comprehensive restoration and expansion program which would bear fruit for the family fortunes and the Campanian wine industry as a whole. 

In addition to restoring their existing vineyards and cellars, Antonio and Walter bought up all of the best vineyard land in Irpinia and greater Campania. While other producers were ripping out native varieties and replacing them with internationals, Mastroberardino remained focused on the locals and is widely credited with saving Fiano, Greco, and Aglianico from extinction.

In 1996, Walter left Mastroberardino to establish his own estate, which he named Terradora in honor of his wife Dora. According to winetradersuk.co.uk, the split was acrimonious, with Antonio retaining the winery and the name whilst Walter retained the vineyards. Antonio was joined in the venture by his children Paolo, Lucia, and Daniela. In the same timeframe, 1997 to be exact, Antonio passed the reins of the Mastroberardino estate to his son Piero.

Antonio's success led to other Campanian winemakers following his path and a resulting revitalization and refocusing of the industry with the native varieties at the core. Further, the Italian Government recognized the leadership role of the estate by assigning it the task of recreating the vineyards, varieties, and cultivation and wine-production techniques practiced in the Roman era, prior to the eruption of Vesuvius. The first vintage of the resulting wine -- a blend of Piedirosso, Sciascinoso, and Aglianico -- was released in 2001.

The Mastroberardino holdings cover 16 estates and in excess of 254 ha distributed across Campania. The chart below shows the distribution of the estates, the varieties planted at each estate, and the wines produced therefrom.

The bulk of the family's holdings are concentrated in Irpinia, a province that is bordered by the foothills of the Apennines. It is a pre-Alpine zone with a continental climate and high elevations which exhibits the large diurnal shifts that quality grapes love as well as providing protection from rain, frost, and humidity. Irpinia is also home to three of the four Campanian DOCGs and 11 of the 16 Mastroberardino estates are located in those zones.

All of the estates are farmed sustainably.

The winemaking process is fairly similar across the holdings: manual harvests followed by fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The red wines are subjected to lengthy macerations in the tanks and are then aged for up to 30 months in barriques, or a mix of barriques and Slavonian casks, and are then aged in bottle for as much as 36 months.

The estate has introduced a line called Stilèma which seeks to produce wines as they did in pre-War Irpinia. In practice this means making Taurasi wines as they did in the 1960s and Greco and Fiano as they did in the 1970s and 1980s.

I have tasted a few examples of Mastroberardino wines as part of this exercise and will continue to do so and add to this report in the future.

The 2020 Fiano di Avellino DOCG was elegant with a slightly powdery note, sweet white fruit, spice, and green herbs. On the palate lemom-lime, minerality, salinity and a toasted bread character.

The 2015 Taurasi DOCG was non-turgid in the glass. It showed beeswax, star apple, violet florals, sweet tar, clay, and thyme on the nose. Expands quickly and fully on the palate. Medium weight with good, palate-cleansing acidity and a long, spicy finish. Dark purple fruit on the palate with silky tannins that provide just enough texture. Not an overly complex wine.

The 2015 Taurasi Riserva DOCG showed a balsamic note on the nose along with spice, tar, chocolate, herb, mint, cassis, dark fruits, smoke, charcoal, licorice, and beeswax.. Sour cherry on the palate, red fruits, coal and a smokiness. Ripe tamarind. The acidity rides on a wave that persists into the finish and beyond.

The Mastro Rosso Campania IGT is a blend of Aglianico, Piedirosso, and other varieties grown in different areas of Irpinia and Sannio. The grapes are grown at 350 m in south-facing vineyards sited on predominantly clayey-calcareous soils. The 20-year-old vines -  average density 3000 vines/ha -- are trained Guyot. The grapes are vinified in stainless steel tanks and are refined in bottle for at least month.

The 2018 version of the Mastro Campania IGT is easy-drinking. Vanillin, tar, sage, cassis, and beeswax on the nose. Red fruit and spice on the palate with an abbreviated finish.

The grapes for the NovaSerra Greco di Tufo are sourced exclusively from the Montefusco Vineyard. The vineyard has a southeast exposure, is sited at 550 m asl, and has calcareous clay soil with traces of volcanic ash. Vines are, on average, 15 years old, are planted at 4000 vines/ha, and are cordon-spur pruned and espalier-trained. The grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks and matured in bottle for 3 - 4 months prior to release on the market.

 I tasted the 2021 edition of this wine.

Sweet white fruit on the nose with apple-pear notes, mint, pepper spice, and a slatey minerality. Bright acidity on the palate with a hint of burnt orange/lime. A lengthy crushed limestone finish.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

The wines of Italy's Campania region

Campania, the shin of the boot that is Italy, is its third most populous region. And with its 5.8 million people resident in an area covering 13,590 sq. km, it is the country's most densely populated region. But it is famed for factors beyond population. "The region is home to 10 of the 55 UNESCO sites in Italy ..." and its "... rich natural beauty ... makes it highly important in the tourism industry, with the city of Naples, the Amalfi Coast, Mount Vesuvius and the islands of Capri and Ischia continuing to be major attractions" (Wikipedia).

Campania is well-suited to the production of high quality wine. Its abundant sunshine, dry and hot summers (with coastal Mediterranean breezes tempering the heat), mild winters, mountainous terrain (allows planting at higher elevations), volcanic soil, lengthy growing season, and own-rooted vines add up to a growing environment that is a winemakers dream.

And the suitability of the region for wine making is enshrined in history. According to thegrandwindow.com, Campania viticulture is one of the best documented in Italy because the region was "the garden of the Romans," the so-called Felix Campania, the favorite holiday place for nobles of the Res Publica, and "the drink that was most talked about in Rome was Campanian wine ..." 

The roots of Campanian wine run even deeper, though, stretching back to around 730 BC when Greeks from Euboea established a colony in Cuma and, based on the Greek-origin varieties that populate the region, brought their native vines to the peninsula.

The wine industry in Campania was in poor shape at the end of WWII. Using the Mastroberardino estate as a proxy, war, economic depression, phylloxera, and neglect had damaged the industry's prospects significantly. Antonio Mastroberardinio launched a project to revitalize his family estate and vineyards and other producers followed in his footsteps. And the progress continues. According to Vinous' Eric Guido, a more modern outlook on farming and winemaking, driven in large part by smaller, quality-minded producers, is changing the region's profile.

Landscape and Terroir

According to Italyguides.it, "The region of Campania stretches over a wonderfully varied area of Italy, covering coastal areas as well as fertile and beautiful plains further inland ... The plains, towns and mountains further inland with their agricultural resources, temperate climate and idyllic pastoral countryside have made Campania a valuable asset to invaders over the years.

According to Eric Guido, "Throughout the hills and up onto the lower slopes of both volcanos and mountains, we find the vineyards ... from 400 too 600 meters and up ... and the soils that we generalize as 'volcanic' are a diverse mix of rocks, ash, sands, clays and minerals that have been deposited here over the course of many millenia."

The chart below shows the distribution of DOC and DOCG level grape-growing areas in Campania along with selected characteristics of the more "important" ones.

The chart shows a patchwork of growing regions along the eastern seaboard and on the islands (with the larger Cilento DOC in the southeast) and two significant growing regions (Benevento and Avellino provinces) in the center and Northwest of the region. The growing areas along the coast manifest volcanic soils while the inland growing regions have, in addition, calcareous and limestone soils.

Campania White Wines

Campania's mix of calcareous, limestone-rich soils, high elevation, and significant diurnal temperature variation provide an environment that is well suited to the growth of high-quality white varieties. This environment supports a number of high-quality white wines (Tom Hyland):

• Greco di Tufo
• Very good levels of acidity and excellent aging potential
• Less aromatic but with a bigger structure
• Minerality and concentration
• Does well in the volcanic soil in the mountainous terrain of Avellino
• Fiano di Avellino
• One of the most complex and elegant white wines of Italy
• Aging potential of 10 or more years
• Does well in the volcanic soil in the mountainous terrain of Avellino
• Fiano di Salerno
• More clay and limestone soil; fruit-driven, with less minerality
• Falanghina and Asprinio
• Both high-acid wines. 

The chart below shows the characteristics of the most important Campanian white varieties and illustrates the requirements for white wine production within the region.

The chart illustrates the two white DOCGs (Greco di Tufo and Fiano di Avellino) in Irpina DOC and the ubiquity of Falanghina acros the region. Less-well-known varieties such as Biancolella, Forestra, and Caprettone can be found in the easterly growing regions.

Red Wines

Aglianico is the dominant certified red variety in the region, as shown in the chart below. This grape, known as The Barolo of the South, produces high-tannin, high-acid wines with notes of plum, cassis, and chocolate. The DOCG zones for this grape are Aglianico del Taburno and Taurasi, the former included in Sannio DOC, the latter in Irpinia DOC.

Sparkling Wines

Grapes that produce high-acid white wines are good candidates for sparkling wines. The chart below shows the appellations which allow sparkling wine within their borders and the grape varieties (and their proportions) utilized in their production. The chart directly following shows the sparkling wines produced in the region, in many cases, utilizing the described grapes grown in the highlighted regions.

Some observations:

• One of the four DOCGs and nine of the 15 DOCs allow for the production of sparkling wines
• Most of the Campania appellations are bunched in the upper part of the region as is the allowed sparkling wines
• With one exception -- Costa d'Amalfi DOC -- no international varieties are used in the production of the region's sparkling wines. Both Chardonnay and Pinot Nero are approved for use in the Costa d'Amalfi Spumante
• A total of 38 labels are approved over the 10 appellations shown above making for an average of 3.8 labels per appellation. Of course, the bulk of the labels are distributed between Sannio DOC and Vesuvio DOC
• 15 of the approved labels are Metodo Classico specifications
• Thirty-one of the approved labels are for varietal sparkling wines with Falanghina, Fiano, and Greco featuring prominently.

The sparkling wines in Greco di Tufo DOCG are made in the traditional manner and stay on the lees for at least 3 years. According to tasteatlas.com, "These straw yellow wines are intense, herbaceous, floral, and fruity with typical notes of apples, jasmine, thyme, or sage. They are best paired with rich seafood dishes and could go well with lobster or cod ... they are also an excellent aperitif and would be a great match to various appetizers."

Feudi di San Gregorio, one of the leading independent wine producers in Campania, has established a separate label -- DUBL -- under which to market its Spumante wines. This project began in 2004 and was aimed at bringing the classic sparkling wine method to the grapes of the Campanian tradition: Greco, Aglianico, and Falanghina.

Feudi San Gregorio felt that they had the high-quality fruit for such an initiative. The internal areas of the region are ideal for growth of grapes destined for sparkling wines:

• Diurnal temperature differences would allow grape ripening with acid-retention
• The ventilation and exposure of the vineyards are ideal
• Rugged terroir 
• Volcanic soils.

They did not, however, have the requisite skill. To fill that gap they sought the advice and assistance of Anselme Selosse -- of Jacques Selosse grower-Champagne fame. The wines that resulted were a 100% Greco sparkling wine, a 100% Aglianico sparkling Rosata, and a 100% Falanghina as a Double Brut.

In April 2016, DUBL extended its product portfolio with DUBL Esse, a Dossagio Zero line, with a white sparkling made from the best grapes from the most exciting vineyards in the Tufo area and a Rosata which comes from grapes from the most exciting vineyards in the Taurasi area.

Dessert and Specialty Wines

These wines are made mostly in the passito style using white varieties but with a fair sprinkling of red varieties in the mix.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Agrovoltaics - A potential approach to mitigating the effects of climate change in the vineyard

The threat of the impacts of climate change on wine quality has sent winemakers scrambling for mitigating solutions to include: moving to higher altitudes; adding more heat tolerant varieties to the mix; adjusting canopy strategies; and agroforestry. But it is not only increased heat that is of concern; we also expect changes in the intensity and frequency of all adverse climatic events.

Agrovoltaics is an emerging approach that may be deployable in this engaged battle against and unleashed and unruly Mother Nature. Otherwise known as solar sharing, agrovoltaics places solar panels on the same land where crops are grown, allowing farmers to harvest the power of the sun twice.

Source: https://www.unitedwind.com/
innovation/sustainable-future-with-agrovoltaics/

Beyond a certain point -- the light saturation point -- light does not increase photosynthesis. Rather, the additional light causes the plant to sweat, increasing its demand for water. Solar panels can be positioned to allow crops just the right amount of sunlight with the excess diverted to electricity production. 

From the solar energy provider's perspective, it is expensive to clear and level land for the deployment of solar arrays. It would be much less expensive to deploy these arrays on land that is already in use.

Plants help to keep the solar panels cool, making them more efficient. It has been shown that solar panels emplaced above crops produce up to 10% more electricity than solar panels without underlying plants.

Large-scale solar arrays produce a so-called "heat island effect where temperatures in the vicinity are elevated as a result of the operation. Attempts have been made to reduce this effect by installing gravel beds below the arrays; the results have been unsatisfactory. Replacing the gravel beds with vegetation, on the other hand, has yielded significant positive effects.

According to an Oregon State University study, converting 1% of American farmland to agrovoltaics would:

• Allow us to meet national renewable energy targets
• Save water
• Create new revenue opportunities for small farmers.

Crops best suited for agrovoltaics are limited to those which are grown and harvested by hand or with the aid of small machinery. These include (NRCC):

• Shade-loving pollinator crops
• Bedding plants
• Small fruit trees and shrubs
• Vegetables
• Livestock.

There has been at least one vineyard trial utilizing this approach. The French solar provider Sun'R and its subsidiary Sun'Agri have established and experimental program in southern France in partnership with Environment and Energy Management Agency. The trial involves a 600 sq m dynamic system installed in a 1000 sq m Grenache vineyard. The system is comprised of 280 panels (capable of producing 84 kW of electricity) each placed 4.2 m above the vine rows. Movement of the panels is arbitrated by an AI system such as to optimize sunshine and water access as well as to shield the vines from heavy rain, frost, and heat.

Initial results from the trial show that:

• The panel structure shelters the vines from stunting during heatwaves
• The system reduces water demand by 12 - 34% due to a reduction in transpiration through the soil
• The aromatic profile of the berry has improved, with 13% more anthocyanin and 9 - 14% more acidity evident.

Much more data need to be presented as to the break-even size required for a vineyard to embark on this path, who benefits, who pays the cost, etc., before a more definitive position can be taken as regards this approach. But the promise is clear.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Los Angeles was the City of Vines before it became known as the City of Angels

I have been blaming the Spanish clergy for the Judgment of Paris debacle for French wines but further research places more direct responsibility on a ... Frenchman. Yes, a Frenchman. Sixteen years after his fellow countryman Jean David had backed out of a deal with Thomas Jefferson because, in his view, a successful US domestic wine industry could potentially do significant harm to the French wine industry, the aptly named Jean-Louis Vignes launched a US wine industry based on French varieties. Let's explore.

Jean-Louis Vignes
(Source: Balzac Communications)

Vignes surfaced in Monterey,  Alta California, 10 years after the conclusion of the Mexican War of Independence (1810 - 1821). He had been born in a small French village where his family were artisans: they made barrels for the local wine producers; they made their own wine; and they processed wine lees into lees ash for use as a fertilizer.

Jean-Louis left his village and eventually ended up in the Sandwich Islands where he grew sugar cane and distilled rum. The religious leaders were not fans and persuaded the authorities to ban the basis of his business, driving him into insolvency. He left for the US mainland, arriving in Monterey in 1831 and the Pueblo of Los Angeles later in the same year.

When Vignes arrived in LA, Mission grapes were grown by the Franciscans for sacramental purposes and outside the religious structure for the production of aguardiente (a brandy) and wine for local consumption. The primary industry was cattle-rearing but the "free-range" cattle were not suitable for consumption at table. Rather, the 76,000 head of cattle were used for tallow (62 million pounds shipped between 1826 and 1848) and hides (5 million shipped in the first half of the century). Vignes eventually purchased 104 acres of land on the west side of the Los Angeles River and named it El Aliso after the centuries-old tree located in the vicinity of the farm entrance.

Vignes started out with Mission grapes but was not satisfied with the quality of the wines. To address this shortcoming, he imported Cabernet and Sauvignon Blanc vines from his native Bordeaux, had them shipped around Cape Horn, and planted them in Los Angeles in 1833. This was the first instance of non-Mission vinifera being imported to the west coast of the US (Mazzei had imported Italian vitis vinifera to the east coast in 1774) and the first instance of Bordeaux varieties planted therein (A momentous event given that Bordeaux varietals would participate in the dethroning of French wines by Napa insurgents 143 years hence.). Vignes grafted the Bordeaux scions onto Mission rootstocks; and the rest is history.

Vignes was the first to grow quality wines in California and the first California producer to age his wines. The wood for the wine barrels was sourced from his holdings in the San Bernadino Mountains. It is likely that his first Bordeaux varietal vintage was in 1837. His wines were highly regarded and even made its way to the table of the then President Martin van Buren.

Buoyed by the prospects in California, Vignes wrote to his relatives in Cadillac, encouraging them to come join him. A nephew, Pierre Sainsevain, was the first to respond to the call, arriving in LA in 1839 and joining his Uncle's enterprise.

By 1840, the estate had made its first shipment north and by 1842, was making regular shipments to Santa Barbara, Monterey, and San Francisco, commanding prices of $4/gallon for brandy and $2/gallon for wine. By 1845 they were shipping 1000 barrels of wine and brandy north and by 1849, El Aliso was the most extensive vineyard in California with over 40,000 vines and annual production of 150,000 bottles per year.

Pierre's brother arrived in Los Angeles in 1849 and in 1855 Vignes sold El Aliso to the Sainsevain brothers for $42,000, the largest real estate transaction to that date in California. By that time Vignes was largely considered the founder of California's wine industry and would eventually have a street in downtown LA named after him. 

Vignes was instrumental in Los Angeles District becoming the original beating heart of the California wine industry. When gold was first discovered in California in 1848, demand increased for California wine and there were many new market entrants; entrants who sought out Vignes for advice and counsel. A total of 125 vineyards were operative in 1855, hosting 324,234 vines and producing 7000 lbs of fresh grapes and 100,000 gallons of wine and brandy. Seventy-five vineyards operated within the LA city limits, earning it the moniker "City of Vines." The road from Los Angeles to the port of San Pedro was called Vineyard Lane.

Los Angeles remained the center of California wine production until the nexus was shifted north by a number of factors including positives such as the arrival of the railroad and the rise of the citrus industry and negatives such as phylloxera, Pierce's disease, and Prohibition.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

How the Mission Monks laid the groundwork for a viable US wine industry

I took a short detour from chronicling the Spanish-driven advance of vitis vinifera northward in New Spain to cover the faltering attempts at creating a wine industry in the English colonies along the eastern seaboard. Having conducted this necessary due diligence, I now return to the true story of wine in America: vitis vinifera in California.

When last I discussed the Spanish, I provided a high-level view of the spread of grapevines in Alta California. I flesh out the details in this post.

Juan Rodriguez Cabrello, a former Spanish conquistador residing in Guatemala, was commissioned by Pedro de Alvarado, the Governor, to explore the Pacific Ocean. Cabrello sailed out of Navidad on June 27, 1542, and landed at Ballast Point in San Diego Bay 108 days on, claiming the land for Spain. The expedition continued northward to Monterey Bay and overwintered in the Channel Islands where Cabrello died. The expedition continued north after his death, eventually reaching the Rogue River in today's Oregon.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Spain became concerned about French, English, and Russian designs on its northern holdings which were, at that point, occupied by native peoples. Expansion of English holdings on the continent after the Seven-Year War heightened Spanish concerns about foreign incursions and the decision was taken in 1768 to settle these northern reaches. 

The Spanish plan for colonization of California was threefold comprising a religious, military and civil format. First and second stages consisted of the concurrent establishment of missions to civilize native Indians and military reservations, called presidios, to guard the missions and settlers against hostilities. The third stage was the establishment of farming communities called Pueblos.

The strategy was launched in 1769 when Captain Gaspar de Portolá and Father Juniperro Serra established a Presidio and a Mission (San Diego de Alcalá) in San Diego. The totality of institutions established by the Spaniards along the Pacific coast of Alta California is shown in the figure below.

Missions, Pueblas, and Presidios
established by the Spanish in
Alta California

One source points to the formation of Alta California "when Spain separated the Dominican Missions from the Franciscan Missions in approximately 1769 with the founding of the first Alta California mission in San Diego. Separate administrations were created in 1804 when the Province of the Californias, then a part of the Commandancy General of the Provincias Internas in the Viceroyalty of New Spain, was divided in two, along a line separating the Franciscan missions in the north from the Dominican missions in the south. The southern part became the territory of Baja California ... The northern part became Alta California" which roughly encompassed the current states of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona north of the Gila River, along with parts of Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico.

Alta California (Source: sfsdhistory.com)

The remainder of this post focuses on the missions of Alta California, given their importance in the history of California wine.

Mission of the Missions

Religion and culture were inseparable within the Spanish Empire with the Catholic monarchs specifically decreeing the conversion of natives in newly discovered lands. Conversion allowed the incorporation of natives into the Spanish Empire and included "instruction in religion and the language, customs, economics, and skills of the Spaniards." Franciscan monks from the College of San Fernando in Mexico, and operating under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Church, were tasked with this conversion.

The Franciscans controlled the missions in Alta California until secularization. Friars with missionary experience from the College of San Fernando were selected to take over existing missions and to create new ones: "They knew the crafts of husbandry, weaving, carpentry and masonry" and were also well-versed in the teaching of religion.

Structure of the Missions

The dominant building at the mission was the Church which, in times of danger, could serve as a defensive structure. The facility also contained housing for priests, soldiers, married neophytes, and dormitories for male and single female neophytes.

A plan view of the Mission San Juan Capistrano complex
(including the footprint of the "Great Stone Church")
prepared by architectural historian Rexford Newcomb in 1916.
(Source: Wikipedia)

Mission San Diego de Alcalá, first California mission
(Source: missionscalifornia.com)

Drawing of Mission San Luis Rey de Francia
(Source: dunnedwards.com)

The sites were chosen based on water availability, available arable land, accessibility by sea or land and proximity to the center of native populations and were located one-day's journey apart. The road linking these missions was named El Camino Real.

Missions lands were of two types: (i) close-in to the mission and used for farming and small-animal agriculture and (ii) the land between missions which were used primarily for cattle-grazing (This latter class of lands were stripped from the missions in the land allocations conducted after the treaty ending the US-Mexico War (1846 - 1848).). Counts from 1834 show the missions owning 400,000 head of cattle, 60,000 horses, 300,000 goats, sheep, and swine. Crops that were grown include wheat, maize, beans, and other staples. Mission products included wine, brandy, leather, hides, wool, oil, cotton, hemp, linen, tobacco, and salt.

Mission Grape

The wine produced at the missions were made with Mission grapes grown therein. The characteristics of the Mission grape are shown in the chart below.

Mission San Gabriel came to be called La Vina Madre because of its 170 acres of vineyards.

Vineyard labor was provided by the natives but it was not voluntary. The natives were enticed to become baptized and, once they were, they were made to renounce their ways, reside in the mission, and provide labor, inclusive of vineyard work.

Mission Wine

A simple table wine and a fortified wine were made at the missions. The table wine was of a lighter variety and, due to a lack of proper storage, did not age well. The fortified wine was made from a mixture of freshly crushed mission grapes and brandy, the ratio being 3 gallons of juice to 1 gallon of 180 proof brandy. The must should not be allowed to ferment. This was a very sweet wine and can still be found in small amounts in California today under the moniker Angelica.

What did the Monks Accomplish?

The monks were instrumental to the development of California and the California wine industry in a number of ways:

• They were at the vanguard at opening up the region for settlement (On the other side of the coin, this was deleterious to the population and social fabric of the native populations who had previously occupied the land)
• They established that grapes could be successfully grown along the western seaboard of the US
• They established that vitis vinifera could be successfully grown in the US.

The chart below shows the correlation of the current-day California wine regions with the historical emplacement of missions within the state. To the naked eye, the correlation seems rather high.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme