Kenwood Vineyards

Last updated
Kenwood Vineyards
Kenwood Vineyards logo.jpg
Location Kenwood, California, USA
Coordinates 38°25′00″N122°32′36″W / 38.41667°N 122.54333°W / 38.41667; -122.54333
Founded1970
Parent company Pernod Ricard Winemakers [1]
Varietals Chardonnay , Sauvignon blanc , Pinot gris , Pinot noir , Merlot , Syrah , Cabernet Sauvignon , Zinfandel , White Zinfandel , Sparkling wine
Tasting Open to the public
Website http://kenwoodvineyards.com/

Kenwood Vineyards is a winery in Kenwood, California, located on Highway 12 in the Sonoma Valley wine country. It is currently owned by Pernod Ricard Winemakers. [1]

Contents

History

Kenwood Vineyards tasting room Kenwood Vineyards - Stierch.jpg
Kenwood Vineyards tasting room

Kenwood Vineyards was established in 1970 at the site of the former Pagani Brothers Winery, a historic wine cellar built in 1906. [2] [3] It was founded in 1970 by John Sheela and his brothers-in-law, Mike and Marty Lee. They converted the jug wine facility into a modern winery. [4]

In 1975, winemaker Mike Lee hired Stan Stupich as a "cellar rat". Stupich remains a winemaker at Kenwood today. [5]

In 1976, Kenwood Vineyards acquired the exclusive rights to source grapes from the historic vineyards of Jack London Ranch.

In 1978, local artist David Lance Goines was commissioned to create an original artwork to be used for the label of the 1975 reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. This was the first vintage of the Artist Series. [6]

Pat Henderson began working at Kenwood as a harvest intern in 1983. He left that year to attend U.C. Davis, but returned after graduation to be their winemaker for 9 years. When Mike Lee retired in 2003, Pat Henderson became Kenwood's as senior winemaker. [7] [8]

In the early 1990s, a series of restaurant wines was launched, which included single varietals and blended wines. [9]

In 1996, F. Korbel & Bros., Inc. acquired a 50 percent stake in the winery. In 1999, Korbel acquired the remaining 50 percent and bought out the founders. [4] [10] Under Korbel's management, Kenwood nearly doubled in size. In 1996, they produced less than 300,000 cases. In 1999, they produced more than 500,000 cases. [4] [11]

In 1999, Korbel sold Kenwood Vineyards to New York-based Banfi Vintners, the makers of Riunite. [10] [12] Korbel owner and president Gary Heck explained that the rationale for the sale was to prioritize the company's sparkling wine business. [11] Said Heck, “Kenwood produces more than 550,000 cases of wine a year. It takes a lot of work and effort. It’s very profitable, but sparkling wine [consumption] is now at an all-time high [in America], so we want to put all our executive effort and focus on it.” [10]

In 2011, co-founder and winemaker Mike Lee died. Lee was called a "visionary winemaker" and a "master vintner" by The Press Democrat . In the 1970s, Lee helped establish Sonoma Valley as one of the first American Viticultural Areas at a time when the region was known for jug wine. [5]

In 2014, Pernod Ricard Winemakers acquired premium wine brand Kenwood Vineyards. [6] [11] The sum of the sale was undisclosed but was estimated by Reuters at less than $100 million. [4]

Wines

The Sonoma Series wines were the first produced at Kenwood Vineyards. The first two varietals were Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Merlot, and Pinot Noir followed in later years. [6] Kenwood Vineyards received early praise for its bottlings of Chardonnay, Zinfandel. [10]

The Artist Series is a reserve Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon with a label that is redesigned annually to feature a work of art by a notable artist. [13] Artwork styles include impressionist, romantic, modern, and abstract. The first vintage was 1975 and the current vintage is 2010. [14] The Artist Series is highly regarded, according to Wine Spectator , and has received critical acclaim. [10] [15] The Artist Series was California's first artist created wine label. [8] [16] Labels have featured art by Charles Mingus (1978), Joan Miró (1987), Pablo Picasso (1989), Henry Miller (1992), Alexander Calder (1993), Wayne Thiebaud (1996), Shepard Fairey (2004), Paul Klee (2006), and Dave Kinsey (2007). Original art by David Lance Goines was commissioned for the label for the first vintage (1975). The piece, "Reclining Nude in Vineyard," was deemed "obscene and indecent" by the Bureau of Tobacco and Firearms, the federal government regulatory agency that approved wine labeling, under 27 CFR 4.39 in the Code of Federal Regulations. [17] The "naked lady label," as it came to be known, was eventually featured as the art for the 1994 vintage. [16]

The Yulupa Series wines are bottled exclusively for the restaurant market. Varietals include Chardonnay, White Zinfandel, Merlot, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a sparkling wine called Cuvée Brut. Grapes for these wines are sourced from across California and bottles list California on the labels as the appellation. [9] These wines are considered budget wines. [18]

Today, the winery focuses on "small lot" style of winemaking. Each lot from each vineyard is kept separate throughout the winemaking process. [7]

In addition to the 23-acre vineyard surrounding the winery, Kenwood produces wines from several Sonoma County appellations, including Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma Valley, and Sonoma Mountain. [19]

Kenwood Vineyards is the exclusive producer of wines from the historic vineyards of Jack London Ranch, located on the western slope of Sonoma Valley in Glen Ellen, California. [6] The first vintage of Kenwood Vineyards' Jack London Cabernet Sauvignon was in 1977. Today, Kenwood manages the 130-acre vineyard and produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel and Syrah grown on hillsides that were first terraced by author Jack London. The Jack London Series was one of the first vineyard-designated wines in Sonoma. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meritage</span> Bordeaux-style wines

Meritage is a name for red and white Bordeaux-style wines without infringing on the Bordeaux (France) region's legally protected designation of origin. Winemakers must license the Meritage trademark from its owner, the California-based Meritage Alliance. Member wineries are found principally in the United States, though increasingly elsewhere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chilean wine</span> Wine from Chile

Chile has a long history in the production of wine, with roots dating back to the 16th century when the Spanish conquistadors introduced Vitis vinifera vines to the region. In the mid-19th century, French wine varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenère, and Franc were introduced. During the early 1980s, the Chilean wine industry underwent a renaissance with the introduction of stainless steel fermentation tanks and the use of oak barrels for aging. This led to a rapid growth in exports as quality wine production increased. The number of wineries in Chile rose from 12 in 1995 to over 70 in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ridge Vineyards</span> Northern California winery

Ridge Vineyards is a California winery specializing in Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay wines. Ridge produces wine at two winery locations in northern California. The original winery facilities are located at an elevation of 2,300 feet on Monte Bello Ridge in unincorporated Santa Clara County in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, south of Los Altos, California and west of Cupertino, California. The other Ridge winery facilities are at Lytton Springs in the Dry Creek Valley AVA of Sonoma County. Ridge Vineyard's 1971 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon gained prominence for its fifth-place finish in the 1976 "Judgment of Paris" wine tasting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brancott Estate</span>

Brancott Estate is the brand adopted since 2010 by Pernod Ricard for New Zealand's largest wine producer, formerly Montana Wines, which now operates as the New Zealand division of Pernod Ricard Winemakers. The name comes from its Brancott winery in Blenheim, and was chosen to reduce confusion in the United States market with wines from the state of Montana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B.R. Cohn Winery</span>

B.R. Cohn Winery is a winery in Sonoma Valley, California in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Duckhorn Portfolio</span>

The Duckhorn Portfolio Inc. is an American wine company producing varietal labelled and blended red, white, rosé, and sparkling wines from California and Washington State. The main winery, Duckhorn Vineyards, is outside St. Helena, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonoma County wine</span> Wine made in Sonoma County, California

Sonoma County wine is wine made in Sonoma County, California, in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian River Valley AVA</span> American Viticultural Area in California

The Russian River Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Sonoma County, California. Centered on the Russian River, the Russian River Valley AVA accounts for about one-sixth of the total planted vineyard acreage in Sonoma County. The appellation was granted AVA status in 1983 and enlarged in 2005. The area generally lies between Sebastopol and Santa Rosa in the south, and Forestville and Healdsburg in the north. The Russian River Valley has a characteristically cool climate, heavily affected by fog generated by the valley's proximity to the Pacific Ocean. The area is known for its success with cool climate varietals, notably Pinot noir and Chardonnay.

Dawnine Sample Dyer is an American winemaker and entrepreneur who pioneered the use of champagne-making methods in California's fledgling sparkling wine industry in the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California wine</span> Wine made from grapes grown in California, United States

California wine production has a rich viticulture history since 1680 when Spanish Jesuit missionaries planted Vitis vinifera vines native to the Mediterranean region in their established missions to produce wine for religious services. In the 1770s, Spanish missionaries continued the practice under the direction of the Father Junípero Serra who planted California's first vineyard at Mission San Juan Capistrano.

Valley View Winery is a winery in the Applegate Valley AVA in Southern Oregon, United States, founded in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown Estate</span>

Brown Estate Vineyards is a winery in Napa Valley, California, United States. It produces zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, and petite sirah varieties. Founded in 1995 by siblings Deneen, David and Coral Brown, Brown Estate produced its first Napa Valley zinfandel in 1996 after the family had been farming grapes and selling them to established winemakers. It is the first and only Black-owned estate in Napa Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hagafen Cellars</span>

Hagafen Cellars is a winery located in the Napa Valley. Founded in 1979, it was the first kosher winery in California, and is "the first of the upscale kosher brands." The winery is owned and operated by winemaker Ernie Weir and his wife, Irit Weir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cecil O. De Loach Jr.</span> American grape-grower and winemaker

Cecil O. De Loach Jr. is a California grape-grower and winemaker in the Russian River Valley AVA who has contributed to the reputation and notoriety of Sonoma County viticulture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Baron</span> American winemaker

Daniel Baron is an American winemaker. He is best known for his work with the Duncan family-owned Silver Oak Cellars and Twomey Cellars, and was Director of Winemaking for both. After his retirement in 2017, he launched Complant Wine with his son, Sam Baron, to produce small production, artisanal, single vineyard wines. Originally a field worker for John Rolleri at Chateau Montelena, he gained experience in the Bordeaux region of France and was mentored by the likes of grape geneticist Professor Harold Olmo, and winemakers Jean-Claude Berrouet and Justin Meyer. He became general manager of Christian Moueix's Dominus Estate in the 1980s. He became winemaker for Silver Oak, an exclusive Cabernet Sauvignon producer, in 1994, and was trained by Justin Meyer to follow in his footsteps as Silver Oak's winemaker before Meyer’s retirement in 2001. In 1999, Baron was instrumental in persuading the Duncans to establish Twomey to pursue Merlot, Pinot noir, and Sauvignon blanc after discovering high quality Merlot grapes on Silver Oak’s Soda Canyon Ranch Vineyard. He has served on boards such as the American Society of Enology and Viticulture and the Napa Valley Wine Technical Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Force Majeure Vineyards</span>

Force Majeure is a Washington/Oregon wine estate, specializing in Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon as well as other Bordeaux and Rhone-inspired blends. The brand was founded in 2004, and beginning with that vintage Force Majeure began the "Collaboration Series" of wines made by some of Washington's top winemakers, using fruit from Red Mountain's Ciel du Cheval vineyard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cakebread Cellars</span>

Cakebread Cellars is a Napa Valley winery known for its Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc wines, which are internationally distributed. Founded in 1973 by Jack and Dolores Cakebread in Rutherford, California, the winery produces approximately 200,000 cases of wine per year.

The Zinfandel Advocates and Producers(ZAP) is a consortium of over 200 winemakers and grape growers, as well as thousands of consumers, with the purpose of advocating, preserving, and educating about the Zinfandel grape. Started in 1991, the organizational structure of combining wine enthusiasts with wine producers served as a successful template for other wine-related organizations, such as the Rhone Rangers. ZAP is reported to be one of the largest consumer-based wine advocacy groups in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Passaggio Wines</span> Winery in Sonoma, California

Passaggio Wines is a winery based in Sonoma, California in the United States.

The Malibu Coast is an American Viticulture Area located in the Santa Monica Mountains of western Los Angeles County. The appellation is 46 miles long and eight miles wide, rising from the Pacific Coast to an elevation of 3,111 feet. The National Agricultural Statistics Service's "California Grape Acreage Report Crop 2015" documented the most widely planted varietals in Los Angeles County as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Zinfandel, Merlot, and Chardonnay.

References

  1. 1 2 "American Wine". Pernod Ricard Winemakers. Archived from the original on 2015-07-22. Retrieved 2016-03-30.
  2. ↑ "Kenwood Vineyards & Winery". Sonoma County Tourism. Retrieved 2016-03-30.
  3. ↑ "Sonoma County History. Sonoma County Heritage Links. Wineries". Sonoma County Historical Society. Archived from the original on 2016-04-20. Retrieved 2016-03-31.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Digitale, Robert (2014-04-24). "Pernod Ricard buys Kenwood Vineyards". The Press Democrat. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
  5. 1 2 Halverson, Nathan (2011-05-03). "Kenwood Vineyards co-founder Mike Lee dies". The Press Democrat. Retrieved 2016-04-10.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Our History". Pernod Ricard Winemakers. Archived from the original on 2015-07-21. Retrieved 2016-03-31.
  7. 1 2 Goode, Jamie (2011). "The wines of Kenwood, Sonoma". Wine Anorak. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
  8. 1 2 3 Parker Wong, Deborah (2009). "Thirty Years of Redemption". The Tasting Panel. Archived from the original on 2016-04-18. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
  9. 1 2 "Kenwood Yulupa Series". Kenwood Vineyards. Retrieved 2016-03-31.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Heimoff, Steve (2012-04-02). "F. Korbel & Bros. Sells Kenwood". Wine Enthusiast. Archived from the original on 2016-04-20. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
  11. 1 2 3 "Pernod Ricard USA Celebrates Kenwood Wines Acquisition". Reuters. 2014-04-24. Archived from the original on 2016-04-21. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
  12. ↑ Fleming, David (2012-03-30). "Exclusive: Banfi Vintners to Buy Sonoma's Kenwood Vineyards". Wine Spectator. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
  13. ↑ "Kenwood Vineyards Artist Series 2010" (PDF). Pernod Ricard. 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-04-20. Retrieved 2016-04-10.
  14. ↑ "Kenwood Vineyards Artist Series". Kenwood Vineyards. 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-04-01. Retrieved 2016-04-10.
  15. ↑ Fish, Tim (2014-04-24). "Wine and Spirits Giant Pernod Ricard Buys Sonoma's Kenwood Vineyards". Wine Spectator. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
  16. 1 2 Boyd, Gerald D. (2009-03-24). "Kenwood's Artist Series". Wine Review Online. Archived from the original on 2016-04-21. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
  17. ↑ "27 CFR 4 - Labeling and Advertising of Wine". Code of Federal Regulations: Title 27: Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms. 2002-04-01. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
  18. ↑ "5 budget wines with a California appellation". The Press Democrat . 2016-01-12. Archived from the original on 2016-03-21. Retrieved 2016-03-31.
  19. ↑ "Kenwood". Pernod Ricard. 2015. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.