 
|
|
Feature Article
Edward Wallo describes the personality of the Yorkville Highlands as being similar to a young Muhammad Ali.
Yorkville Highlands: “A Young Muhammad Ali”
“There is a deep-rooted desire for world-class greatness here. We have distinct advantages in that the vineyards are new and based on the latest technology. They’re also run by people absolutely dedicated to quality.”
~ Edward Wallo – Yorkville Cellars
by
Thom Elkjer
September 22, 2006
Edward Wallo has been growing wine in Yorkville Highlands for two decades and is a spokesman for the region not only by virtue of his experience but also in his capacity as president of the vintners’ association. His vineyard is one of the few in the appellation that is visible from the highway, and also one of the few with a tasting room.
Yorkville Cellar’s Bordeaux blend is a solid representation of the appellation, and has been recognized as an “Appellation Signature” wine.
Buy yours here!
Fortunately for the entire AVA, Wallo’s Yorkville Cellars wines are well-made, well-priced, and strongly expressive of their sites. So, most people who visit the Yorkville Highlands come away with a good impression -- even if they don’t see the evidence of an appellation at all. In fact, the highway follows the watercourses that have cut their way down through the rugged, hilly country, while the vineyards are placed up above, on the ridges and hilltops, for maximum sun exposure. Wallo is bullish on the wine and the region, but he has reason to be. The AVA as a whole is gaining new vineyards, and it’s also served by a growing number of talented, well-trained and ambitious winemakers eager to make a mark.
Yorkville Cellar’s Bordeaux blend is a solid representation of the appellation, and has been recognized as an “Appellation Signature” wine.
Buy yours here!
Thom Elkjer (TE): In the Appellation Discovery Tasting for Yorkville Highlands earlier this year, four of your wines were selected as Appellation Signature wines, meaning they express the character of the appellation to a high degree. What was your reaction to the tasting and its results?
Edward Wallo (EW): I really enjoyed reading the panel's summary and concur with most of the results. I guess I count myself extremely lucky to be among the handful of people in the world who've tasted most of the appellation's wines. Not that there are that many [32 in the Discovery Tasting], but virtually all of these wines are hand-crafted in small lots and pretty darn difficult to get a hold of. They sell out fast.
TE: What would you say are the chief distinguishing factors in Yorkville Highlands’ geology and climate as far as growing wine grapes is concerned?
EW: First, that we're not a valley. We fit exactly between two much better-known valleys: Anderson Valley to the west and Alexander Valley to the east. We have thin, lousy soils and we don't get nearly as much fog as the other valleys do, particularly the Anderson Valley. Often in August I’ll wake up to bright sunshine. When I leave the appellation in the late morning to run errands down in Anderson Valley, it’s still fogged in.
Another difference is that Yorkville Highlands tends to be pretty windy, particularly in the late afternoon. I've read recently that's there's more scientific research going into the hypothesis that one of the common denominators among world-class vineyards around the world is that they get a fair amount of wind.
TE: Let’s get a sense of what grows where. Yorkville Highlands produces good wine from a broad range of grapes, including the Bordeaux varieties (red and white) as well as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Syrah and Viognier, and even Zinfandel. How do they all find a home in the same appellation?
EW: There is a considerable range of heat summation within the Yorkville Highlands because of the altitude variance. Vineyards in the appellation go from around 900 feet in elevation to 1,950 feet.
TE: There are also differences in exposure and distance from the ocean, from not much more than ten to nearly 20 miles. So I expect that creates opportunities for microclimates favorable to particular grapes.
EW: Chardonnay is far and away Mendocino County’s most widely planted variety with about 27% of the planted acres, yet in the Yorkville Highlands it represents only 3% of our total. There are a few places were Pinot Noir can make sense -- though it is less than 15% of the plantings. Cab, Syrah, Merlot and Zin make up 60% of the planted acres, so the thick-skinned reds are our strong point.
TE: That statistic about Chardonnay is intriguing. Do you feel Yorkville Highlands is representative of the county as a whole? Or is it different?
EW: I feel that in the Yorkville Highlands we're all very much part of Mendocino County. The people that have settled here are pretty much like those you'd find throughout the county. However, each appellation is unique. It seems to me that the challenge is to find the right varietals and rootstocks to match the growing area - to identify the combinations that can have the potential to make unbelievable wine.
TE: If Yorkville Highlands were a person, how would you characterize it in terms of maturation and personality? The fact that so many of the vineyards are hidden from view makes it seem like a reclusive adult, but is your appellation really an exuberant child, curious adolescent, or some other combination?
EW: I would say a young Muhammad Ali.
TE: That’s an ambitious comparison! Ali was known as “The Greatest.”
EW: There is a deep-rooted desire for world-class greatness here. We have distinct advantages in that the vineyards here are generally relatively new and based on the latest technology. They’re also run by people absolutely dedicated to uncompromising top quality.
TE: The winemakers are no slouches, either. There is Greg Graziano, Michael Scholz at Wattle Creek, Matt Meyer and Karen Edwards at Meyer Family Cellars, and Bob Cabral and Lynn Krausmann at Williams Selyem. There is a lot of training and experience in this group.
EW: Our only hindrance right now is that even with the tons of experience they have, most of them have handled Yorkville Highlands grapes for only a few vintages. So they're still on a steep ascent in terms of the learning curve. If you like some of these wines now; just wait a couple years!
TE: Your 30 acres of vineyards - the sole source of all your grapes -- have been certified organic for years.
EW: From 1986 to 2006. This harvest we'll celebrate our 20th year of being certified organic.
TE: Why did you decide to farm your vineyards organically?
EW: We believe that wines made with organic grapes can better express terroir.
TE: All the great organic and biodynamic estates say just about exactly the same thing. There is so much less outside chemistry at work. It’s just the living soil, the local weather, and the vines.
EW: Also our workers, our neighbors, and our family living on our ranch enjoy the many long-term health benefits of not using pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or synthetic chemical fertilizers.
TE: Plus you’re part of a large ecosystem, a delicate watershed. You have some responsibility there.
EW: We're near the top of the watershed of the Navarro River.
TE: So, to what extent are you seeking to make better wine and to what extent are you making a philosophical point?
EW: You know, organic is not new, nor is it rocket science. Wine has been carbon-dated [by researchers] back about 7,000 years. So, for 6,950 years all wine was organic. The petrochemical industry didn't really develop these [synthetic agricultural] products until after World War II, when they had to do something with their surplus chemical stocks.
Those early 20th-century Bordeaux bottlings you occasionally get to taste? Those are all organically grown wines.
TE: Mendocino County is sometimes described as having a higher percentage of organically farmed vineyard acres than any other county in California. What’s your view on that characterization, and how many other vineyards in Yorkville Highlands are farmed organically to your knowledge?
EW: I've seen the statistics and Mendocino County has always been the leader in organically farmed vineyards by a large margin. So I can confirm that the statement is accurate. Unfortunately only two of 21 commercial vineyards in the Yorkville Highlands are certified organic at this time.
TE: Mendocino County recently voted to form a wine commission in order to generate more money for marketing the county’s wine and wine-grapes. As a vintner, you’ll be assessed to pay for the commission and its work. What’s your position on the commission, and what marketing messages do you think Mendocino needs to emphasize to wine consumers?
EW: We have been supporters of the commission from the beginning. In our view, Mendocino has probably lost its chance to be widely known as at least in third position behind Napa and Sonoma. Now it seems to have become Napa and then everyone else in California. We're hoping that the commission can help change that.
My support is further shown by the fact that I am currently on the ballot to be a member of the commission itself. I believe there is common opinion that we have something very special here in Mendocino. We need to get that message out to the trade and consumers.
~ Thom Elkjer, Regional Correspondent – Mendocino
To comment on Thom Elkjer’s writings and thoughts, contact him at t.elkjer@appellationamerica.com
Edward Wallo (EW): I really enjoyed reading the panel's summary and concur with most of the results. I guess I count myself extremely lucky to be among the handful of people in the world who've tasted most of the appellation's wines. Not that there are that many [32 in the Discovery Tasting], but virtually all of these wines are hand-crafted in small lots and pretty darn difficult to get a hold of. They sell out fast.TE: What would you say are the chief distinguishing factors in Yorkville Highlands’ geology and climate as far as growing wine grapes is concerned?
EW: First, that we're not a valley. We fit exactly between two much better-known valleys: Anderson Valley to the west and Alexander Valley to the east. We have thin, lousy soils and we don't get nearly as much fog as the other valleys do, particularly the Anderson Valley. Often in August I’ll wake up to bright sunshine. When I leave the appellation in the late morning to run errands down in Anderson Valley, it’s still fogged in.
Another difference is that Yorkville Highlands tends to be pretty windy, particularly in the late afternoon. I've read recently that's there's more scientific research going into the hypothesis that one of the common denominators among world-class vineyards around the world is that they get a fair amount of wind.
TE: Let’s get a sense of what grows where. Yorkville Highlands produces good wine from a broad range of grapes, including the Bordeaux varieties (red and white) as well as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Syrah and Viognier, and even Zinfandel. How do they all find a home in the same appellation?
EW: There is a considerable range of heat summation within the Yorkville Highlands because of the altitude variance. Vineyards in the appellation go from around 900 feet in elevation to 1,950 feet.
TE: There are also differences in exposure and distance from the ocean, from not much more than ten to nearly 20 miles. So I expect that creates opportunities for microclimates favorable to particular grapes.
EW: Chardonnay is far and away Mendocino County’s most widely planted variety with about 27% of the planted acres, yet in the Yorkville Highlands it represents only 3% of our total. There are a few places were Pinot Noir can make sense -- though it is less than 15% of the plantings. Cab, Syrah, Merlot and Zin make up 60% of the planted acres, so the thick-skinned reds are our strong point.
TE: That statistic about Chardonnay is intriguing. Do you feel Yorkville Highlands is representative of the county as a whole? Or is it different?EW: I feel that in the Yorkville Highlands we're all very much part of Mendocino County. The people that have settled here are pretty much like those you'd find throughout the county. However, each appellation is unique. It seems to me that the challenge is to find the right varietals and rootstocks to match the growing area - to identify the combinations that can have the potential to make unbelievable wine.
TE: If Yorkville Highlands were a person, how would you characterize it in terms of maturation and personality? The fact that so many of the vineyards are hidden from view makes it seem like a reclusive adult, but is your appellation really an exuberant child, curious adolescent, or some other combination?
EW: I would say a young Muhammad Ali.
TE: That’s an ambitious comparison! Ali was known as “The Greatest.”
EW: There is a deep-rooted desire for world-class greatness here. We have distinct advantages in that the vineyards here are generally relatively new and based on the latest technology. They’re also run by people absolutely dedicated to uncompromising top quality.
TE: The winemakers are no slouches, either. There is Greg Graziano, Michael Scholz at Wattle Creek, Matt Meyer and Karen Edwards at Meyer Family Cellars, and Bob Cabral and Lynn Krausmann at Williams Selyem. There is a lot of training and experience in this group.
EW: Our only hindrance right now is that even with the tons of experience they have, most of them have handled Yorkville Highlands grapes for only a few vintages. So they're still on a steep ascent in terms of the learning curve. If you like some of these wines now; just wait a couple years!
TE: Your 30 acres of vineyards - the sole source of all your grapes -- have been certified organic for years. EW: From 1986 to 2006. This harvest we'll celebrate our 20th year of being certified organic.
TE: Why did you decide to farm your vineyards organically?
EW: We believe that wines made with organic grapes can better express terroir.
TE: All the great organic and biodynamic estates say just about exactly the same thing. There is so much less outside chemistry at work. It’s just the living soil, the local weather, and the vines.
EW: Also our workers, our neighbors, and our family living on our ranch enjoy the many long-term health benefits of not using pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or synthetic chemical fertilizers.
TE: Plus you’re part of a large ecosystem, a delicate watershed. You have some responsibility there.
EW: We're near the top of the watershed of the Navarro River.
TE: So, to what extent are you seeking to make better wine and to what extent are you making a philosophical point?
EW: You know, organic is not new, nor is it rocket science. Wine has been carbon-dated [by researchers] back about 7,000 years. So, for 6,950 years all wine was organic. The petrochemical industry didn't really develop these [synthetic agricultural] products until after World War II, when they had to do something with their surplus chemical stocks.
Those early 20th-century Bordeaux bottlings you occasionally get to taste? Those are all organically grown wines.
TE: Mendocino County is sometimes described as having a higher percentage of organically farmed vineyard acres than any other county in California. What’s your view on that characterization, and how many other vineyards in Yorkville Highlands are farmed organically to your knowledge?
EW: I've seen the statistics and Mendocino County has always been the leader in organically farmed vineyards by a large margin. So I can confirm that the statement is accurate. Unfortunately only two of 21 commercial vineyards in the Yorkville Highlands are certified organic at this time.
TE: Mendocino County recently voted to form a wine commission in order to generate more money for marketing the county’s wine and wine-grapes. As a vintner, you’ll be assessed to pay for the commission and its work. What’s your position on the commission, and what marketing messages do you think Mendocino needs to emphasize to wine consumers?
EW: We have been supporters of the commission from the beginning. In our view, Mendocino has probably lost its chance to be widely known as at least in third position behind Napa and Sonoma. Now it seems to have become Napa and then everyone else in California. We're hoping that the commission can help change that.
My support is further shown by the fact that I am currently on the ballot to be a member of the commission itself. I believe there is common opinion that we have something very special here in Mendocino. We need to get that message out to the trade and consumers.
~ Thom Elkjer, Regional Correspondent – Mendocino
To comment on Thom Elkjer’s writings and thoughts, contact him at t.elkjer@appellationamerica.com
