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Feature Article
The Pinnacles Wines Festival is a showcase for wines
made in the Chalone AVA, many of which are produced
by some of California's most prolific wineries.
Investigating the Terroir of the Chalone AVA: An interview with Michael Michaud
"These are very distinctive wines with much in common with the wines produced in Burgundy. This is likely due to the vivid minerality captured in the wines made in the Chalone AVA."
by
Laurie Daniel
November 13, 2006
If Michael Michaud seems passionate about the Chalone AVA in northeastern Monterey County, there’s a very good reason for his zeal. After all, he’s spent most of his winemaking career there. Michaud joined Chalone Vineyard
in 1979 as assistant winemaker under the legendary Dick Graff. At that time, Chalone was the only winery in the area. In those early days, water had to be trucked in for irrigation (the AVA averages only 10-12 inches of rainfall a year, about two-thirds of what a vine typically needs) and power was supplied by generators. Michaud became the winemaker in 1983.
Experience the taste of Chalone with the wines of Michaud Vineyard. Order yours here -- direct from the winery!
In 1981, while he was still at Chalone, Michaud started planting his own vineyard nearby, in the northern end of the AVA. At first, he sold the grapes to Chalone, but in 1998, Michaud left the winery to devote more time to his own brand, Michaud Vineyard.
Today, Michaud farms 28 acres, mostly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, along with a little Syrah, Sangiovese, Marsanne, Pinot Blanc (actually Melon de Bourgogne) and Chenin Blanc. He spoke recently with Laurie Daniel, Appellation America’s Monterey Regional Correspondent, about the challenges of cultivating vines in the unusual terroir of the Chalone AVA.
Experience the taste of Chalone with the wines of Michaud Vineyard. Order yours here -- direct from the winery!
Today, Michaud farms 28 acres, mostly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, along with a little Syrah, Sangiovese, Marsanne, Pinot Blanc (actually Melon de Bourgogne) and Chenin Blanc. He spoke recently with Laurie Daniel, Appellation America’s Monterey Regional Correspondent, about the challenges of cultivating vines in the unusual terroir of the Chalone AVA.
Laurie Daniel (LD): How is the Chalone AVA distinct from the broader Monterey AVA? Does the Chalone AVA have a defining characteristic such as climate, soil or something else?
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