Anza Valley to be future Wine Country?

Wake up and taste the grapes! Anza’s future may include a few vineyards and wineries producing high quality grapes and wines. This is the hope of a few individuals who have endeavored to start small vineyards in the Anza area. At around 4,000 feet in elevation, Anza’s climate has cooler days and nights than Temecula, and has the potential to produce better grapes and better wine, opine some knowledgeable and experienced grape growers.

High altitude vineyards around the world have been reported to produce amazing wines according to a recent article in Vineyard and Winery Management Magazine. In recent years, vineyards have been established near Jerome and in the Wilcox Valley regions of Arizona up to 5,000 feet. The downside of planting at higher altitudes is the danger of the frost damage. When the buds that have been dormant all winter swell and start to leaf out in April and May, they may be damaged or killed by frost which delays the season’s growth and may lead to smaller harvest for the season.

There are a few things that can be done to combat the frost, starting with site selection. We have observed that vines growing on slopes have escaped damage or been only slightly affected, while those planted in low, flat areas have had substantial setbacks during the same period. Cold air moves downhill and settles in low spots. Jim and Timmie Martens have installed turbines to keep air moving over their 5 acres of vines at Thomas Mountain Vineyards (2 ½ miles west on Bautista Road in Anza) during those occasional few hours of frost that can occur in late spring. This is a common practice in orchards that have frost exposure. Other solutions, such as water misting may be employed.

Anza’s dry climate advantage should minimize the problem of powdery mildew which is normally treated in vineyards. We also have lots of sun which the grapes like. Our higher elevation and cooler climate compared to lower, warmer areas like Temecula, should allow the grapes to mature longer and develop more complexity.

The first real vineyard experiment in Anza probably started 5 years ago when Frank Miller planted 70 vines of different varieties in front of his house off Highway 371, ½ mile east of Bautista Road. These vines did well enough that Frank now wants to establish a vineyard and winery on his property. A few other local people have gotten excited enough to start vineyards in our area. The martens have already made some excellent wine from grapes grown at their home in garner Valley – elevation 4,700. They continue to tend their vineyard on Bautista.

Ken and Clair Cashman’s efforts are paying off very well with their 2-acres of healthy 3-year-old vines showing lots of promise at 4,200 feet in Terwilliger, all planted on sloping terrain with rocky soil. They drilled all of the holes with a manually operated auger and when they ran into big rocks, they used a jackhammer. I had to laugh in appreciation of their determination. Think these folks are serious? They have named their vineyard, Ken Loves Her Vineyard.

My wife and I have a half-acre of 2 and 3-year-old vines growing on a slope by the house and another acre planted in spring of 2010 on a gradual slope all visible from Bautista Road behind the Tilted Cactus Mexican Restaurant. Our two sites are doing very well so far. We are growing varieties that are hardy and should do well in our area. They include cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, syrah, malbec, tannat, zinfandel, viognier, and two different Muscat varieties.

We are also experimenting with different clones of some of these varieties. Some of these other folks seem to be doing well with chardonnay, riesling, and other varieties as well. These are mostly later budding varieties that will escape some of the earlier frost threats. We named our vineyard after Rancho Del Sol. It is worth mentioning that two couples living off Coyote Canyon Road have recently established small vineyards and are thriving. All of the local folks dabbling in viticulture have been very friendly and helpful in sharing our mutual learning experience.

Alex at Shadow Mountain Vineyard has been a great mentor for us. They are at 3,400 feet in Sunshine Summit off Highway 79 and consistently produce excellent and award winning wines. It is also our favorite stop for wine tasting. Also worth a stop is the Hawkwatch Winery close by at Chihuahua Valley Road and Highway 79. There are currently more than 10 acres of wine grapes planted in Anza. Many of the vines are doing exceptionally well for those that have put in the time to properly care for them. Some folks are making wine this year. Excitement abounds over the potential for increased viticulture activity in our valley and the positive impact it will have on our community.