VASCM: SCM/CC appellations

Wed Dec 14 17:10:52 PST 2011

John and fellow Santa Cruz Winegrowers,
I, like several of you, was around in 1984-85 when the subject of excluding
the SCM from what was then the proposed Central Coast AVA was first
discussed. I believe the charge to exclude the SCM was lead by Ridge's Paul
Draper.  While I did not express it at the time I felt that excluding the
SCM from the Central Coast might not be the best approach.

It now been over 25 years and it is my observation that the down side of
being excluded from the Central Coast out weighs any realized up-side.

I do generally agree with Josh Beck and as it was express by Paul Draper at
the time, an AVA should be based on similarities in terroir. And again I
agree with Josh Beck observation that the Santa Cruz Mountains is already a
pretty large and quite diverse AVA.  Similarity in terroir is always only a
matter of degree, and no one is suggesting increasing the size of our AVA.
If we were just using 'similarities in terroir' as the only criteria a good
argument could be made that we should make the SCM AVA smaller.  Like the
formation of every AVA, politics has played a role in designing the AVA
boundaries.   There are vineyards in the SCM that have more in common with
vineyards in the Central Coast then they have in common with our vineyard on
northern Skyline.  The fact is; the Santa Cruz Mountains is in the
geographical Central Coast of California.  We might be more in the Central
Coast of California than parts Central Coast AVA.  

We have had 25 years of being separate from the Central Coast and just about
every published wine map includes SCM in the Central Coast.  During these 25
years, I've met few a wine writers, wine buyers, and and/or wine
professionals who knew before hand that the Santa Cruz Mountains is not part
of the Central Coast.  More importantly, I've never talked to any of them
who were impressed with the fact that we are not in the Central Coast AVA.
In my humble opinion, outside of our own little group, NO ONE CARES.  It is
not important.  What's important is the quality of the wines we make.  Being
in the Santa Cruz Mountains is the foundation of our wines.  That is not
going to change.  Being included in the Central Coast AVA will not reduce
people's perception of our wines.  Nor will it cause us to start making
inferior wine.  Quite the contrary, being included in the Central Coast will
generally raise the over all quality of the wines being made in the Santa
Cruz Mountains.  The over all quality will increase because it will reduce
the pressure on some wineries to bottle an inferior lot of wine as Santa
Cruz Mountains by allowing them to market the wine in bottles or in bulk as
Central Coast. 

John, I'll be one of few good hearty people to join you on a committee.

Michael

______
Michael Martella 
ThomasFogartyWinery.com
MartellaWines.com
(650) 851-6777
17287 Skyline Blvd.
Woodside, CA 94062

-----Original Message-----
From: vascm-bounces at kkn.net [mailto:vascm-bounces at kkn.net] On Behalf Of
Cliff Gardner
Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2011 1:29 PM
To: John Bargetto
Cc: Santacruzmountains winegrowers (vascm at kkn.net); Santacruzmountains
winegrowers (santacruzmountains at yahoogroups.com)
Subject: Re: VASCM: SCM/CC appellations

Hi all,

Since moving to the Sierra Foothills, we have been inactive in the 
association, but I still receive emails.  I may have no business 
getting involved, but I would like to point out to you all that the 
more AVAs you are in the more flexibility you have.  If you become part 
of the the Central Coast AVA, you can till maintain the Santa Cruz AVA 
designation and make it stronger.  You are already in the California 
AVA, which allows  you to label wines made from grapes grown in 
California but outside of the Santa Cruz Mtn AVA, as California AVA.  
If you become part of the Central Coast AVA, you will have a third 
option to label wines made from grapes grown in said area, and label 
them Central Coast AVA, which I believe has a better name than the 
California AVA; and make the wines more salable and salable at a higher 
price.

Within the Napa AVA there are 20 to 30 AVAs, (ie Spring Mountain, 
Rutherford Bench, Howell Mountain, Stags Leap), the same goes for the 
Sonoma AVA.  Hope my input helps!

Cliff Gardner

On Dec 13, 2011, at 2:08 PM, John Bargetto wrote:

> Dear local winegrowers/winemakers
>
> At the SCMVA meeting last week, I presented a proposal that calls for 
> the Central Coast vit area to include the SCM.  Presently they are 
> separate areas.
>
> This would be a long term process (think years) of building consensus 
> and then applying to TTB
>
> The enclosed doc fleshes out the reasoning.
>
> I am looking for a few good hearty people to join me on a committee to 
> further explore this concept.
>
> If you are interested and/or want to give feedback at this early 
> stage, please feel free.
>
> Best wishes for the Holiday season,
>
> John
>
> John E. Bargetto
> Director of Winemaking
> Bargetto Winery
> 831.475.2258 Ext.17
> jbargetto at bargetto.com
>
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