Santa Maria’s Bien Nacido Vineyards has been named the 2010 California Vineyard of the Year.
The California Exposition and State Fair planned to officially recognize the vineyard at the 15th annual California’s Grape and Gourmet event on July 7 in Sacramento.
Each year, the Vineyard of the Year title goes to a California vineyard that has consistently, over several growing seasons, produced grapes that have contributed directly to wine of superior quality and marketability within commercial sales systems and among fine wine judging, according to Grape and Gourmet representatives.
Located off Santa Maria Mesa Road, Bien Nacido Vineyards boasts more than 600 acres, the majority of which grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. Other varietals include Pinot Blanc, Syrah, and Merlot.
Bien Nacido is one of the major viticultural nurseries in California producing certified, varietal budwood, which means much of the Chardonnay planted in California in the last 20 years began as Bien Nacido Vineyards cuttings.
In recent years, the vineyard has increased its services to include pressing or crushing grapes into juice, processing fruit into finished wine, barrel and case good storage, bottling, help with compliance issues, and lab analysis. It also serves as a home for more than 25 boutique wineries in the Santa Maria region.
Vineyard management could not be reached for comment as of press time.
For more information, visit bien
nacidovineyards.com.
This article appears in Jul 8-15, 2010.