Special Report: Valley Wine Boom
Wine tasting does not have to be complicated, nor does it have to be along the coast of California!
Ficklin Vineyards is the largest producer of port in the country, has won numerous awards, has been recognized in magazines… and is located in Madera County.
Peter Ficklin with Ficklin Vineyards said, “It’s third generation; we’ve been doing it for over 60 years, and we’re right here. We don’t have to go to Napa or Paso Robles.”
If you want to taste exceptional ports while also experiencing the history and tradition, you can do it without leaving the Valley.
Tour the old, gnarled vines and the ambiance of old wine and wood, together the combination is absolutely amazing.
Local people appreciate the nearby quality, thanks to the Madera Wine Trail.
Local wine lover, Chris Elliott said, “We come three times a year to the Wine Trail. This is kind of like a tradition for us.”
Simon Terronez, another local wine lover said, “You don’t have to drive to the coast or go up to Napa or Sonoma to get excellent wine.”
Tony Kirk with Birdstone Winery and Vice President of the Madera Vintners Association said, “Unfortunately this area has been known as a jug wine producer, it’s probably the stigma that’s the most difficult to get past.”
But Kirk is breaking that stigma with award-winning, handcrafted wines that pay attention to quality rather than volume and it’s paying off. 2010 was his best year ever and that happened in a slow economy.
Kirk says the success of the Wine Trail, with 3,000 people in February, leads to more wineries and to Madera becoming more of a wine destination for tourists visiting Yosemite as well as the local populating getting more involved.
Another factor is the success of Valley wines is the viticulture program at Fresno State, which is where Kirk learned to make wine.
Fresno State is also the only school in the country with its own commercial winery and has won more than 600 awards. And yet people are still surprised to find out that Fresno State makes its own wines.
Fresno State focuses on grapes that grow well in the Valley. “We’ve shown that with all the awards we’ve won and with all the notoriety we’ve attained, that it certainly is possible to make good wines in the Valley,” said Fresno State Winemaker John Giannini.
And those awards bring Fresno wines recognition by the wine press. “It will eventually snowball and folks will be thinking of the Central Valley, like Paso Robles,” said Ken Fugelsang, Enology Professor at Fresno State.
But part of the challenge is getting people to break free from Cabernet, Chardonnay, and Merlot. “So we have Malbec, Primotivo, Tempernio, Barbera, and Sangiovese,” said Tony Kirk. So go wine tasting and try the lesser-known varieties that grow exceptionally well in the Valley.
We talked to one wine marketing student that says getting the word out about the different varieties people have not heard of will help Fresno wines take off, but like most enology grads, he’s leaving for a job with a big winery since he doesn’t have the large investment to start his own.
Enology students Joe Joralemon said, “Generally it’s not our student’s dream to stay in Fresno and start their own winery.”
But Fresno State’s wine program has led to the creation of local wineries like Engelmann Cellars, started by a Fresno State graduate Bret Engelmann, who stayed to help get the local wine industry started.
Engelmann stuck with it, surviving ten years without a profit. “We’re really going to go at this and do everything they can do, either on the coast or up north, right here in Fresno,” said Engelmann.
The same expensive barrels, fancy yeasts, and quality grapes have led to nearly 80 medals in the last decade but still no employees.
Engelmann says other Fresno wineries would help the area become more of a destination. He helped found the Twin Rivers Vintners Association and the Fresno County Wine Trail, to get more people to try Fresno wines. “I always say once we get you out here the first time, you’re gonna come back,” said Engelmann.
He says events like weddings, movie nights in the park and catered dinners are the best way to get people to the winery. But while other counties have ordinances allowing special events at wineries, Fresno does not… something he hopes to change. “Hopefully they can push this thing through and put us on a level playing field with the rest of the state. It’s hard to compete with these other counties if we can’t promote the way they promote,” said Engelmann.
Fresno County Supervisor Phil Larson says he’ll listen to the wineries’ proposals but has to consider the neighbors who want to keep an agricultural feel and don’t want big events. “It creates somewhat of a problem to people that don’t want that to happen, so we have to honor their wishes as well,” said Larson.
But Engelmann is optimistic Fresno will be the next hot wine region. “It’s the only place it hasn’t hit yet, so we have no choice, we have to be the next place that’s gonna hit,” said Engelmann.
Bill & Sheila
Article source: http://www.cbs47.tv/content/special_features/story/CBS47-Special-Report-Valley-Wine-Boom/XTFDAQpvU0qfqh2Tq7R7Ew.cspx
