Bonny Doon Vineyard
Encyclopedia
Rhone Rangers
The Rhone Rangers are a group of winemakers who promote the use of grape varieties from the Rhône Valley in the south of France. They are mostly based in the Central Coast of California and are now organized into a not-for-profit organization for the promotion of wines containing at least 75% of...
". The winery is known for its untraditional labels, including illustrations by Ralph Steadman, Grady McFerrin, and Gary Taxali. In recent years, the winery has embraced obscure Italian varietals
Italian wine
Italian wine is wine produced in Italy, a country which is home to some of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world. Italy is the world's largest wine producer, responsible for approximately one-fifth of world wine production in 2005. Italian wine is exported largely around the world and has...
, screwcaps
Alternative wine closures
Alternative wine closures are substitute closures used in the wine industry for sealing wine bottles in place of traditional cork closures. The emergence of these alternatives has grown in response to quality control efforts by winemakers to protect against "cork taint" caused by the presence of...
, and biodynamic
Biodynamic wine
Biodynamic wines are wines made using the principles of biodynamic agriculture. Biodynamic refers to both the agricultural methods and the handling and processing of the fruit post-harvest.-Biodynamic viticulture:...
production.
History
After the vines in own vineyard were destroyed by Pierce's disease in 1994, Bonny Doon supported its wine production by purchasing grapes from other California vineyards, as well as vineyards in OregonOregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. The winery grew significantly in this period. In 2006, prior to embracing a new strategy, the winery sold more than 450,000 cases of wine.
The winery has changed focus in recent years from "every day table wines to high-end, boutique vintages". They sold their Big House wines and Cardinal Zin labels in 2006, and in 2008 sold their old tasting room and winery, moving into new locations in Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
.
Philosophy
Grahm, long a promoter of "terroirTerroir
Terroir comes from the word terre "land". It was originally a French term in wine, coffee and tea used to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties...
", has over the past several years acquired a number of growing properties that can be dry farmed. Reflecting on the abandonment of the larger brands and the negociant
Négociant
A négociant is the French term for a wine merchant who assembles the produce of smaller growers and winemakers and sells the result under its own name....
-model of winery production, he told The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
in an April 2009 interview, "You have to put your money where your mouth is. Purchased grapes are less risky, but you’re never going to make a vin de terroir."