Kathryn Kennedy Winery
Encyclopedia
California wine
California wine has a long and continuing history, and in the late twentieth century became recognized as producing some of the world's finest wine. While wine is made in all fifty U.S. states, up to 90% of American wine is produced in the state...
grower, establishing her vineyard during the growth phase in the California wine history known as "The Wine Boom of the early 1970s". While not the first woman winemaker (Zelma Long and others), Kathryn was one of the very first owners of a brand to bear a woman's name in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and one who came to the scene independent of the young women graduates of the University of California-Davis.
Early life
Born 1927, Kathryn moved from Santa CruzSanta 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...
to Santa Clara Valley
Santa Clara Valley
The Santa Clara Valley is a valley just south of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California in the United States. Much of Santa Clara County and its county seat, San José, are in the Santa Clara Valley. The valley was originally known as the Valley of Heart’s Delight for its high concentration...
at the age of 15, earning a degree from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
at the age of 19. Married, and with the first of her four children, Kathryn moved to her Saratoga
Saratoga, California
Saratoga is a city in Santa Clara County, California, USA. It is located on the west side of the Santa Clara Valley, directly west of San Jose, in the San Francisco Bay area. The population was 29,926 at the 2010 census....
property in 1949 where she later decided to plant a vineyard.
In preparation for planting her 7 acres (2.8 ha), she attended two semesters of the viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
program at University of California, Davis. There she was advised to plant Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
on her property. This recommendation was based not only on the "Region Two" climate classification
Climate classification
Climate classification systems are ways of classifying the world's climates. A climate classification may correlate closely with a biome category, as climate is a major influence on biological life in a region...
for her land in Saratoga, but also on the market projections that were held during the late 1960s.
Viticulture and winemaking activities
In planting her vineyard, Katherine had Clone #8 cuttings sourced from David Bruce Vineyards developed for one year in an on-site nursery before planting in 1973. After selling fruit for two vintages to Mount Eden Vineyards in Saratoga, Kathryn established her brand and winery in 1979. Her adviser and first winemaker was Bill Anderson, who went on to be the longstanding winemaker at Chateau Julien in Carmel Valley AVA. From 1979 until 1988 Kathryn's winery produced only Estate Cabernet.Joining the process after the survey work of Ken Burnap and David Bennion
David Bennion
Dave Bennion was a California winery owner. From an early period, Bennion labeled Ridge Vineyards wines by vineyard, district, appellation and varietal rather than generically...
, Kathryn Kennedy contributed to modifying the boundaries of the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA
Santa Cruz Mountains AVA
The Santa Cruz Mountains AVA is an American Viticultural Area centered around the Santa Cruz Mountains. It includes three counties in California: Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and San Mateo. Recognized as an AVA in 1981, the Santa Cruz Mountains Appellation was among the first to be defined by its...
, which was created in 1981. She successfully sought to include her land in this new appellation in order to be associated with the premium wine producers of this region.
Death
Kathryn died in Aug. of 2009 at home surrounded by her family, after a long battle with cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.
Winery
Kathryn Kennedy Winery is a small winery located in Saratoga, California. It is located on 7 acres (2.8 ha) of land in the foothills of the Santa Cruz MountainsSanta Cruz Mountains
The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central California, United States. They form a ridge along the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco, separating the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley, and continuing south,...
near the Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
. Kathryn Kennedy Winery produces Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France., a possible descendant of savagnin...
, and a Lateral blend.
Kathryn has left the winery in the hands of her youngest son Marty Mathis, who has been winemaker since 1981. In 2003 production was expanded to include a 4000 case red blend named Lateral made in Napa Valley as well as a Sauvignon Blanc made from organic grapes. The Estate Vineyard was certified organic in time for the 2007 vintage
Vintage
Vintage, in wine-making, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product . A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certain wines, it can denote quality, as in Port wine, where Port houses make and...
.