August 6, 2021 – John Bargetto has never looked more excited and yet relaxed at the same time. There is a gleam in his eye that belies an inner fire that never stops burning, but it’s clearly been stoked by something significant.
Turns out he has many reasons for abundant optimism. Like most of our local wineries during the 2020/2021 pandemic, Bargetto has faced its challenges. But perhaps unlike others, this family owned winery was able to retain all of its staff, albeit at a reduced salary, but the point is, all jobs were kept. “We all took a 10% pay cut,” says Bargetto. “We did get PPE, through Lighthouse Bank. That was the very first time in our 88 year history that we have taken money from the government.”
Their wine club rallied around them and bought more wine than ever. “Things are absolutely booming now!” he says, pointing towards a wedding party beginning to coalesce, the first of several the weekend will host at this popular venue.
In mid July, the winery held its 32nd annual Art & Wine Festival, which featured about three dozen artists set up in booths in the parking lot outside the winery. “Best turnout ever! People are tired of being cooped up. We saw twice the number of people we had in 2019—about a thousand—and we had our biggest sales day ever!”
Despite the events part of the business really taking a nosedive over the last 18 months, tasting room sales have been extremely strong. And there’s little doubt the steady increase in wine quality under the guidance of winemaker Bobby Graviano and assistant winemaker Keegan Mayo has something to do with it. “We sold more wine during the pandemic than we did in 2019,” says Bargetto.
About the wines. Let’s not forget the keys to the kingdom. There are two kinds of Pinot Grigio on the menu: one is a Monterey appellation that sources fruit from Scheid, Smith and Rava Vineyards, and is done with lots of lees stirring in oak to give it creamy melon, weight and body. There is also a lighter style example from Regan Vineyard that is floral, with hyacinth, crisp apple, lemon and lime. Bargetto says this style was inspired by the way Ryan Beauregard handled Pinot Grigio fruit from Regan one year that really blew him away. “I immediately thought we should pick earlier and make it in an Oregon style.”
Bargetto is very proud of the 2019 Reserve Chardonnay from Regan Vineyard for good reason: this vintage marks 30 years of harvest, and the wine exhibits a creamy mouthfeel from the 50% new French oak it fermented in, delivering loads of peach melba, apple pie with cinnamon and oodles of vanilla ice cream. The 2019 Reserve Pinot Noir is comprised of all four Pinot clones planted here, and is a string quartet delight. The Mt. Eden clone plays first violin with its bright red raspberry notes, while clone 667 plays viola with its dark cherry fruit. Clone 115 plays cello with its notes of chocolate and Pommard rounds out on bass, with its earthy, sonorous notes that tie the wine together, like a good beat. It’s a wine that never loses its harmony from one silky sip to the next.
We hated to part with that one, but our work was not yet done. “In good years, we make Nebbiolo,” Bargetto told us. “2018 was a good year.” One whiff of this one, also from the Regan Vineyard, and you’re reminded of why this grape is so appealing with Italian cuisine. It’s got roasted tomato, green olive, capers, basil and plum, and wants to be best friends with your favorite pasta dish, which might be lasagna. The tannins are firm and the acid, persistent, like a dog to whom you may have accidentally mentioned “walk.”
As always, Bargetto is most proud of the “La Vita” blend, which is hugely popular with wine club members and in heavy demand for its brazen, bold expression of three northern Italian grapes: Dolcetto, Nebbiolo and Refosco. It sounds like something you’d expect to see on a law firm shingle in Siena. These varieties sometimes play really well together, although they are more like a brass ensemble than a string trio. In the 2017 La Vita, which is the 20thanniversary of this blend, the Refosco makes up the lions share, with its brawny black fruit, while Nebbiolo adds the caraway and fennel, like a good sausage, and Dolcetto adds sweet plum, clove and black licorice. Aged for 2.5 years in barrel, this is the most approachable La Vita I’ve ever tasted, yet it’s still a massive, earthy wine that works brilliantly with eggplant parm or chicken cacciatore.
Proud as he is of this lineup, though, John has something else up his sleeve. He whips out his phone to show us a photo of himself with the signed and stamped permit he picked up at the county office the day before. He’s holding the confetti pen they save for rare moments of finality like this. This piece of paper allows him to finally—hallelujah—do tastings of a new line of wines at the Regan Vineyard.
He’s wanted to build a winery there for years, but is just happy to be able to share the news that beginning September 4, wine lovers will be able to taste the two new wines he’s made under the new Regan Vineyards Winery label, a Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir, both from the Mt. Eden clone of each varietal respectively. These will be limited production, will have their own special label and will be only tasted at the vineyard site in Corralitos.
“I’ve always wanted to give people a vineyard experience. Now they can taste wines in this beautiful vineyard and experience the climate, and really understand where these wines come from. I didn’t get a winery, but we will finally be able to invite people to the vineyard, for 10 Sundays this fall. It will be by reservation only. Hopefully, we will go to three days a week in the future.”
They’re in the process of making a sparkling for their 90th anniversary in two years, an occasion he’s very much looking forward to celebrating. The base wine is already done, and some of that might go into a special Regan Vineyard Winery bottling as well. There’s also a good crop on the Nebbiolo this year, too, so there’s a chance that might also see a solo act. He’s already planning to release a Merlot under the Regan Vineyards Winery label next year. The pieces are falling into place.
It’s nice to see dreams take shape.
About the author
Laura Ness is a longtime wine journalist, columnist and judge who contributes regularly to Edible Monterey Bay, Spirited, WineOh.Tv, Los Gatos Magazine and Wine Industry Network, and a variety of consumer publications. Her passion is telling stories about the intriguing characters who inhabit the fascinating world of wine and food.
