Grape Escape: Arroyo Seco Looks To The Future

August 18, 2023 – Old photos displayed inside the nicely restored barn that is now the Joyce winery on Los Coches Road in Soledad, told the story of dedication, grit and vision, as wine lovers gathered for the 40^th Anniversary of the Arroyo Seco AVA last weekend.

From 40 years ago, the smiling faces of Richie and Claudia Smith beamed with hope and pride, their Paraiso vineyard behind them, and three young kids stood by as their father, Jerry, sorted out vines in a potting shed.

There was Jerry Lohr on a tractor, Rich and Jason Smith posing by their vineyard truck from at least two decades ago, the entire Wente family, and Michael Griva, now president of the Arroyo Seco Winegrower’s Association, backlit in his barn. 

Among those in attendance were Claudia Smith and her daughter Kacy, Mark Chesebro, Jerry Lohr and his two sons, Steve and Lawrence, Ann Hougham who planted Arroyo Seco’s Mesa del Sol Vineyard with her late husband, and three generations of the Zabala family. 

Russell Joyce welcomed us all warmly with misters, because that’s how you roll in this hot part of the world. When I commented on how beautiful the barn was, he confessed that nothing could have prepared him for the true state of decrepitude he inherited when purchasing the former Ventana property. From the dirt floor to the bats, mice and rats, along with every other wild creature, it was an undertaking. 

“I wondered sometimes why I was doing it,” said Joyce. “But this place meant something to the people who built it, and restoring this piece of history, and preserving it for the future, means so much. For someone like me, who really came from nothing, just a kid working out of a warehouse in Salinas, to be a steward of place like this. Wow, it is just such a privilege.”  

Tasting the Joyce Albariño and the Sauvignon Blanc once again confirmed what a talented winemaker he is and how excellent his fruit sources are. His beautifully painted concrete eggs stood ready to begin their next mission, as the crowd milled around, sampling wines from Scott Family and Jeffrey Blair of Blair Estate. Joe Alarid said that he kept asking Jeffrey when he was going to buy some of his Tondre fruit. Blair told me his version of the story which is that he kept asking Alarid for Tondre fruit but it was too expensive. Apparently, they finally reached agreement. 

Bernardus was pouring its 2022 Griva Sauv Blanc, from 750ml bottles as well as from a Jeroboam inscribed with the a 25^th anniversary medallion honoring the collaboration between Michael Griva and winemaker Dean de Korth, who just retired. 

Dave Muret, who was formerly the executive director of the Santa Lucia Highlands Artisans and also did PR work for McIntyre, Paraiso, Testarossa and La Rochelle, is now with J. Lohr. He and winemaker Kristen Barnhisel were pouring a solid lineup of all the current J. Lohr Arroyo Seco wines, including a fetching October Night, which seemed more airy and soaring than previous vintages, and the J. Lohr 2022 F&G Vineyard Pinot Blanc, a succulent and silky version of this captivating grape that happily still thrives here. Barnhisel puts the hand harvested grapes into a concrete egg, which contributes to its divine texture without the lactones and terpenes that wood, even neutral oak, can impart. Barnhisel shared that for the J. Lohr 2022 October Night Chardonnay, she had blended a bit more French clones 76 and 96 in with the Chardonnay Musque clone 809 to give it some lightness of being. She also used a bit less French oak (22% new) to allow the fruit to shine. 

Mark Chesebro and Alex Lallos poured the 2022 Cedar Lane Albariño and Sauvignon Blanc, two pure and vibrant wines that absolutely make your mouth water, along with Pinot Noir and Gamay Noir. Chesebro told me that Covid provided the perfect time for him and his business partners to divide up their land holdings. They had been jointly farming Cedar Lane and Mission Ranch, the original Arroyo Seco vineyard planted by the Mirassou family in 1961. “We all have kids, and we decided if we left it to them to figure out after one of us was gone, it would just get messy. So I have Cedar Lane, and they have Mission Ranch.” 

Wente sent along their Riva Ranch Chardonnay and marketing manager Aly Wente provided this message to share: “My grandfather, Karl Wente (3^rd generation), was the first winegrower to pioneer the Arroyo Seco region in 1962, purchasing 270 acres. My grandmother, Jean Wente (3^rd generation), and Aunt, Carolyn Wente (4^th generation), wrote the petition for the Arroyo Seco AVA, to truly define the senses of place and style of wine grown in this region. Today, we farm around 1,000 acres in Arroyo Seco, and it is home to many of our most well-known wines, such as our Riva Ranch Vineyard Chardonnay. Arroyo Seco is an outstanding winegrowing region and we are thrilled to celebrate the 40^th anniversary.”

Martin Ranch, a longtime purchaser of Griva fruit, sent several examples of Therese Martin’s Griva Vineyard Grenache Blanc, as well as a Viognier, and the Pisoni family’s Luli Sauv Blanc was also being poured. The atmosphere was celebratory and filled with optimism. 

“This AVA is all about family,” said Lawrence Lohr, youngest son of Jerry and now COO of vineyards at J.Lohr Vineyards & Wines. His father Jerry chose this place, with its windy climate and rocky soils to plant 280 acres of vines nearly 50 years ago, a decade before it became an AVA. 

“My family’s commitment to crafting standout wines from the region is what has played a significant role in putting Arroyo Seco on the wine map from a global perspective – and our brand has grown hand-in-hand with the region. Look at all the families who built this AVA. They are all still involved. We are all still here and committed to this place. My Dad has always been so passionate about Arroyo Seco, and all of us at J. Lohr share that passion,” he said.

As Russell Joyce and I watched Jerry talking with all the admirers, Joyce told me, “I am absolutely blown away that Jerry came today. A man like that, who everyone knows, such a legend: he could be anywhere in the world right now, but he came here today, to my place, for this event. That is just so incredible and I could not be more honored. I am doing this for my children, just like he did it for his.” 

Michael Griva later shared, “It was great watching Jerry Lohr and Russell Joyce deep in conversation about the past, the present and the future of the wine business. I am most proud of our members as they admire and respect each other’s accomplishments from the largest players to the smallest.”