Pre-Viticulture

Originally from Oakland, Roger King moved to the Lake Tahoe area in 1972, where he experienced a formidable marketing career in the ski industry. All of this happened before becoming a grape grower in Suisun Valley. What brought him to Suisun was one of the companies that he worked for had a home office in the East Bay of California. He moved to Suisun Valley in 1988, which allowed for him to live more conveniently between Tahoe and Lafayette, as he carried on his work.

He began growing grapes in Suisun Valley, while continuing in the ski industry.

King’s ski mountain resort work involved hotel management in the following states: Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and California.

• Director of Marketing at Kirkwood Ski Resort
  • During this time, served as president for Ski Lake Tahoe trade organization in the 1970s
• Worked for the South Lake Tahoe Visitors Bureau
• Manager, Tour and Travel Development for the Nevada Commission on Tourism
• Vice President of Marketing for Village Resorts, ski and golf properties
  • CA, CO, UT, NM, AZ, WA ~ 10-14 properties
  • HI ~ 7 properties.
• An owner of Encore Resorts
• Owned small ad agency

So, what does any of this have to do with farming?

While it may not seem like a logical segue, once someone has grown a product, knowing how to market it gives that person a tremendous edge. And, Roger King is one of those people.

• He understands marketing concepts.
• He knows how to execute.
• He knows how to run a solid advertising campaign.
• He also knows how to do collective marketing.

He came to Suisun Valley at the right time, because there were people in Fairfield’s government who wanted to preserve agriculture in their verdant Suisun Valley. Among the five Fairfield council members were Jack Batson, Karin MacMillan, Harry Price, Marilyn Farley, and John English. It was finally decided, between the city of Fairfield and the Solano Irrigation District, that an infusion of more than $1,600,000 would be spent to promote the marketability of valley produce and to create other mechanisms to preserve and enhance Suisun Valley agriculture, that would continue past 2010.

Meanwhile, both the ski industry and the grape growing industries were experiencing economic collapse. Roger was at the right place at the right time for all Suisun Valley grape growers. He wrote a set of goals and objectives that led to the formation of Suisun Valley Grape Growers Association, later to become Suisun Valley Vintners and Growers Association. Collectively the group tapped into those revenues for the good of the valley. Roger was viewed by the group as a natural leader, so they elected him to be their president in 2002, a position that he still holds to this very day.

Knowing how to leverage funds from the town of Fairfield and SID, as well as putting the right team in place to carry out all of the outsourced tasks, has kept Roger at the successful forefront for all of their marketing efforts.

Viticulture

So, let’s get back to the land and the man who loves to grow grapes. The following is a Q&A with Roger about his wine grape growing.

What made you choose certain varieties to grow?

“Wine Business used to publicize Nielsen scan data. I studied it and saw that Merlot was doing really well for sales. It was the Merlot rocket ship era. I also had a mentor back then, Dan Capp. He helped me to understand how to grow grapes. Some of my Merlot is now blended into my Cab wines, but when I started it was simply ‘supply and demand.’”

What other varieties are you also farming now.

“Grenache blanc, Cabernet, Sangiovese, Albariño, Syrah, Zin, Barbera, Petite Sirah, and Petite Verdot.”

Are you still managing other people’s properties?

“Not so much anymore. When I went to work for Appellation America, I had to cut back about 95 percent.

“I have one vineyard that I still work with. It’s a mountain property, up about 2,000 feet. It’s called Loomis Family Vineyards. We planted Rhône varieties. There are blocks of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, and Counoise, as well as Grenache Blanc, and Viognier. The family wanted to have a vineyard that would be a Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

What are your wine grape growing philosophies?

“Minimal intervention… Let the vine do what it wants to do naturally. It’s a reflection of what’s going on with the vine, without additives. If the vine is struggling, cut it back to even only two spurs; and, if the vine has a full cordon on a six foot plant, don’t try to jack it up.”

Any new innovations that you like?

“Yeah, the old trellis systems. What’s evolved in California works for California, versus chasing technology for some other regions; i.e., French vertical shoot positioning… The way they use this system, if used in California will produce sun burned grapes. My old friend Russ Oles used to say, ‘No more science projects… I’m going to put stakes in the ground and plant my vines next to them. When the stakes fall over, the vine had better damned well stand up on its own.’ Which means, when the stake rots away, the vine had better be well established.”

What are your challenges?

[Laughing] What isn’t a challenge?

From Grower to Winemaker to Wine Producer

“In 2004, I began making wine, but that first vintage wasn’t from my own grapes. Then, by 2005 I decided that after growing grapes for 17 years and selling them to others, I wanted to capture my own vineyard’s nuances and see what unique qualities winemakers were getting from my own grapes. They were receiving high scores from wine critics, and that made me very curious. The first vintage of Suisun Valley wine was from my 2005 King Andrews Vineyards Suisun Valley Syrah. When it came time to name my company something that would reflect who I am, I decided to use our last name of ‘King,’ and my wife Carol’s maiden name of ‘Andrews.’”

King Andrews wines are featured and only sold in the Suisun Valley Wine Co-op.

“I enjoy being featured at the Suisun Valley Wine Co-op, where I pour my small production wines on weekends. It’s very rewarding to share these wines with people who stop by. I enjoy educating customers about winemaking details, and getting their reactions. My wines include a flagship Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, and an Albariño.

It’s as clear as freshly cleaned glass that Roger King stays in Suisun Valley because he’s continually challenged by his multifaceted career. It has more depth and opportunity for growth that someone with his skill set thrives upon. To go from grape grower to winemaker to wine producer is the stuff that dreams are made of, and this man is living the life that most people could only dream of having. While “It’s challenging every day I get out of bed,” admits King, it still is what he wants to do for “the rest of my life.”

Proprietor Don Johnson purchased the property known as Gordon Valley Farm in 1977. Already planted with grapevines, Don began his Winterhawk Winery in Suisun Valley with the idea of applying a stewardship approach to his land. According to Don:

“Respect for the grapes and land is a very important reason why I’m here. In fact, I chose the name Winterhawk to pay homage to the Red-Tailed Hawks that live in our valley, due to the crucial role that hawks play in the grape-growing process. It all starts in the vineyards.”

Respect for the land and the life that’s supported on it is paramount to Don Johnson. Don knows that birds allows his vineyard to thrive naturally. They’ve placed owl houses in the vineyards for Barn Owls. A few of the other bird species that you’ll typically see thriving at the winery are Red-Tailed, Swainson’s, Sparrow, and Northern Harrier hawks. Particularly in the wintertime, when the only activity in the vineyards is pruning of the vines, the hawks are their vineyard sentinels. As a predator of gophers, the hawks and barn owls hunt gophers naturally, controlling the population without the use of bait or chemicals that are harmful to the environment.

Although not a predatory bird, finches also nest alongside the winery in the Italian Cypress trees, because the area is so naturally conducive to all types of natural habitat.

Next you see winemaker Matt Smith attending to “Bunny Box” milk cartons, a natural deterrent from having new vines ravaged by vineyard pests.

Don’s vineyard manager is Jim Parr. Quality of life is his driving force, and Jim is confident that the way he farms has a huge impact on a lot of people and animals in a much larger sense. Jim takes great pride in their vineyards. Sustainable agriculture for Winterhawk’s wine grapes and olive ranches, along with the inclusion of predatory wildlife is an important part of his vineyard management plan. For instance, red-tailed hawks and owls are capable of eating up to 1,000 gophers and rodents a year in their vineyards. Managing their vineyards with this type of integrated pest management system means much more natural vineyards and local environment.

FISH FRIENDLY FARMING (FFF)

Also involved the Fish Friendly Farming program for Napa, Mendocino, Solano and Sonoma counties, Winterhawk is committed to this program. It offers important one-on-one technical assistance to vineyard managers and owners who have completed the Farm Conservation Plan. Jim Parr has participated in the workshops, and as a result qualifies for free technical assistance. The advantage of this programs means that participants receive funding for soil conservation, road and erosion site repair, habitat restoration, stream bank stabilization, and other natural projects. Certified growers can add the FFF logo to their labels. This also requires approval by the Federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Solano’s Winterhawk Winery was the first to do so under the FFF’s guidelines.

From Don Johnson:

“When we labeled our 2008 Winterhawk Winery’s Sauvignon Blanc, we were the first winery in the United States to put the Fish Friendly Farming logo on our label. It’s just my way of telling people how much I love this land.”

Quality wine grapes come from Winterhawk, because it starts in the careful planning and concern for the environment of Jim Parr, that then makes its way into the vineyards.

Linda and Steve Tenbrink have farmed in Suisun Valley for most of their adult lives. They came to Suisun Valley as newlyweds with absolutely no experience in farming, but they had a dream. They bought their first five acres, where the winery now stands, and at the urging of winemaker Abe Schoener they decided to build their winery. Once they had set aside a barrel of our own wine to see what it would taste like, they knew that they were also going to be making wine in Suisun Valley. Their first vintage was in 2006, and they’ve a lot of fun making wine ever since.

Their Farm

Over the years, they’ve continued buying farmland, which now includes about 60 acres for vineyards. They also have another 52 acre farm. This one is planted with walnuts, a variety of fruit trees, and an heirloom tomato patch. They grow several hundred varieties of tomatoes each year, and their clients include many Napa and Bay Area fine dining restaurants, like the French Laundry and Bistro Don Giovanni’s.

Their Winery

Their winery is a red barn, which they’ve added to the remnants of a100 year-old redwood barn They don’t have a tasting room yet, but they host a lot of private events by invitation, only.

Their Winemaking Style

They know the importance of great wine beginning in the vineyards. Steve controls the quality of the grapes during all the seasons, knowing each vine intimately. He use both traditional and new methods of winemaking to craft wines that are uniquely his own. Because they’re farmers first, they decided to use a shovel on their label, because “it’s a perfect icon,” according to Linda Tenbrink.

Stephen Tenbrink is a soft spoken, quietly self-assured grower. He and his wife Linda operate Tenbrink Vineyards in Suisun Valley; Steve the humble farmer, and Linda his promoter in all things related to their businesses. Steve began farming:

• at first with cherries, peaches, apricots and prunes
• followed by a farmers market garden with 100′s of heirloom tomatoes
• segueing to a walnut grove
• and finishing with a vineyard project by 1996

They got themselves over the Suisun/Napa mountain range to sell those tomatoes, headed toward a most opportune relationship.

That moment came with one of their clients, the talented and quirky winemaker Abe Schoener (former professor of Ancient Greek philosophy, so you can only imagine where he’d take winemaking). Abe was buying their tomatoes for a dinner party. They nudged him to come to their vineyards to see the promise that this might also hold for him… And he finally did it, changing the course of all of their lives.

Abe became fascinated. So fascinated, in fact, that Linda happily relates:

In 2002, we managed to convince Abe to visit our vineyard. He was very reluctant. However, once he took sight of the vineyards he said, “I knew that I was going to buy some of those grapes before I even got out of the car”. We were so happy that as a present to Abe we gave him some of our Petite Sirah grapes, which became the foundation of his Scholium Project – Babylon.

Things grow rapidly around us – and so did the Scholium Project. At Abe’s urging we built a winery, as he had outgrown the facility he was using in Napa. Once again, entering the winery business completely naïve – (probably a good thing we didn’t know) headfirst with no experience at winemaking .

The union of Abe and Steve has given the Tenbrinks an advantage of having a winemaker who’s brave, innovative, and daring to inspire their own winemaking style. And, he loves media attention. Together, they’re sharing the world of wine in a very close relationship.

[This image was taken during Passport Weekend, April 2009, for a Wall Street Journal story.]

The intent of making their own wines to showcase the potential for the excellent quality to price ratio that exists from Suisun Valley, and their connection to Abe Schoener, has done a lot to demonstrate that quality from vine to wine…

[Another photo from their Passport event. Steve is in the center in the beige shirt.]

Abe has had three really high profile stories in the last month alone:

SF CHRON: N.Y. takes a new look at California wines, by Talia Baiocchi, November 7, 2010:

“… Abe Schoener, proprietor of Scholium Project, found New York to be more receptive to his uncategorizable efforts, like skin-fermented Sauvignon Blanc. ‘I don’t fit into this new category of natural winemaking in California,’ Schoener says, ‘Nor do I fit into this old category of high-alcohol, extracted wines. Being in that no-man’s land has been a lot easier for me in New York than it has been in California.’ Indeed, two-thirds of Schoener’s mailing list is made up of New York residents.”

Esquire Magazine, Abe Schoener: Renegade Vintner, by Robert Willey, December 2010

“Last summer… an aspiring young French vintner on a two-week research tour put an unwashed, streaked glass to his lips. He was silent for a moment, this man schooled in the classic flavors of grapes now standing in a workshop cluttered with hydrometers and refractometers and lined with copies of Darwin, Gibbon, and Borges. And then he burst out laughing. This sauvignon blanc rocketed beyond its usual harmony of melon and citrus into an earthier realm of … mushrooms and cheese?! This petite sirah was — how do you say in English? — violating his mouth?!”

Wall Street Journal also had a story featuring Abe in November. Napa’s Retro Dudes, by Jay McInerney:

“”A former professor of Greek philosophy, Mr. Schoener is the proprietor of Scholium Project, a winery that makes deeply eccentric (mostly white) wines beloved by sommeliers and geeks. He looks a little alien here in his sharp black suit and his tinted Utopia LA glasses, but it’s clear that he’s part of the gang.”

Linda takes great pride in what they’re all achieving. She recent wrote:

I suggest that you follow Abe Schoener on Facebook, especially the last two weeks. He’s been in LA and was received favorably at Four Seasons; and is now in Chicago where every top end restaurant is throwing a reception for him.

Most of the publicity for the Tenbrink’s Vineyards is coming through Abe’s efforts, but Linda also enjoys important wine placement in companies like Dean & Deluca. They know they’re coming of age, with tie-ins from outside of their valley that are solidly placing them “on the map.”

Abe Schoener’s wines demonstrate the prices that a vintner is able to get using Suisun Valley fruit:

• 2007 Tenbrink Vineyards Bricco Babelico ~ Petite $45 (Suisun Valley, but not on the label as the AVA)
• 2008 Tenbrink Vineyards Babylon ~ Petite Sirah $75 (Suisun Valley, but not on the label as the AVA)

Hardy Wallace wrote about Suisun Valley and Tenbrink Vineyards: A Day at Tenbrink Vineyards by www.dirtysouthwine.com.

“Last Sun., my buddy Tripp and I headed over to Fairfield, CA / Suisun (so-soon) – for a Sunday afternoon trifecta–Getting to hang and walk the vineyards with Linda and Steve Tenbrink of Tenbrink Vineyards and Winery, to taste barrels with Abe Schoener of Scholium Project and then to tuck into a ridiculous feast of pig-tastic proportions (Linda can cook like a maniac)…”

The first 15 Vintners to respond will be pouring at this special Suisun Valley Food & Appellated Wines Event. If you are interested, please Email Jo Diaz jo@diaz-communications.com.

Suisun Valley Vintners & Growers Association
Presents
Wine & Food ~ A Love Story
(Restaurants will be present in balance to wineries)
Friday, February 11, 2011
Doors open at 5:00 p.m.
Tasting is from 5:30 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
At the Fairfield Center for Creative Arts

Sponsored by Fairfield Mainstreet Association

The following video is a retrospective, and introduces this upcoming event.

Enjoy!

There are very few places in California wine country that have Suisun Valley’s rustic charm. Some of its unique facets include the following:

• Suisun Valley is a small, self contained appellated valley. It’s only eight miles long, and five miles wide.
• Within its borders, Suisun Valley has a rich, agricultural heritage that dates back to 1848.
• Suisun Valley also has an impressive grape growing history, dating back to 1858.
  • By 1906, Louis Mangels’ winery, called Solano Winery, was producing 500,000 gallons of wine a year.
  • When Prohibition hit the US, Mangles’ winery was one of only eight wineries in the U.S. that was allowed to legally continue to produce wine.
  • Solano Winery was one of 44 California wineries pouring at the 1939 Treasure Island World’s Fair.
• Within its borders and in neighboring Green Valley, Suisun Valley has a burgeoning wine culture, with wineries popping up all over both valleys.

To celebrate its history and culture, Suisun Valley has just launched their new “Rustic Wine County” website that embraces it all:

• Activities and Itineraries
• Suisun Valley Tasting Rooms and Neighbor Tasting Rooms
• Farm Stands and Recipes
• Specialty Products and Unique Art
• Restaurants and Places to Stay
• History and Geography
• Directions and Climate

Suisun Valley offers its visitors a wine country experience unlike any other in California. Through the years they’ve been able to maintain a rustic charm that reminds people of days gone by, days that were more relaxed, when visitors met and talked with winery owners and winemakers. It’s still that way in their small valley, and their new Website is a tribute to all that they were and have now become.

Visit www.suisunvalley.com for a tour of what is happening and for more details.

It may interest you to know that I had the honor of writing copy for this new Website. What an amazing experience that was, and what a tremendous learning curve. I continue to remain amazed that I was given the task to become their modern-day historian. The more I learn, the less I seem to know… It’s that deep.

Suisun Valley Growers Association (SVGGA)

~ 2004 to 2008 ~

• 2004
  • Hired the following to advance their efforts:
    • SVGGA hired Turrentine Brokers to help sell their wine to more than the bulk market (Feb. 2004)
    • SVGGA hired Diaz Communications to help market themselves with PR and a Website. (Mar. 2004)
  • PR and marketing work began.
• 2005
  • Suisun Valley debuted a buyer-seller forum, for more direct sales opportunities (Feb. 2005)
  • Continued to get press releases into the hands of vineyard and winery periodicals.
  • Continued to develop long range plans from the original goals.
• 2006
  • Weather stations were installed to augment two existing ones, in order to gather data and prepare for climate studies. (Sept. 2006)
  • Farmers moved toward helping to craft the new general plan, in order to guarantee that their children’s children will still be able to farm in Suisun Valley, if they so chose to do that. (Oct/ 2006)
• 2007
  • Created a strong strategic plan, taking it from present market conditions into a solidly structured future. (Apr. 2007)
  • The opening of the Suisun Valley Wine Co-optasting room signaled a significant growth spurt. Brands in the Co-operative tasting room included the following (Jun. 2007):
    1. King Andrews Vineyards
    2. Sunset Cellars
    3. Twilight Ridge
    4. Winterhawk Wines
  • Additional brands appellated to Suisun Valley are the following:
    1. Blacksmith Cellars
    2. Croze
    3. Forlorn Hope
    4. Koch Wine
    5. Ledgewood Creek Vineyards
    6. Manifesto
    7. Mankas Hills Vineyards
    8. Olabisi
    9. Scholium Project
    10. Tenbrink Vineyards
    11. Thomas Michael Cellars
    12. Trahan Winery
    13. Vezer Family Vineyard
    14. Wooden Valley Winery

  (Many of these brands are located out of Suisun Valley; however, the grape growers are coming into Suisun Valley to source great fruit. Sept. 2007)

  • 25th AVA Celebration had the entire valley show solidarity for night of food and wine. (Dec. 2007)
  • Separate valley event among the wineries established as part of their 25th celebrations. (Dec. 2007)
• 2008
  • Grape Growers in Suisun Valley hired Dr. Paul Skinner of Terra Spase, Inc. (Apr. 2008)
  • SV AVA Climate & Topography Study was disclosed to the SVGGA Board of Directors (July 2008)
  • Additional wine brands discovered as Suisun Valley is approaching their 26th Anniversary. (P.B. Hein, Boodeaux Vineyards, Hidden Creek Cellars, Quixote, Red Cote, and Terremoto Cellars)
  • The 26th AVA Celebration enjoyed another successful night of food and wine, as well as wineries being overwhelmed with consumers enjoying the valley during last weekend of 2008. (Dec. 2008)

Suisun Valley Grape-Growers & Vintners Association (SVGGA)

2009 to present

• 2009
  • February Suisun Valley Grape Growers Association (SVGGA) experiences a Metamorphosis in Name…to…Suisun Valley Vintners & Growers Association (SVVGA)
  • March 15, 1020, Suisun Valley begins social media with Facebook.
  • April 19, 2009, Suisun Valley initiates Passport Sunday with great success, as a sellout. (Apr. 2009)Harvest Celebration continues in late August.
  • Suisun Valley wine blog is initiated (September 3, 2009)
  • Holiday weekend is in its third year and has evolved as a successful annual event.
  • Appellated wines had grown to be the following:
    1. Andrew Lane Wines
    2. Bask Cellars
    3. Blacksmith Cellars
    4. Boodeaux Vineyards
    5. Bravante Vineyards
    6. Croze
    7. Forlorn Hope
    8. Gustavo Thrace Winery
    9. Hidden Creek Winery
    10. King Andrews Vineyards
    11. Koch Vineyards
    12. Ledgewood Creek Winery
    13. Mangles Wines
    14. Manifesto – Whetstone Wine Cellars
    15. Mankas Hills Vineyards
    16. Olabisi
    17. P.B. Hein Vineyards
    18. Panza from Quixote Winery
    19. RAMIAN Estate
    20. Red Côte
    21. Red Oak Winery and Vineyard
    22. Rock Creek Vineyard
    23. Scholium Project
    24. Shale Peak Vineyards
    25. Sunset Cellars, LLC – Twilight Ridge
    26. Tenbrink Vineyards
    27. Terremoto Cellars
    28. Thomas Michael
    29. Trahan Winery
    30. Twilight Ridge
    31. Vezer Family Vineyards
    32. Winterhawk Wines
    33. Wooden Valley Winery
• 2010
  • Passport Sunday is in its second successful, sold out year.
  • Harvest Sunday continues to draw people into the valley.