Suisun Valley AVA Recently Celebrated 40 Years

NEWS RELEASE

 

However, Historical Viticulture Began 165 Years Ago

 

In 1858, Austrian native John Votypke started to grow grapes in adjacent Green Valley. His vineyard
property was located at the foot of the valley’s peaks, known as Twin Sisters. By 1863, he also began
to make wine. Meanwhile, The Louis Mangels family’s arrival into New York City in 1866, from
Germany, immigrating with his parents. Louis was only 14 years old at the time, and they settled in
Suisun Valley. This important generational family still lives and works in Suisun Valley today.
Into the 1900s, when Italian immigrants Mario Lanza and Lena Carlevaro Lanza met in Oakland,
California in 1934. They married three years later. Mario and his friend Salvador Brea, along with his
brother Manuel, founded a small winery in Suisun Valley, at the end of prohibition in 1933 –
Wooden Valley Winery. By 1955, Mario became the sole owner. The family history continues. By
1982, Richard “Chick” Lanza realized they needed proper regional recognition for their wines. Chick
lobbied the government, thereby establishing Suisun Valley as California’s fourteenth official
American Viticultural Area (AVA), right behind Napa Valley.

 

Viticulture and Messaging Challenges

 

The challenges that existed in their history continued to be real, having to do with contract
consolidation of vineyards. This eventually led to being controlled only by the Sebastiani Company.
Next there was a reduction of contract values, which became totally unacceptable from the grape
growers’ perspective. In one vineyard, grapes sold for $3,000 a ton on the Napa side, separated by
only a Napa/Suisun fence, the contiguous vineyard only garnered $300 a ton for the same grapes.
Frustration led to action…

 

Meanwhile in 2000: Rick Wood, city of Fairfield’s Water Division, entered negotiations with the
Solan Irrigation District’s council members. Both parties agreed to give the valley farmers and grape
growers a chance at creating a Suisun Valley Fund. This funding was the impetus for Suisun Valley’s
success being what it is today. They worked closely with the Suisun Valley Growers Association,
which then morphed into the Suisun Valley Vintners and Growers Association. Once they got
rolling, each grower asked himself, “What if I made my own wine?”

 

Eight Years of Intense Renaissance for Suisun Valley

 

1. By 2003, wine grape growers in Suisun Valley formed the Suisun Valley Grape Growers
Association. The organization established a nine-member board of elected officers and
directors, and filed paperwork to establish a non-profit association, with an adopted set of by
laws. The group also sought funding through the Suisun Valley Fund. Board of directors and
founding members included the following: President: Roger King, Vice President: Ken
Lanza, Secretary: Maurry Koch, Treasurer: Chris Meade, Directors: Dan Capp, Dean Frisbie,
Howard Babcock, Frank Lindemann, and Gary Mangels.

 

2. 2004 had to do with the shaping of the group. Consultants were hired to shape their
messages. Turrentine Wine Brokerage the message of Ultra-Premium grapes, in direct sales
methods to their contacts. This service was available to all SVGGA Members, who wanted
assistance in their direct sales promotion. Growers negotiated individual contracts from
developed leads, under their own terms.

 

3. 2005: Suisun Valley Grape Growers Association was extremely pleased with the overall
response to their buyer-seller forum; both from their members and from visitors to their site.
Having a background both in government and working for corporate ski resorts, Roger King
stated, “This has become the most important function of our Web site. Our super-premium
grapes offer tremendous value to grape buyers. This is where we can begin to foster
relationships with producers who need what we have to offer, super-premium grapes at
affordable pricing.” Although King agreed that SVGGA was in a crawling, image-building
stage, he knew that Suisun Valley Grape Growers were crawling faster every day.

 

4. 2006: What happened in Suisun Valley was a modern-day, evolutionary case study in
innovation. It set those who dared in Suisun Valley, to become the leading pioneers into
eventual, broad recognized prominence. Grower Steven Tenbrink decided to become
symbiotic with his buyers, Steve stayed in constant contact with winemakers who bought his
grapes. They told Steve what vineyard practices they wanted, and Steve delivered. Tenbrink
was also in touch with what the wineries were doing once his fruit arrived. The outcome
became that he’s regularly invited to the wineries, as bonds of friendship were forged.

 

5. A BIG YEAR: 2007: Suisun Valley Grape Growers Association created a strong Strategic
Plan, a Co-op Tasting Room signaled a significant growth spurt, and signs of growth were
spreading through the Valley…

 

a. Also, grape growers were focusing on growing niche fruit to complement a specific
variety focusing on growing artisan wine grapes in small quantities of outstanding
quality fruit to serve super premium to luxury wine categories, to provide the best
quality to value ratio. They were dropping fruit, cutting leaves, hand-holding each
vine in his possession.

 

b. They were now also finding buyers from outside of California, e.g., Ohio, upstate
New York, etc., and they identified and sold to home winemakers. While Ron Lanza
stated it best (vice president at the time and now president of SVVGA), not being as
caution as some other members. “I have plans of growth for our family’s winery, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen for the future generations of my family.”

 

c. SVGGA began to gather scientific data through four newly installed weather
stations, to define climatic zones in Suisun Valley. This would mean a better
understanding and definition of Suisun Valley’s unique terroir.

 

d. The Suisun Valley Wine Cooperative was created, which was the beginning of other
wineries beginning to find a home in Suisun Valley.

 

e. This began a segue from thinking only in terms of grape growing to hosting wine
events showcasing Suisun Valley wine as a solid product.

 

f. Finally, in 2007 Suisun Valley Grape Growers Association threw a party and
wondered who would come. It was their Twenty-Fifth Anniversary celebration, and it
seemed the entire valley came to the celebration. It was so successful, in fact, that
attendees barely fit into the Vintage Caffè location. They knew they had arrived.

 

6. 2008: Grape Growers in Suisun Valley hired Paul Skinner, of Terra Spase, Inc.,
to scientifically document the region’s terroir. By analyzing existing data and leveraging new
data sources, Terra Spase’s work enable local growers to make the best possible use of land
and cultivars available to them. This effort helped to further establish to those outside of
their region, that Suisun Valley was a recognizable ultra-premium wine grape production
district.

 

7. 2009: The association continued to expand their strategic marketing plan. As a result, wine
companies were beginning to proliferate in the valley. The SVGGA formed a vintners
committee for their first event, which was a day trip into Suisun Valley for consumers, who
were invited to taste excellent wines, now being produced in Suisun Valley. Noteworthy
climate findings included what was once empirically understood by the farmers and
discussed as anecdotal evidence. They were now validated by this academic study; namely,
situated near the San Francisco Bay complex, portions of this area exert
influence on the regions’ climate. The report delivers the AVA’s geography in great detail,
which to date has yet to be so thoroughly recorded.

 

8. 2010: It was all about marketing, as they had arrived. Suisun Valley Grape Growers
Association (SVGGA) experiences a metamorphosis in name, becoming Suisun Valley
Vintners & Growers Association (SVVGA). To that end, they focused on hosting events,
because they were so successful:

 

a. Suisun Valley Vintners & Grape Growers’ Suisun Valley Passport Sunday, April 18,
2010

 

b. SVGGA’s Vintners Committee ~ Harvest Celebration, throughout Suisun Valley

 

c. Suisun Valley AVA Holiday Wine Celebrations, 26th Anniversary

 

As they began to settle into their valley, new developments began from inside and outside interests,
of mega proportions. From this point forward, their “news,” was about newcomers, who’ve also
respected their history and culture.

 

Old and New Wine Companies with a Major Impact Discover Suisun

 

Starting with the historic Lanza Vineyards, recent renovations have occurred of epic proportions.
They now offer a full renovation of the tasting room, along with the transformation of grounds and
building exteriors, with venue space for outdoor events, giving them a much higher impact in the
valley. Consumer attendance has surged, as a result.  It was completed about mid-2022.  Being a
neighbor of Caymus Suisun, that corner of Suisun is very impactful and modern. What had that
downhome feel of Lanza Vineyards has been maintained, yet brought it up to date. Ron Lanza,
representing Lanza Vineyards, continues to have that leadership that many people remember, and
new-to-the-winery people are also attracted to it.

 

Another historic player has been existing in the neighborhood for quite some “quiet” time, ~ Balle
Keal. The Balle Keal estate is a luxury experience on the south end of the valley, while Caymus in on
the north end, where the history Lanza Family has existed, since they moved into the valley, and
helped, with other companion leaders, to shape every part of this story.

 

Big changes began in 2013, with some recognizable names considering Suisun Valley’s major
viticultural improvements and the promise of Solano County being on a closed-loop system with
Lake Berryessa.

 

First, E. & J. Gallo came into the valley, to purchase Ledgewood Creek Winery in Suisun Valley. The
approximate date for news began in 2013.

 

But news was also brewing about Caymus entering the valley, about the same time. It was an
undercurrent, not privy to outsiders. But insiders were picking up details and sharing. It took Chuck
Wagner years to do it right, spending a lot of his time planning. Wagner had a vision, and obviously
fulfilled long-held dreams for expansion. And he did it in Suisun Style, honoring history, the families
of today, its terroir, and fitting into his space, creating continued legacy of his properties, for
generations to come.

 

Being sensitive to the valley’s terroir, Chuck Wagner’s son Charlie Wagner is quoted in the San
Francisco Chronicle (May 10, 2022), written by Esther Mobley,
“We want it to feel like you’re outside even when you’re inside,” said Charlie Wagner, whose
father, Chuck Wagner, started Caymus in 1972. “And we wanted to show off the wind.” The
glass walls, he said, are meant to elide the barrier between indoor and outdoor, and to
emphasize the strong Suisun Valley breeze, one of the characteristics that define winegrowing
conditions here.”

 

“Situated north of the Suisun Bay, the Suisun Valley Inn offers couples a romantic retreat at
the 27-acre Monroe Ranch. With just eight themed rooms, it’s an intimate hideaway for a
weekend of bliss. Wine lovers will especially delight in staying so close to many wonderful
vineyards—it’s only about 45 minutes from some of the best wineries in Napa. Fairfield is a
culinary hot spot in California’s Wine County, making it an even more irresistible place to go
for a romantic getaway.”

 

The icing on the cake, really bringing it all home…

 

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHICS gives you a feature story, positioned as a place to visit,
by Barbara Noe Kennedy, January 20, 2023. From her story:

 

Is this California wine region the new Napa? Its vintners hope not.
Suisun Valley has become a weekend destination for its top-notch wines and down-to-earth
wineries—a reminder of how Napa used to be.

 

“There’s a California wine region, about a 45-minute drive from San Francisco, where grape
vines run off to golden, oak-covered hills and wild turkeys shuffle across the road. Family
vineyards and down-home tasting rooms provide friendly wine sampling, and the bottles are
often reasonably priced.

 

“But this isn’t Napa or Sonoma, it’s the bucolic Suisun Valley. The 8-mile-by-3-mile swath of
vineyards and small farms feels like the Napa Valley of 50 years ago, with similarly top-notch
wines.

 

“Compared with the state’s bigger wine-growing regions, “we provide a more relaxed
experience,” says Ron Lanza, whose family runs Wooden Valley Winery, the oldest operation
in Suisun (sue-soon).”