Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/1031957
WINEMAKING TECHNICAL SPOTLIGHT 46 WINES&VINES October 2018 A visit to the tasting room and original winery of Bogle Vineyards gives no immediate sign of how big and how progressive the family owned winery is today. County Road 144 that reaches the Bogle ranch and winery from the tiny town of Clarksburg, Calif., two miles away runs along the top of a levee that keeps Elk Slough from flooding the rich farmland all around. This is the Sacramento Delta region, Cali- fornia's version of the bayou, and as if to prove this point a foot- long snapping turtle inches across the road and causes a short delay as Wines & Vines approaches the family property. Tucked between the road and large stretches of flat terrain covered by vines are the Bogle offices, tasting room and wine club reception area, housed in a vaulted two-story frame build- ing with a second-story deck wrapping around one end to give expansive views. Nearby sits a smallish, ramshackle winery complex that has been expanded over time and includes a number of 5,000 to 20,000 gallon tanks resting outside. Winery staff greet visitors daily, host wine club events and pour the array of $10 to $20 wines that have won a loyal fol- lowing over time for their quality and especially for their value. The scene is familiar in every California wine region, and en- courages the idea that Bogle Vineyards is a small, artisan-style winery that grows its own grapes and makes its own wine on the premises. But there's more to it than that. The Bogle family built and expanded these facilities during the first few decades of operations, but as the brand prospered and grew, they began to outsource winemaking to custom crush outfits in places including Monterey and Sonoma counties. By the late 2000s they were well on the way to today's output of 2.5 million cases and decided to build a new winery to bring all the winemaking together in one place. With wine distributed in 50 states and exports expanding to 38 countries, they began planning a brand-new, state of the art 20-acre facility on a 250-acre property they already owned a few miles away. Designed by Calpo, Hom & Dong and Sum- mit Engineering and built by Rudolph and Sletten, the winery was put into partial service in 2011 and now handles all their needs with an efficient crush pad, tank farm and 200,000-square- foot barrel cellar. Now as the family celebrates its 50th year of farming wine grapes and its 42nd year of winemaking, the Bogles and their staff are welcoming some attention to their efforts. Warren V. Bogle and his son Chris were the first to introduce wine grapes to Clarksburg when they planted an initial 20 acres of Petite Sirah and Chenin Blanc in 1968. Today the family manages more than 10 varieties and more than 1,900 acres. The children of Chris Bogle and his wife, Patty, are now the third-generation to make wine in Clarksburg. Of the three Bogle siblings, Warren, named after his grandfather, is in charge of farming, Ryan manages the business side and Jody Bogle over- sees customer relations, direct to consumer sales and interna- tional sales. Bogle employs 135 people in the delta region. Wine production is the responsibility of Eric Aafedt, director of winemaking, who has been with Bogle since 1994 after he graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in chem- istry. Working with him is winemaker Dana Stemmler, who earned a degree in viticulture and enology from the University of Cali- fornia, Davis, in 2005 and joined Bogle the following year. While ramping up production from year to year, Aafedt and his team have maintained high quality in their wines by sourc- ing grapes from the best vineyards that Bogle's average price point of $10 can justify, and then making the wine as if it were going to sell for twice as much. For example, each vineyard lot, whether grown by Warren Bogle or by partner growers, is processed separately to improve quality control throughout the winemaking process. This practice helps keep quality high and is rare for a winery of Bogle's size. Estate fruit satisfies about 40% of the winery's needs, and partner growers supply the rest from locations throughout the state. In 2017 the winery fermented 650 lots and kept them Bogle Vineyards Pioneering winery in Clarksburg, Calif., celebrates 50 years and modern 20-acre facility By Jim Gordon TECHNICAL SPOTLIGHT RUDY CALPO PHOTOGRAPHY Bogle handles all 2.5 million cases at their state of the art winery which includes 350 tanks and a truck ramp for grape delivery.