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DE CEMBER NEWS California's Old Grapevines Thrive Society to recognize vineyards more than a half-century old ry Creek Valley, Calif.—Despite a winegrowing heritage that began before statehood, and some vines that continue to yield grapes after a century, California has never taken stock of its ancient vineyards. A dedicated group of winemakers and vineyard owners has formed the Historic Vineyard Society to catalog, validate, pro- tect and promote California's historic vineyards. It's focusing on producing vineyards planted before 1960. The organization has found working vineyards dating back to the 1880s, and a surprising number more than 100 years old. They're scattered throughout the state, many in places less famous for wine than Napa or Sonoma. In those established production D winesandvines.com Learn more: Search keywords "old grapevines." Cherokee_Nov05.qxt 9/19/05 10:52 AM Page 1 areas where vineyard land is expensive, growers tend to uproot old vines and plant new vineyards that produce higher yields of more popular grapes. Many of the antique vineyards feature Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Cinsault, Grand Noir, Alicante Bouschet, Carignane, Grenache and other varieties. Many grow in mixed fields, often containing a few white varieties as well as reds. The idea for the society was born when Mike Dildine asked an Internet wine forum about California's great old vine Zinfandel vineyards. Hundreds of Zin lovers responded with old vineyards; others joined to create the Historic Vineyard Society. The group's goal is to document facts about all of California's heritage vineyards, and to raise awareness of the unique places these Rossi Ranch vineyard in the Sonoma valley was planted in 1910. vineyards represent in California and wine- making history. So far, the group has identified 202 historic vineyards in California, 100 are in Sonoma County. —Paul Franson hauling precious cargo • 24 hour dispatch • Competitive rates • Personalized Service • Radio/Cell phone equipped • State-of-the-art equipment • Maximum payload capacity • Over 30 years in operation • References available • Fleet of over 200 trucks including Wine Tanks and Dry Freight Vans CHEROKEE FREIGHT LINES 5463 Cherokee Road • Stockton, CA 95215 Telephone: 209.931.3570 • or visit our website:www.gocfl.com 18 Wines & Vines DeCeMBeR 201 1