Monte Lago Appellation

Lake County's High Valley Appellation

The High Valley appellation is partly defined by elevation, and lies at 1,600 feet and above, but it actually encompasses two distinct growing regions, the valley floor and the hillsides.

The hillsides, with their optimum southwest exposure and well-drained soils, are excellent for Bordeaux and Rhone varieties, while the chilly valley floor is best for cool varieties such as Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and even Riesling and Gewurztraminer.

The valley itself is 9 miles long and 3 miles wide, with an east-west orientation unusual in the Californian coastal range, a result of volcanic activity of Round Mountain, an extinct volcano lying within the valley.

The AVA contains 15,000 acres, and about 700 acres are currently planted in vineyards. Most are relatively new, but within the area are some of the oldest vines in California. These are 15 struggling Zinfandel and Muscat vines planted by the Ogulin family, which brought them from Slovenia around 1875. Since Slovenia borders Croatia, where cousins of Zinfandel vines are found, this suggests significance in the history of California Zinfandel.

The old vines shouldn't be a surprise, for before Prohibition, Lake County was one of the state's largest wine producers, with an estimated 75 wineries in the county.

Growers in the area include Brassfield Estates, High Valley, Monte Lago, Shannon Ridge and Round Mountain. Brassfield has an impressive, Napa-style winery, while the others--with the exception of Round Mountain--produce their wine elsewhere.

Origin Of The Valley

The area was originally a small east-west fault basin with drainage to the east, but during Lake County's active volcanic period, lava from now-extinct Round Mountain volcano built up the eastern side of High Valley, altering its shape to create a series of eastern ridges, and forming the valley's enclosed basin while damming the preexisting creek.

With no outlet for runoff, a lake formed, though alluvial sediments washed down from the hills and eventually filled the canyon. Over time, the lake drained via Schindler's Creek, leaving behind the large flat plain of High Valley and small Tule Lake on the valley's central floor.

Climate

The High Valley area is one of the coolest grapegrowing regions in Lake County, with a frost season that frequently extends into June. The Winkler climate classification classifies High Valley as a Region 3 climate or sometimes a cooler Region 2, depending upon the year and the vineyard's location.

This cool climate is created by a number of factors: the east-west orientation, the High Valley Ridge's topography, the elevation, the cooling effects of Clear Lake and the cooling winds from the mountains of Mendocino National Forest. Together they create a natural wind machine that profoundly affects the AVA. During July and August, diurnal temperature swings of 60-70[degrees] are common. This intense cooling effect maintains high acidities, good tannin structure, dark color and concentrated fruit character.

The High Valley viticultural area received 18 inches of precipitation in both 2000 and 2001, 29 inches in 2002, and 35 inches from January through May 2003, less than most other Lake County grapegrowing regions.

The area contains adequate aquifers and natural springs to meet its irrigation needs. The limited capability of Schindler Creek to drain the valley contributes to its high water table. The springs of the valley's slopes and canyons flow down to the valley floor, which also contains springs and numerous ponds.

Soils

The soils found within the High Valley area are derived from material found within the basin. These include brick-red volcanic cinders and pumice-like gravel and stones that provide superior drainage. Chemical analysis of the soils reveals excellent characteristics for grapegrowing, with higher calcium and potassium, and lower phosphorous and magnesium levels than other Lake County and North Coast AVAs.

The dominant rock types in the AVA are Jurassic sedimentary rocks of the Franciscan Complex, basalt flows and Quaternary volcanic deposits. The Franciscan Complex forms the base material and most of the exposed rock in the southern ridges and western portions of High Valley, while the Quaternary volcanics overlay the basalts found throughout the valley's eastern half. Round Mountain is a prominent High Valley feature of the Quaternary volcanics.

The two primary soil types of High Valley are weathered volcanic residue and Franciscan Complex weathered sandstone, shale or phyllitic rocks. The east side of the area contains soils derived primarily from volcanics, while the west side contains soils from Jurassic to Cretaceous sedimentary and phyllitic source material.

The four basic soil formations within the area include: (1) Franciscan hills that form the southern and western boundaries, (2) the alluvial basin of High Valley, (3) the alluvial terrace along the southeast boundary and (4) the volcanic ridges along the area's northeastern portion near Round Mountain.

Wolfcreek loam soil, a deep well-drained clay to sandy loam with moderately slow permeability, covers most of the High Valley floor.

Overlapping Boundaries

The High Valley AVA lies mostly within the Clear Lake viticultural area, and in turn, the Clear Lake AVA is entirely within the larger, multi-county North Coast viticultural area. About 18% of the High Valley AVA lies outside the two larger viticultural areas. This includes the east side of Round Mountain and a small portion of the valley floor.

Monte Lago Vineyards And Winery

Jacqueline Dharmapalan is president of Monte Lago Vineyards and Winery, which owns 500 acres, 150 planted to Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel and Cabernet Franc.

The vines were planted in 1999. Most of the fruit is sold to other producers, though about 1,000 cases of Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah are made into wine sold under the Monte Lago label.

Though High Valley is a unique appellation quite unlike most of Lake County, it still suffers from its isolation and obscurity. Only time will tell whether the quality of its wines or the increasing recognition the rest of the county is receiving will help it gain prominence, or whether it will remain an insider's secret.

RELATED ARTICLE: Industry Executives Are Optimistic

A survey of top wine industry executives suggests that the economic slump of the early 2000s is over and the industry should expect a period of steady growth. The study was conducted by Robert Smiley, professor in the Graduate School of Management at UC Davis. Smiley reported on his findings at the Wine Industry Financial Symposium in Napa on Sept. 28.

Although 74% of the CEOs surveyed believe that the industry has entered a new cycle of growth, they expect it to be different from the boom-and-bust cycles of the past, according to Smiley. "They expect the past volatility of the industry to be tempered by globalization of the wine business, environmental and political impacts on the domestic market and slower growth in the supply of winegrapes," he said.

The survey of two dozen key executives also revealed that there is little agreement on strategic directions; some wineries are capping their growth; there is a growing movement toward synthetic corks, seen as a precursor to screwcaps and distribution continues to be an industry challenge.

This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.