Ghirardelli Vineyard

The Ghirardelli Vineyard spreads over 25.5 acres of rolling hills near Burson in western Calaveras County. This Zinfandel vineyard is the oldest in the county. It is owned by Alan and Robert Ghirardelli. Like their father and grandfather before them, the Ghirardelli brothers tend the gnarled vines and preserve a family tradition that is over 100 years old. Alan is quick to point out that they are not related to Ghirardelli Chocolate. "Our family vineyard has survived and the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company was sold long ago."

Grandfather Ghirardelli emigrated from Genoa, Italy in the 1890s. He worked in the Jackson gold mines and in 1900 was able to purchase an established 7.5 acre vineyard on Pettinger Road.

The family leased the vineyard from 1900 to 1938. During that time the family operated Standard Fruit and Produce on 6th Street in San Francisco. The grapes were shipped by rail from Calaveras County to San Francisco for sale to home winemakers.

In 1938 their tenant at the Pettinger Road vineyard was arrested for bootlegging brandy. At the suggestion of the revenue agent, the Ghirardellis took over farming the vineyard. It was during this time that additional vineyard was planted: 11 acres in 1942 and 7 acres in 1951.

After 1968 the railroad spur in Burson closed down and the Ghirardelli family looked for new customers for their grapes. By this time the California wine industry was experiencing a Renaissance with renewed interest in Zinfandel. Beginning in the 1970s the family sold grapes to local wineries.

The vineyard is unique, even among old Foothill vineyards. The grapes are dry farmed; there is no irrigation and no need for frost protection. The vines are trained in the old Italian style; as "little trees." They are head trained and spur pruned.

The soils are especially shallow, averaging 1.5 to 2 feet deep. The soils have excellent drainage, and combined with good air drainage in the vineyard, the grapes can ripen with no threat of mold. For this reason, the Ghirardellis have been able to continue their family's nearly 100 year tradition of organic farming.

All these viticultural factors combine to produce very low yields, averaging one ton per acre. Those few tons produced have extraordinary concentration of flavor and intense varietal character. UC Davis viticulturalists are taking cuttings from the vineyard to enhance their own test vineyard, and to establish the Ghirardelli clone of Zinfandel.

We have had the good fortune to work with the Ghirardelli Vineyard since 1990. We produce a Zinfandel table wine from the 40 and 50 year old sections. Our 1994 Zinfandel Port comes from the oldest section of the vineyard, planted 100 years ago. We invite you to sample these fine Milliaire wines produced from Ghirardelli Vineyard, a living part of Calaveras County history.*

* Our 1993 Ghiradelli Vineyard Zinfandel received a 4 Star Gold Medal at the Orange County Fair. Only one of ten wines out of 2,035 entered to be so honored. Our 1994 Zinfandel Port received a Silver Medal at the California State Fair.

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