CONCANNON 2003 CHARDONAY

Introduction

This is the first wine I have chosen to feature. There is no special reason for its selection, except that I did want to feature a wine from California’s Central Coast. My wife is from California and now has relatives living in the Central Coast so I have visited the area several times. I guess you could say it is part of my broadened definition of “terroir.” I feel a connection to the area and while I have not visited the Concannon vineyards there, I have driven by many and have visited one (which reminds me that I should feature a wine from Firestone soon). Part of my mission here is to include a brief description of the area from which the wine comes so I thought it might be useful to begin with an area I know something about.

Wine Impressions

I found the bottle appealing, and while I didn’t realize it until it was empty, it is very heavy. It had a natural cork, which I also prefer. We paid $9.99 for the 750 ml bottle, which is the suggested retail price. My wife and I opened the bottle on February 12, 2006.

The wine has a light oak smell. The color was very interesting. It was a light, golden color but it was more than that. We came to describe it as “shiny.” Upon request, our son described it as “like C3PO” (I am not sure that comes across as positive in describing a wine, but it was meant to be a compliment!). The wine had a very pleasant light taste that did not linger. My preference is red wines, but I enjoyed this wine very much.

The Company: Concannan Vineyard

The company has an interesting and appealing history (which is part of my expanded version of “terroir.” I realize I need to coin a new word before the wine purists complain about my improper use of the term!) From the company’s web site, I have learned that it was founded in 1883 by James Concannon. He was the first Irish vintner in America. In 1911, Concannon planted Petite Sirah in Livermore Valley. In 1961, Concannon, upon the suggestion of a friend, was the first to varietally label Petite Sirah (Apparently, wines made from this grape were labeled by a number of names including Durif and Hearty Burgundy). These facts have piqued my interest in trying the Petite Sirah from this company if it fits my budget.

In 1950, the first woman winemaker was hired by Concannon. Her name was Katherine Vajda. This fact also makes the company appealing to me as it seems to be indicative of a progressive company willing to try new ideas.

It appears that Concannon’s primary (and possibly only) winery is in Livermore Valley. It also has vineyards in the Central Coast (I was not able to determine the exact location), where they also produce cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petite sirah, pinot noir, sauvignon blanc and syrah in addition to chardonnay. They also produce pinot noir and chardonnay in the Edna Valley and sauvignon blanc in Monterrey.

The Region: California Central Coast

Like many regions, the California Central Coast does not have specific boundaries and is defined differently by different people. I have seen definitions that include Oxnard to the south and San Jose to the north. With no qualifications to do so, I hereby define the Central Coast as including that area south of Monterrey and north of Santa Barbara. I welcome comments on what others’ perceptions are of the Central Coast. If you saw the movie “Sideways,” you saw a bit of the Central Coast.

I have two connections to the Central Coast. In our first visit to California after we were married, my wife and I visited her parents in Carpinteria (outside Santa Barbara). During that visit, we took a side trip driving up the coast with no particular destination. We made it as far north as Cambria Pines. We had a wonderful trip, as there were spectacular views and many interesting sights. We stopped in Solvang (a Danish town built largely in Danish architecture and with many restaurants and shops selling Danish food and products), Buellton (the home of Anderson’s restaurant, famous for its pea soup), and Morro Bay, where we had breakfast at Dorn’s (which has a spectacular view of the Pacific).

During the trip we drove through Santa Maria. I have two vivid memories of that city. First, we crossed over a very long bridge over a tiny stream that hardly qualifies as a river. Here in New England we would call it a “brook.” I guess the long bridge is needed during certain wet seasons. My second impression was that the city seemed poised for strong growth (my urban planning background popping up again). That was in 1981 when the population was 39,685. By 2000, the population had virtually doubled to 77,423.

My second connection to Central Coast is that my wife’s parents and two of her sisters and their families now live in the Arroyo Grande-Pismo Beach area. These places lie just south of San Luis Obispo, which I consider to be the heart of the Central Coast. San Luis Obispo is a beautiful old town with a thriving downtown area with many amenities – an urban planner’s dream. While its population is only 44,174 (2000 U.S. Census), it serves as a regional center and “feels” much bigger than that.

One interesting memory we have is driving along “the 101” (as they say in California) past vineyards with signs indicating the variety of grape being grown. While we have visited the area several times, we have only visited one winery so far (Firestone, in the Santa Ynez Valley, which will be discussed another time)