Wine

Published: Friday, Sep. 18, 2009

Wine Notes: Croad Vineyards

A welcome winery turnaround

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The first thing you notice when you’re driving up the hill to Croad Vineyards are the somewhat perplexing signs that say “Kia Ora!” and “No Aussies Allowed!”

Then the large yellow and black sign of a kiwi bird further up the hill is a solid clue that this is no ordinary winery.

But when you get to the top of the hill, and see the flag of New Zealand flying next to the flag of the United States and California, it starts to make sense.

This is the work of native New Zealander Martin Croad, paying homage to his own country and recognizing, with tongue-in-cheek humor, the ongoing rivalry with neighbor Australia.

“Kia Ora,” Croad explains, is New Zealand’s native Maori term for “welcome.”

And “No Aussies” is joined by another sign that irreverently says “No Wankers,” a rather impolite term for “jerk.”

But all is in good fun, he assures, for behind all the joviality is a very serious businessman and winemaker, who has turned a neglected vineyard on the west side into a showplace.

“The whole property was distressed when I bought it,” Croad explains. “It was a diamond in the rough—the perfect location, but the property was just a total mess.”

Covered with weeds, the 38-acre property had 12 acres of zinfandel planted, but the electrical contractor from Bakersfield hardly knew where to start.

“I didn’t know where I was going to go with it,” he remembers, “I’m just a go-with-it, get-it-done and see-what-happens type of guy.”

Now, five years after he bought the property, he has planted eight additional acres of Rhone-variety vines, and built a stunning, 10,000-square-foot, mission-style winery and tasting room that he opened last October.

He had no experience at all in viticulture or winemaking, and has been teaching himself — with the help of neighboring winemakers such as Joe Barton and Hank Donatoni — what needs to be done each step of the way.

“But that’s been the fun part of it—the learning experience,” Croad says.

While still keeping his electrical contracting business in Bakersfield, he has been commuting to Paso Robles every week for over five years, leaving on Sunday night and returning to his winery on Wednesday or Thursday.

“So there’s no such thing as a day off,” he explains.

He has also picked up substantial contracting business locally with other wineries as the result of his work on his own facility.

But it is definitely a labor of love.

“Whether I’m walking in the vineyard in the morning, or you’re in the winery, or whether you’re in the tasting room — it’s just all so enjoyable,” he says.

“But you’ve got to be part of it. You’ve got to live it, you’ve got to breathe it. You just can’t operate it from somewhere else or tell someone to do it.”

Croad, in fact, designed the facility himself, and built it with the help of a builder friend from Colorado.

He drives the tractor in the vineyard, tops off barrels, works behind the bar in the tasting room, and prides himself on being “hands-on” in practically every aspect of the winery.

He and wife Patti even picked every grape in the vineyard, with the help of a few friends, for their first harvest.

The Croad’s first vintage was 2005, and last year they made about 1,500 cases of zinfandel and Rhone blends.

For his first wine competition, he submitted three of his 2007 wines to the Mid-State Wine Competition and medaled with all three.

He then submitted his zinfandel to the Monterey Wine Competition and was awarded Best of Class.

“I like this wine competition stuff!” he says with a broad smile.

He has no retail distribution, and sells his wine only out of the tasting room and through his wine club, yet the word of mouth is spreading.

With the sweeping views of neighboring Templeton Gap vineyards from his courtyard patio, it’s not unusual for guests to bring friends and come for a couple hours to sip wine and share picnic baskets.

Even after having his tasting room open less than one year, he has over 200 wine club members.

Despite working seven days a week, Croad exudes happiness.

“The Central Coast is really a special area, it’s paradise,” the once-world traveler says. “We’re just so happy with it, we keep pinching ourselves.”

Croad Vineyards

3550 Vinedo Robles Lane, Paso Robles, 226-9899

Owners: Martin and Patti Croad

Winemaker: Martin Croad

Cases produced: 1,500 in 2008

Varietals: Rhone blends and zinfandel

Tasting room hours: Friday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday and Thursday 12 to 5 p.m.

Online: www.croadvineyards.com

Janis Switzer can be reached at 434-5394 or via e-mail at janisswitzer@yahoo.com.