Grapevine: Chilly Marin County is not too cold for certain wine grapes

Western Marin County looks like a backdrop for one of those “happy cows” commercials, and for good reason — it’s dairy and beef cattle ountry. Never mind that on a recent cold, rainy day, the cows probably weren’t too happy.

But amid the hillsides used for grazing, a few hardy souls are trying to revive a type of agriculture that flourished in Marin in the 1800s: wine grapes.

Grapes are thought to have arrived in Marin County with the establishment of the San Rafael Mission in 1817. Viticulture took off in the 19th century, but after the 1906 earthquake, Prohibition and World War II, vineyards were ripped out to make way for suburban development in much of the county.

Over the years, the general belief has been that Marin was simply too cold and rainy for growing wine grapes. Certainly the area has its blustery days, as I found out during a recent visit. But the climate is moderated by the large, cold bodies of water that sit on three sides of the county: the Pacific Ocean to the west and San Francisco and San Pablo bays on the south and east. Although western Marin is cooler than Sonoma and Napa in the summer, it’s actually warmer in the winter. That combination gives Marin a longer growing season.

A place for pinot

The cool summers also lead to slow ripening, with the result that Marin pinot noirs, by and large, have intense flavors but aren’t overly alcoholic. But there are drawbacks to the area, too: Cool, damp spring weather often results in small crops, especially for pinot, because of poor fruit set.

“Two tons and you’re really, really, really happy,” says Jonathan Pey, who owns the Pey-Marin label with his wife, Susan.

A short drive out of Fairfax, which is on the edge of suburbia, takes you into the rolling, bucolic countryside of west Marin. This part of the county is largely restricted to agriculture. The vineyards are found in “little nooks and crannies,” Pey says. “It’s the English muffin story.”

“You’re looking for the microclimates and the wind protection,” says winemaker Dan Goldfield, who has probably made more wines than anyone from Marin County grapes. Currently, he makes Marin wines for his own Dutton-Goldfield label as well as for Stubbs Vineyard and Orogeny.

There are about 175 acres of wine grapes in Marin County, mostly cool-climate varieties, particularly pinot. Many of the vines are so new, they have yet to produce a crop. Vineyards often occupy a piece of a larger ranch. The Peys, for example, lease about eight acres of the Corda Ranch, which has some other vineyard blocks, but most of the ranch is used to raise beef cattle. Filmmaker George Lucas has also planted grapes at his Skywalker Ranch.

I’ve tasted about a dozen wines recently from various Marin vineyards, mostly pinot noir. That grape appears to be the best fit for Marin, although there are some interesting merlots and a very good Pey-Marin riesling.

Samples from Marin

The Dutton-Goldfield pinot is from Devil’s Gulch Vineyard, on a hillside above the town of Nicasio. There is no current release because the 2005 crop was so small that Goldfield didn’t make a separate bottling. But I was able to taste the 2003, which is rich and dark, with bright cherry and strawberry flavors, good depth and concentration and a supple finish. Goldfield says he finds “a real kind of wildness” to the wines.

The 2006 Orogeny Pinot Noir from Redding Ranch Vineyard ($60), which is also made by Goldfield, is bright and lively, with cherry and raspberry notes, a very slight hint of sage and, at this young age, more upfront tannin. The wine will be released in April; no 2005 was made because, Goldfield says, there was virtually no crop at the vineyard, which is near Devil’s Gulch.

There are some currently available 2005s, however, from sites that are a little more protected. The 2005 Pey-Marin “Trois Filles” Pinot Noir ($39) is juicy and rich, with cherry, vanilla and spice flavors, a supple texture and good weight. The 2005 Stubbs Pinot Noir ($45), another wine made by Goldfield, offers rich strawberry and cherry flavors, a hint of rhubarb and a good core of acidity. The 2005 Kendric Pinot Noir ($30) is showing a bit more oak now, along with bright raspberry and cherry fruit and a long finish.

I tasted a couple of interesting merlots, too. The 2005 Mount Tamalpais Merlot ($28), another label owned by the Peys, is dense, dark and supple, with rich cherry, a hint of cedar and a firm core of acid. The 2005 Stubbs Merlot ($34) offers lots of sweet cherry fruit up front, then the tannins firm up on the finish.

The Peys love riesling, so they make one. The 2006 Pey-Marin “The Shell Mound” Riesling ($22) is lean, racy and flinty, with crisp lime flavors and a long finish.