CHALONE VINEYARD is named for a tribe of Costanoan Indians that once inhabited the remote area of the Gavilan Mountains to the east of the Salinas Valley in Monterey County. Dick Graff fell in love with the beauty and isolation of the land in the 1960's, but his main reason for choosing this site was the topsoil and the climate, the "terroir." The original vineyard was planted in 1919 by a Frenchman looking for a site that resembled the soil in his native country. There were additional plantings in 1946, and the first commercial wines were produced by Philip Togni in 1960.

The hills where vines are planted and the winery now stands, exist in an extremely dry climate. The sparse, shallow soil is marbled with limestone of poor organic content. Temperatures can vary up to 60º in one day. Summer months range from 40º at night to 100º at midday with as little as seven inches of rainfall in a calendar year. However, these adverse farming conditions produce fruit characterized by intense, concentrated flavors and, in turn, wines of extraordinary depth, flavor and varietal characteristics, with layers of complexity that express themselves more fully as they mature. At Chalone Vineyard, wine is perceived as coming from the vineyards and the function of the winemaker is to help the grapes achieve their maximum potential.

Winemaking techniques are based on traditional Burgundian methods and have been adapted, through careful experimentation, to the climate and soil conditions unique to the Chalone appellation. All of the white wines are fermented in French oak barrels in underground cellars, and the Pinot Noir is aged in the similar French oak for 14 to 16 months.

Chalone Vineyards / Stonewall Canyon Rd. & Hwy 146 / Soledad, CA  93960 / 408-678-1717

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