Nestled in upper Arroyo Grande Valley and open to the Pacific
Ocean, Saucelito Canyon Vineyard is recognized as one of California's premium
Zinfandel estates.
Vines were first planted on Rancho Saucelito
(saucelito is an old place name for little willows that grow naturally in the
area) in 1879 by Englishman Henry Ditmas. When my wife, Nancy and I bought the
property from Ditmas' granddaughters in 1974, the vines were overgrown, having
been abandoned for more than three decades. Vine tops were dead, but the roots
were still alive, so I picked out one shoot from each root crown, then cut off
the rest to create a new trunk.
The intense fruit from those three acres of century-old, non-irrigated vines provide
a compact central structure for our Zinfandel. We have since added another five
acres of Zinfandel and two acres of Cabernet Sauvignon. We opened our cozy little
2000-case winery on the property in 1982.
Vineyard Saucelito Canyon Vineyard is located on the central coast of California,
20 miles inland from San Luis Obispo. The vineyard benefits from a rather unique
microclimate, cooler than Paso Robles, warmer than the Edna Valley and Arroyo
Grande. The land is uplifted ocean terrace, now 800 feet above sea level. Fossilized
oyster beds come up under the plow. The soils are deep and rich in sand, gravel
and limestone. This combination of a moderately warm coastal valley climate, loose
porous soil, old head pruned vines, and dry farming produce fleshy, lushly, fruited
Zinfandels.
Saucelito Canyon Vineyard / 1600 Saucelito Creek Road / Arroyo Grande, CA 93420
/ (805) 489-8762
