Adelaida
| Adelaida Cellars | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Location | Paso Robles, California |
| Appellation | Paso Robles AVA |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Key people | Jeremy Weintraub John Munch Terry Culton |
| Cases/yr | 15,000 |
| Varietals | Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot noir, Chardonnay, Syrah, Zinfandel, Rhone, Bordeaux |
| Website | http://www.adelaida.com/ |
Adelaida Cellars is a family-owned and operated winery that was named after a 19th-century settlement in the mountains of west Paso Robles, California. Situated at 2,000 feet (610 m) of elevation and 14 miles (23 km) from the Pacific Ocean, the terrain of the Adelaida, California district is marked by ancient calcareous soils, diurnal temperature variations of nearly 50 °F (10 °C), and warm, dry growing seasons. Adelaida Cellars produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot noir, Syrah, Rhône blends, Zinfandel and other wines from the Paso Robles AVA.
Longtime residents of southern California, the Van Steenwyk family purchased Hilltop Ranch along Adelaida Road in the late 1970s as an investment. The steep, contouring slopes are home to several hundred acres of walnut trees and an abundance of fauna. The family soon acquired nearby Viking Ranch, adding more orchards to the existing walnut-growing business.
Meanwhile, John Munch began making wine under the Adelaida Cellars label in 1981 with grapes purchased from local growers. He operated the winery from leased space until entering an agreement with the Van Steenwyks in 1991 that established him as the winemaker-managing partner. Committed to producing wine exclusively from estate vineyards, the Van Steenwyks constructed a winemaking facility on Hilltop Ranch and began developing vineyard property. Viking Ranch was planted in 1991 with 10 acres (40,000 m2) of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Viking Estate Vineyard — a steep, uniform ridge sheltered by two higher, neighboring ridges — now contains 15 acres (6.1 ha) of Cabernet Sauvignon and 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) of Syrah. Vines were planted in a densely spaced pattern at 1,500–1,700 feet (460–520 m) above sea level with a south-facing aspect to the sun.
In 1994, the Van Steenwyks purchased part of nearby Hoffman Mountain Ranch, including most of the vineyards developed by Dr. Stanley Hoffman in 1964. The planting was named HMR Estate Vineyard to honor its noble beginnings, and is situation 0.5 miles (0.80 km) west of Viking at elevations of 1,600–1,700 feet (490–520 m). As the oldest Pinot noir vineyard in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, HMR also contains 7 acres (2.8 ha) of Chardonnay dating back to 1973. In a 1979 Paris wine competition, the 1975 Hoffman Mountain Ranch Pinot noir placed third in the world in a comparative tasting of 330 wines from 33 countries. In 1999, the Van Steenwyks bought out John Munch to become the sole proprietors of Adelaida Cellars.
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Wikipedia