When Less Is More

California’s wine industry is going through a series of major changes, brought on by the weak economy ( bankruptcy is an often-heard word these days), the root louse Phylloxera and sales as flat as last week’s champagne.

Add to that the multitude of brands on store shelves, which makes marketing difficult, and you can understand why many wineries are reducing the number of wines they make, and concentrating on what they do best. Usually the first wines discarded are those that aren’t “hot.” Riesling is out, Chardonnay is in.

In the old days, wineries made literally dozens of wines. In the 1960s, the Louis Martini Winery in the Napa Valley made more than 45 different types of wine, including Folle Blanche, Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Gamay Rose, Claret, Chianti, Burgundy, Chablis, Semillon, Sylvaner, Mountain White, Mountain Red, Mountain Vin Rose, Tawny Port and various Sherries.

Martini has eliminated those wines and now makes fewer than a dozen wines. In the last decade, Raymond has cut out Riesling and Zinfandel, Cakebread and Phelps have eliminated Zinfandel and many others are cutting out a variety here, a variety there.

“When I first came to the Napa Valley in 1976, Riesling was the fast track, it was king,” says Craig Williams, winemaker at Joseph Phelps Vineyards. “We all made it and it was a staple in every house. In the last few years, we’ve drastically cut back on Riesling.”

Phelps remains one of the few Napa Valley Riesling producers. (Others include Trefethen and Freemark Abbey.) Phelps now makes fewer than 6,500 cases of Riesling and Gewurztraminer a year, as against 15,000 cases a decade ago.

These days even small producers who had only been making two or three wines to begin with are cutting back and concentrating on the one or two grape varieties that do best on their soils.

B. R. Cohn and Chimney Rock wineries are doing just that. These two wineries are coincidentally just about at the same latitude--one in the Napa Valley, the other in Sonoma Valley. Both started making wine in 1984, and both are today tearing out Chardonnay vines and replacing them with Cabernet Sauvignon.

“Like the French, we are learning what vines grow best in what soils,” says Bruce Cohn. “We found that this microclimate grows red wine grapes best.”

“This is Stag’s Leap,” says Sheldon “Hack” Wilson, owner of Chimney Rock, “and Stag’s Leap is a Cabernet region, we are clear on that.”

Both of these wineries made splendid Chardonnays and both will continue to make small amounts for loyal customers who covet them. But both will concentrate on a single wine.

Cohn, who is converting 11 acres of his ranch south of Glen Ellen from Chardonnay to Cabernet, will continue to make about 1,000 cases of Chardonnay. Doug Fletcher, winemaker at Chimney Rock, is tearing out 25 acres of that variety in favor of the red Bordeaux varieties. He said he might make Chardonnay from grapes grown nearby, but not from the 65-acre Chimney Rock ranch.

Both B. R. Cohn and Chimney Rock are banking on their history of making substantial, deeply flavored Cabernets to carry them.

“We’ve had wonderful response on our 1987 Cabernet, and this (elimination of Chardonnay) allows us to become a chateau-size winery in Stag’s Leap dedicated to estate-bottled Cabernet,” says Fletcher.

Chimney Rock’s 1987 Cabernet ($18) is a wine of classic herbal spice components layered with cherry-like tones and a lean, elegant finish.

B. R. Cohn, which makes dense, concentrated Cabernets, recently released a 1988 Cabernet ($25) that is richly flavored with roasted cherry/tobacco and violet tones and strong fruit in an otherwise lean, crisp finish.

“Sonoma Valley is a cooler region,” says Cohn, “but here I have a vineyard that’s located in a kind of banana belt--it’s a lot warmer than either of my neighbors--so it’s perfect for Cabernet.”

Cohn’s winemaker John Speed makes about 2,300 cases of Cabernet; after the replanting he’ll eventually make 4,000 cases.

Hack and Stella Wilson’s Chimney Rock Winery, with its distinct Cape Dutch architectural style, is located at the southern end of the Stag’s Leap region on land that slopes up toward the foothills.

Fletcher, who formerly worked at the Martin Ray winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains, said Chimney Rock would eventually make about 20,000 cases of estate Cabernet.

And what if demand is high?

“Well, there are 70 acres of Stag’s Leap soil that could be converted to Cabernet grapes . . . the golf course,” he said, winking. “But, of course, Hack and a few of our golfing neighbors might have something to say about that.”

The consolidation of wine types in many of the north coast regions of California is happening at the same time that some winemakers are experimenting with small amounts of wines from rare grape varieties.

The Rhone varieties of Viognier, Marsanne, Syrah and Mourvedre are a focus of a major project at Joseph Phelps, McDowell Valley, Bonny Doon, R.H. Phillips and a half-dozen other producers. And one of the more intriguing developments in California in the last couple of years is the move to investigate the potential for Italian varieties such as Nebbiolo, Sangiovese and even Pinot Grigio (Pinot Gris).

Moreover, “We’re seeing a small resurgence in the interest in Riesling,” said Williams at Phelps. “With our Riesling, we have slowly but steadily tried to make a drier style of wine, and that has helped to maintain the consumer support.”