Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/501762
w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m M a y - J u n e 2 015 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 6 9 Randall Grahm's Popelouchum estate in San Juan Bautista is remote, parched and underfunded. Even so, he is optimistic that it will create true "wines of place." THE EXPERIMENT BEGINS To propagate new varieties, Grahm knew he had to invest in lots of different plant material; he figured 30 varieties was a good number. He looked primarily at super drought-resistant rootstocks, as dry-farming was a necessity. "We looked at 110R and 1103P most closely, and 1103P is the one we will be primarily using," Grahm said. "We are also establishing a plantation of pure Vitis berlandieri (grown from seed) and we will bud on top of that. What could possibly go wrong?" he said, chuckling. Vi t i s b e r l a n d i e r i i s a n a t i v e grape common to Texas and the Southwest that does well in lime- stone-dominant soils, like those of Popelouchum. It was Dr. Andrew Walker of the Plant Breeding Center at UC Davis who suggested the use of Vitis berlandieri to Grahm, and helped him to source it from Texas. Walk- er says he feels that this drought- resistant rootstock will be a good basis for grafting and that the proj- ect will be beneficial, as its some- thing he's always wanted to do. clysm, Grahm had long been think- ing about the effects on viticulture. Wanting to do something about it, he fastened onto the idea of creat- ing drought-resistant grape variet- ies by letting Darwinism loose. He thought, "Let's let the uniqueness of the place self-select the variet- ies and clones most suitable to this particular climate and limestone rich soils." G r a h m a l s o s u s p e c t e d t h a t Popelouchum might be a place to create true "wines of terroir," like those of Burgundy. "When I worked at the Wine M e r c h a n t ( i n L o s A n g e l e s ) i n 1975, I was fortunate enough to taste the great wines of Comte de Vogüé, the '71 Musigny and Bonnes Mares," he said. "These wines were just life-changing. How could Chateau Palmer and Cha- teau La Mission Haut-Brion (from Bordeaux) have such an incredibly distinctive character? This is that mysterious 'otherness' that wines of place possess." Wines of place are the only wines that really matter, Grahm said, and he wants to be making them. "Ninety-nine percent of the wines in the market today are not wines of place. Wines of place con- nect you to the earth, they provide a deep, more emotional connec- tion. I think they are more nourish- ing, whether richer in minerals or antioxidants. I can't prove this, but my sense is they have more life. They seem to resist oxidation." + Popelouchum, Bonny Doon's 280-acre property in San Juan Bautista, is intended as a breeding ground for new drought-resistant grape varieties. + Drought-resistant rootstock and biochar are part of a larger quest to aug- ment global agriculture in the face of climate change. + Using Pinot Noir as a starter, Grahm hopes to create wines that truly reflect a sense of place. + Bonny Doon intends to finance the experiment via crowdsourcing. AT A GLANCE Grahm is using Vitis berlandieri root- stock, grown from seed.