Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/764739
6 0 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | J a n - F e b 2 017 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m There are some 50 separate vine- yard properties and close to two dozen resident wineries, several of which are household names among wine aficionados. Among them has always been Hahn, along with their original Smith & Hook brand. With 650 acres in Santa Lucia Highlands and another 461 in the hen Nicolaus (Nicky) and Gaby Hahn first set foot in Santa Lucia Highlands back in the late 1970s, the prevail- ing infatuation among growers was Bordeaux varieties. Naturally, when the couple purchased the Smith and Hook horse and cattle ranches in 1980, they planted Cabernet Sau- vignon and Merlot. Over the years, however, it became clear that the heavily marine-influenced climate favored Burgundian varieties, and the Hahns subtly shifted their vine- yard direction toward Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Recognizing the unique character of the 12-mile long bench land strip on the lee side of the Santa Lucia Mountains, Nicky first suggested creating a Santa Lucia Highlands AVA. In 1991, the federal government approved it. Today, Santa Lucia Highlands, literally a bench above the Salinas River, boasts 22,000 acres, 6,100 of which are currently planted to vines. B Y L A U R A N E S S Tony Baldini became president of Hahn Family Wines in 2013. Arroyo Seco AVA, Hahn is a signifi- cant tour de force in the region. Its four estate vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands comprise more than 10% of the total acreage planted in the AVA. Planted on hillside sites with southeastern slopes high above Salinas Valley, they literally drink in the plentiful morning sunshine. + The Hahn Family Wine brand, along with Smith & Hook, established in 1980, are among the oldest in the Santa Lucia Highlands (SLH). + The family owns more than 10% of the vineyard property in SLH, an AVA that winery founder, Nicky Hahn, helped establish in 1991. + Under President Tony Baldini's leadership, the Hahn SLH series of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay has become a major market presence in North America. + A second generation of the Hahn family is now involved in elevating the brand via the Hahn SLH and Lucienne labels. AT A GLANCE F A M I L Y W I N E S