By leah
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What’s true of this whole county is also true of Mendocino County’s Legendary Zinfandel Vineyards, which are largely off the beaten path. It is particularly true with the historic high-elevation sites that are at the Ciapusci, Gianoli, Perli and Zeni ranches off Fish Rock Road, which runs along the windy, timber-laden ridge that separates the scenic route from the Yorkville Highlands and Anderson Valley appellations, from the Pacific Ocean in the southwest corner of the county. The same can be said about the Talmage Bench, a series of special vineyards planted in the early 20thCentury that are located in the warmer inland area, east of Ukiah. Here are profiles of some of these unique sites and passionate people preserving the legacy of these vines for the future.
Mariah Vineyard
At 2,600 feet, the Mariah Vineyards is the highest site in the AVA and home to 14 acres of prolific Zinfandel vines. ““The coolest of the hot areas is what we were looking for. No guts, no glory,” laughs proprietor Dan Dooling, who purchased this spectacular site with his wife Vicki in 1978 and planted the first vines in 1981. After selling the grapes to Edmeades, the Doolings joined forces with Paul Dolan of Fetzer and Brown-Forman to establish the Mariah brand in 1991. Packaged in a stunning etched label and priced at $50 per bottle, this became the first high-end Zinfandel that raised the bar for Mendocino County. After buying the brand back and selling the wine in small allotments of the annual release to top restaurants like Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and online, Dooling sells most of the other grapes to Seghesio Family Vineyards, which bottles a limited-release from the site each year.