Winemaker Jason Goelz and grape grower Stephen Dorcich are
teaming up, bringing a new winery and tasting room to the region.
Pairing their first names, they plan to open the Jason/Stephens
tasting room in June.
Winemaker Jason Goelz and grape grower Stephen Dorcich are teaming up, bringing a new winery and tasting room to the region. Pairing their first names, they plan to open the Jason/Stephens tasting room in June.
Dorcich, who owns Dorcich Vineyards, is expanding his business by developing in Uvas canyon, across from Kirigin Cellars. By adding a fully functional winery to the 79-acre vineyard, the two hope to produce 18,000 cases a year and bring thousands of visitors to their scenic tasting room, at 11775 Watsonville Road.
Jason/Stephens Winery Manager Goelz, 30, first met Dorcich, 54, in 2001 when he bought enough grapes from Dorcich to home-ferment a barrel of Syrah.
“In 2004 I tasted his wine that he made with my grapes, and I thought it was great so we started talking,” Dorcich said.
By August 2004 Goelz was selling Dorcich’s custom crush to high-end wineries in Napa for blends.
In early 2007 Dorcich was going to bulldoze his vineyard and plant pomegranates there, but Goelz made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
“Jason desperately wanted to get into the business of winemaking,” Dorcich said. “He begged me, ‘Build the winery. I’ll lease it and run it for you.’ ”
Dorcich has confidence in Goelz’ ability because Goelz majored in business and double-minored in economics and viticulture at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
“Jason/Stephens is his label and I just grow the grapes for him,” Dorcich said. “I think it’s great since now I only have to sell my grapes to one person and can let him deal with the headaches of selling the wine.”
With construction nearly complete, Dorcich and Goelz are waiting for final permits from Santa Clara County.
“The fire codes have been the hold-up,” Dorcich said. “Ever since the (Croy Road Fire of 2002) they’ve required new fire standards like sprinklers. It’s worse for us since we’re in the county zone outside of Gilroy. The farther you are from the city, the stricter the standards get.”
Dorcich, the son of pear farmers from San Jose, planted grapes after he bought his land in 1989. After 1993 he grew and sold his grapes to state wineries and sometimes had neighboring vintners process custom crush that he would sell to wine labels.
Located in the Uvas Canyon, a vineyard region bordered by Uvas Road to the north and Redwood Retreat Road to the south, Dorcich Vineyards produces about 300 tons of grapes annually.
Santa Clara County native Bill Cooper, associate winemaker of Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards in Saratoga, thinks the county has seen a growth in wine tourism because of its natural beauty.
“It beats the drive out to Napa and people who come to our tasting room love the climate,” Cooper said. “The wine industry is growing here since we’re rediscovering agriculture in Santa Clara County. It’s been growing since I was a kid, when it was all open fields on Watsonville Road. Wineries provide open space, they’re a great source of income and they bring the area tourist appeal, so everybody’s happier with more of them around … Dorcich has an excellent reputation as a grape grower, so I’m excited to see how well the winery will do.”
So is Goelz, who has been living on Dorcich Vineyard since July to oversee construction.
“I’m responsible for everything about the new winery except paying the bills,” Goelz said. “It’s my design, my layout and my equipment. It’s been a long, hard process, almost one year since we broke ground … We found preferred vendors and people we trust to sell us equipment. Good product is all about reliable equipment to keep the flavor clean.”
Grape varieties on the vineyard’s 50-planted acres include Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, merlot, zinfandel, and Chardonnay. Goelz and Dorcich plan to plant more varieties this year such as Malbec, Mourvèdre and Cabernet Franc.
Dorcich expects the wine will be successful throughout the country after Goelz arranges the distribution process.
“I’m hoping the winery will grow and remain in the area,” Dorcich said.
Maria Bruhns, tasting room manager at Kirigin Cellars, has noticed the changes at the neighboring vineyard.
“For years their gate was shut 90 percent of the time but there’s been a bustle of activity since last year,” she said.
Along with the tasting room bar there will be an outdoor tasting area with antique furniture and a fire pit next to a creek and beneath a canopy of trees.
“This is going to be great for wine dinners,” Goelz said. “The palm trees by the gate are also wired to light up, which is quite a sight in the dark valley at night.”
Goelz made sure the vineyard used sustainable farming practices, such as planting certain flowers in the rows to attract beneficial insects that will protect the vines from mealybugs. Also a steel tank on the lot behind the winery recycles runoff water from winemaking into liquid compost.
“We might sell our excess compost tea to local farmers,” Goelz said.
Between 1986 and 1992 Dorcich was a professional high-speed boat racer and won the World Offshore Boat Racing Championship in 1991.
“It was dangerous work, but I made a lot of money,” said Dorcich. “That was tough work, but this is harder. Plus there’s fewer women around. But that’ll change once we open the tasting room.”
