With a love for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Josh Jensen founded Calera Wine Company in 1975, and now has 84 acres of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Viognier planted in the Mt. Harlan American Viticultural Area in San Benito County.
Jensen’s winemaker mentors in Burgundy were adamant that Pinot Noir and Chardonnay must be grown in limestone-rich soils, as present in the Côtes d’Or, to make great wines.
Upon his return from France in 1971, he spent two years searching throughout California to find limestone before finally purchasing, in early 1974, a high-elevation parcel with a limestone deposit of several million tons.
The name “Calera” is the Spanish world for “limekiln,” which serves as the winery’s symbol and appears on every bottle of wine. Calera’s 2007 Selleck Vineyard Pinot was named Best American Pinot Noir with a photo prominently gracing the cover, by “Wine & Spirits Magazine” in late 2011.
MORE: www.calerawine.com; 831-637-9170
VISIT: 11300 Cienega Road, Hollister
