There’s a new player on the Monterey County wine scene, and it’s
someone who has been around a long time.
There’s a new player on the Monterey County wine scene, and it’s someone who has been around a long time.
San Saba Vineyards is on Foothill Road west of Soledad and just down the road from the Soledad Mission. It’s possible that the first wine grapes in the county were cultivated not far from here by the colleagues of Junipero Serra, the Franciscan who founded the California missions. A new landmark on the scene is San Saba’s beautiful new 6,000-square-foot winery and accompanying 2,500-square-foot tasting room. Both are set to open soon.
San Saba owner Dr. Mark Lemmon was among the early wave of modern winemakers to recognize the potential of the Monterey County region. In 1975, the Dallas plastic surgeon and his wife Barbara planted 70 acres – 15 percent in Merlot and the rest in Cabernet. Now retired, Lemmon is an energetic guy, positively bubbly when he’s discussing his wine. “Mark is 83 going on 60,” says his sales and marketing manager Claire Martin.
So how did a Lone Star State plastic surgeon end up as a California winery owner? He was looking for investment opportunities, “ones where I didn’t have to have any partners,” he says. He decided to purchase the land while on a trip through California in the early 1970s. Being a wine lover, it wasn’t long before he decided to plant grapes.
That initial mix of Merlot and Cabernet didn’t last long, however. He soon took out a lot of the Cabernet and planted Chardonnay.
“You discover what works best for you,” he explains, “not what the scientists say you should do.” Turns out he was right. Some of the county’s finest Chardonnay is grown within shouting distance of San Saba, including Mer Soleil, the Chardonnay made by the Wagner family of Napa Valley.
At first, like a lot of growers, Lemmon sold his grapes to others, but eventually he could no longer resist the temptation to make his own wine. The first San Saba wines (since the winery is near a mission, the Lemmons thought it appropriate to name the property after a mission in their home state) were made in 1989.
Also like a lot of small producers, the grapes were crushed and the wines made at large facilities, ones that specialize in doing that sort of work for customers large and small. It was always in the back of his mind to have his own facility: “those companies do a great job, but as the little guy, we were never first in line,” he says.
The Lemmons began the petitioning process to build their winery in 1996. After years of bureaucratic rambling, ground was broken last year. The new facility is approved by the county for a 15,000-case capacity and should perform its first crush this fall. While San Saba produces nowhere near that much, they do plan to do some custom crushing for others who need the service.
Today San Saba Vineyards produces Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in two tiers; the flagship San Saba brand and the Bocage label. “I like to think of us as a new old winery,” says Lemmon.
Grape Stomps
Later this month, two local wineries are holding fun celebrations prior to harvest. Pietra Santa in Hollister and Guglielmo in Morgan Hill both are having “Grape Stomps” that involve fun and games in addition to food and wine. The Guglielmo event is on the 20th, and Pietra Santa follows on the 27th. So your feet could still be purple by the time you get to the second one. Tickets for the Guglielmo event are $45 and include a steak BBQ and dancing to a live band. They are available by calling (408) 779-2145. Pietra Santa’s event is $20 and tickets are on their Web site at www. pietrasantawinery.com.
