Producer Article
Bouchaine
Last edited on 4/16/2011 by wineguy58
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Bouchaine is the oldest continuously operating winery in the Carneros District – a winery that began making wine long before the region earned its reputation for producing the great Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays of Carneros today. In fact, the roots of Bouchaine go back to a previous era – a glorious time for wine in the Napa Valley, long before Prohibition.
The land was first owned by a Missouri native with the rather remarkable name of Boon Fly. Fly grew grapes and fruit trees on the property in the late 1880s. A treasured auction flier from May 14, 1887 advertises the sale of some of the 900 acres of the Fly property. In touting the land’s promise for grape growing, it notes that a buyer could plant a vineyard for the modest sum of under $40 an acre.
In 1929, an Italian winemaker named Johnny Garetto purchased the parcel that is today’s Bouchaine. Beringer Winery subsequently bought the estate from Garetto in 1951 and used it as a storage and blending facility until 1981, when a partnership that included the current owners, Gerret and Tatiana Copeland, purchased the winery and surrounding vineyards. At the time, only a few winemaking pioneers realized the potential for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Carneros. And by appearance, this muddy Carneros property, with its derelict aging-cellars and its ramshackle sheds, hardly inspired optimism. In 1991 a major renovation began and the winery was completely rebuilt from top to bottom. Old redwood tanks were deconstructed and re-milled as exterior siding for the winery and offices, while a broad green roof finished the elegant but rustic look. At the same time, the estate vineyards were almost entirely replanted due to damage caused by phylloxera. This allowed the winery to choose a broad spectrum of rootstocks and clones, giving the winemaker a wonderful palette from which to create his wines.
In 1995, additional vineyard property adjoining the winery was purchased, giving Bouchaine more than 100 acres of estate vineyards in Carneros. Famed winery executive and winemaker Michael Richmond also joined Bouchaine as winemaker in 2002. His approach focuses on the grapes themselves, carefully blending the various vineyard blocks to create wines that capture the elegance of Burgundy and the exuberance of Napa.
For the past 27 years, the walls of Bouchaine have witnessed the remarkable development of the Carneros District, from an unknown rustic region of farmland to America’s leading producer of Burgundian varietals.
Bouchaine is the oldest continuously operating winery in the Carneros District – a winery that began making wine long before the region earned its reputation for producing the great Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays of Carneros today. In fact, the roots of Bouchaine go back to a previous era – a glorious time for wine in the Napa Valley, long before Prohibition.
The land was first owned by a Missouri native with the rather remarkable name of Boon Fly. Fly grew grapes and fruit trees on the property in the late 1880s. A treasured auction flier from May 14, 1887 advertises the sale of some of the 900 acres of the Fly property. In touting the land’s promise for grape growing, it notes that a buyer could plant a vineyard for the modest sum of under $40 an acre.
In 1929, an Italian winemaker named Johnny Garetto purchased the parcel that is today’s Bouchaine. Beringer Winery subsequently bought the estate from Garetto in 1951 and used it as a storage and blending facility until 1981, when a partnership that included the current owners, Gerret and Tatiana Copeland, purchased the winery and surrounding vineyards. At the time, only a few winemaking pioneers realized the potential for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Carneros. And by appearance, this muddy Carneros property, with its derelict aging-cellars and its ramshackle sheds, hardly inspired optimism. In 1991 a major renovation began and the winery was completely rebuilt from top to bottom. Old redwood tanks were deconstructed and re-milled as exterior siding for the winery and offices, while a broad green roof finished the elegant but rustic look. At the same time, the estate vineyards were almost entirely replanted due to damage caused by phylloxera. This allowed the winery to choose a broad spectrum of rootstocks and clones, giving the winemaker a wonderful palette from which to create his wines.
In 1995, additional vineyard property adjoining the winery was purchased, giving Bouchaine more than 100 acres of estate vineyards in Carneros. Famed winery executive and winemaker Michael Richmond also joined Bouchaine as winemaker in 2002. His approach focuses on the grapes themselves, carefully blending the various vineyard blocks to create wines that capture the elegance of Burgundy and the exuberance of Napa.
For the past 27 years, the walls of Bouchaine have witnessed the remarkable development of the Carneros District, from an unknown rustic region of farmland to America’s leading producer of Burgundian varietals.