Spotlight on California port

Wines & Vines, March, 1999 by Tina Caputo

According to traditionalists, "real" port can only come from Portugal's Douro Valley and must be made exclusively with certain legally-approved varietals, such as Touriga Nacional and Tinta Barroca. After the grapes are picked and stomped, brandy is added to stop fermentation and increase the wine's ethanol level. What happens after that depends on the style of port the winemaker is after, such as ruby or tawny.

Of course, for the maverick winemakers in California, the definition of port is a little less rigid. Want to use California Zinfandel instead of those Portuguese grapes? Why not! Feel like planting some traditional Portuguese varietals in Amador County? Go for it!

Just as the Portuguese are beginning to focus on making premium non-fortified red wines, Californians are making some pretty snazzy ports right here in the U S of A. Of course, folks have been making port in California for decades. But the number of producers has been steadily climbing in recent years. More than 40 California wineries, from Temecula to Mendocino, are making premium ports today. With luscious results.

So let's shine the spotlight on some of California's finest port producers and find out what they're making, how they are making it and why they're doing it.

Ficklin Vineyards, Madera

These guys started making port back in the 1940s, when (the late) David Ficklin enlisted U.C., Davis scientists to help him determine which traditional Portuguese grape varieties would thrive in the heat of California's Central Valley. They planted Avarelhao, Tinta Madeira, Touriga, Tinta Cao and Souzao. Today, Ficklin makes about 10,000 cases of premium port per year. The winery is now run by David's son, Peter, who is also the winemaker.

W&V: How did Ficklin decide to make port instead of regular still wine?

Peter Ficklin: In the early years of the California wine industry, meaning the 1940s, the focus was mostly on fortified dessert wine production, not on table wines. At that time, nobody was producing a premium port in California, much less one from the original Portuguese grape varieties. Through close ties with U.C., Davis, the family was encouraged to plant five Portuguese varietals and undertake the production of port using traditional methods.

W&V: How well-suited are the Portuguese varietals to California?

Peter Ficklin: We no longer have any production plantings of the Avarelhao, but the other four varietals do very well here in the San Joaquin Valley. They bring the fruit to full maturity and flavor. The climate of the Douro Valley is not unlike what occurs here.

W&V: What styles of port do you make?

Peter Ficklin: Most of our production is the NV Tinta Port, which is a ruby-style port, with an aged edge for softness. We also make various vintage ports and a full aged 10-Year tawny port. They're marketed throughout the U.S. and exports go into New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, Canada and the Far East.

W&V: Has the port business been successful for Ficklin?

Peter Ficklin: Our first crush was in 1948. We're still in business and growing!

Kunde Estate Winery, Kenwood

Known first as grape growers and then as still wine producers, the Kundes made their first port three years ago, applying Portuguese methods to old clone California Zinfandel grapes. The port's 60-case production was increased to 116 cases the following year, which quickly sold out. Production was increased to 500 cases for Kunde's next vintage, due for release in October of 1999. Winemaker David Noyes says the port reminds him of "the glory of summer in the depths of winter."

W&V: What methods do you use to make Kunde's port?

David Noyes: We make our port exclusively from our old clone Zinfandel grapes, so it's a distinctly Californian product, even though we use Portuguese methods. We give our wine about 15 months in used American oak barrels. As they do in Portugal, we draw the fermenting juice off the skins at about 8 to 10% sugar, adding grape brandy at about 168 proof to stop the fermentation. At Kunde, we don't engage in the all-night treading of the grapes that is still sometimes done in Portugal, but it sounds like fun!

W&V: How would you describe the wine, in terms of style?

David Noyes: We want to emphasize the bright raspberry, cocoa and anise flavors of the Zinfandel fruit, and don't expect our customers to age the wine 10 to 20 years before consumption. I would compare it to a young ruby, rather than a vintage port.

W&V: Why did you decide to make port?

David Noyes: We like to have a sweet wine to sell in the tasting room, and since we have some excellent old Zin vineyards, almost 120 years old, we chose to make a port to help draw attention to this fact.

W&V: How do you market it?

David Noyes: We sell it exclusively in our tasting room and show the port at winemaker dinners around the country, but we don't plan to expand production beyond what we sell here. The wine has stimulated a lot of interest from our staff and the public, so we consider it a successful project.

Quady Winery, Madera