On Wine: Concannon marks 125 years

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Sep 23, 2008 | by Laurie Daniel

JAMES CONCANNON, an Irish immigrant, was living in San Francisco in the 1870s, where he made his money in the rubber stamp business. While he was living in the Mission, Concannon became friendly with Archbishop Joseph Alemany, San Francisco's first archbishop. As the family story goes, Alemany advised Concannon to get some land and start producing sacramental wine for the Catholic Church.

Whether it was Alemany's advice that propelled James Concannon to the Livermore Valley or some other event, he moved his family to a rocky parcel in the country. In 1883, he planted a vineyard of mostly white grapes, using cuttings he had ordered from France.

"Grandfather was either lucky or smart -- probably both," says grandson Jim Concannon, who still works at Concannon Vineyard.

The winery is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. Although Concannon Vineyard is no longer owned by the family -- it was acquired in 2002 by the Wine Group after a series of other owners -- Jim Concannon, 77, travels to promote the brand and is still very much a presence at the winery. He has been since the family sold the winery in 1980. "I just stuck it out. I guess I needed a job," he jokes, adding that he thinks it's important that a Concannon family member remains involved in the business.

Looking to the future

As Concannon Vineyard celebrates its past, the winery is also looking to the future. This fall's harvest is the first for a new, modern winery that was built for gentler handling of Concannon's reserve wines. The winery also has solar panels that will generate roughly 20 percent of its electricity needs. The old winery, built in 1895, still houses the tasting room.

The first vintage of Concannon wine is believed to be 1886. But it wasn't long before the root louse phylloxera showed up in the vineyard, and replanting had to be undertaken. James Concannon made a fateful decision, importing Petite Sirah, known in France as Durif, in the early 1900s. Petite Sirah is the grape variety for which Concannon now is best known. The replanting was finished around 1911, the year Concannon died, leaving the winery to his children.

The family's association with Catholic officials in San Francisco helped sustain Concannon Vineyard through Prohibition, when the winery supplied altar wine to the church. Concannon is one of only half a dozen California wineries that managed to stay open during that period.

Still, money was tight, and much of the family lost interest in keeping the business going. One of the brothers, Joseph -- Jim Concannon's father -- was able to borrow the money to buy out the rest of the family. Joseph, who had served in the U.S. Cavalry under Gen. John Pershing and then-Lt. George Patton, was known as "Captain Joe" after being promoted to that rank.

Jim Concannon started working in the winery as a kid, washing bottles, cleaning tanks and the like. After college and the military, their dad was ready to retire, so Jim and his older brother Joe took on more responsibility at the winery -- Joe looked after the vineyards and Jim gradually took over the winemaking duties, becoming head winemaker in 1960.

'America's First'

With the 1961 vintage, Concannon Vineyard produced the first varietally labeled Petite Sirah. As Jim tells the story, a retailer in Pasadena suggested that he quit putting the winery's Petite Sirah into the generic "burgundy" blend and bottle it separately. The retailer said he would buy all of it. The wine became a hit, and Petite Sirah eventually became Concannon's flagship wine. The Petite Sirah labels now include the words "America's First Petite Sirah." Financial difficulties surrounding the death of Jim's brother Joe in 1978 precipitated the sale of the winery in 1980 to a group of Chilean investors. The winery went through a series of owners (including an investment group that included the Wente family) before the 2002 sale to the Wine Group, which also owns brands such as Corbett Canyon, Glen Ellen and Big House.

Concannon now produces about 400,000 cases a year. During a recent visit, I tasted through the winery's reserve wines, which are made in Livermore and available only through the tasting room. (There are also some larger-production Central Coast wines made in Soledad.) The 2007 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc ($20), made from Monterey County fruit, is zippy and fresh, with melon and citrus flavors, a little grassiness and a hint of creaminess. The 2007 Reserve Chardonnay ($20), a Livermore Valley wine, is ripe and tropical, with generous oak and a good core of acidity.

Concannon has an interesting history with Cabernet Sauvignon. The majority of Cabernet planted in California is clone 7 or 8, which originated with cuttings taken from Concannon, by way of UC Davis. The 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ($25) is bright and lively, with black cherry fruit and notes of anise and black olive. It's not a huge, heavy wine, but it has good richness and structure.

The winery makes several Petite Sirahs. The entry-level 2005 Limited Release Petite Sirah ($16) is bright and spicy, with ripe berry and supple tannins. (This wine is widely available.) The 2005 "Captain Joe's" Reserve Petite Sirah ($30), a tribute to Jim Concannon's father, is more dense and concentrated, with ripe berry, spice, roasted coffee and firm tannins. And the 2005 Reserve Petite Sirah ($36) is dark and dense with ripe blueberry and spice notes. The tannins are very refined for Petite Sirah.