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Petition to Establish the Kelsey Bench

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Petition to Establish the Kelsey Bench 2011 Lake County AVA – Terry Dereniuk Bench Petition to Establish the Kelsey Kelsey the Establish to Petition This petition seeks to establish the Kelsey Bench – Lake County AVA. Distinguishing features of soils, geology, and topography identify this area as a unique winegrape growing area in Lake County, California. Kelsey Bench – Lake County AVA Petition This petition seeks to establish the Kelsey Bench – Lake County AVA within the larger existing Clear Lake AVA. The proposed Kelsey Bench – Lake County viticulture area covers about 9,100 acres and lies south of Clear Lake and entirely within the Clear Lake AVA. The area is bordered by the proposed Big Valley District– Lake County AVA to the north, and the Highland Springs Reservoir and the Mayacamas Mountains to the west. It is bordered by the Red Hills Lake County AVA on the east and the Mayacamas Mountains to the south. This area has a long history of agricultural activity due to its soils and favorable climate. Appendix Exhibit 1 contains a map from the Kelseyville Area Plan which shows the proposed area as a portion of the Prime Agricultural Soils. It also has history of viticultural activity with evidence of vineyards and a winery dating back to the late 1800’s. Currently, there are 27 growers farming over 900 acres of grapes and 1 winery located on the proposed Kelsey Bench – Lake County area. Appendix Exhibit 2 has a list of the growers and winery in the proposed area. Appendix Exhibit 3 is a map from the Lake County Farm Bureau showing the location of vineyards and other agricultural activities participating in the Farm Bureau Watershed program in 2009. This map does not include all of the vineyards and has not been updated since 2009. While the proposed area has been identified as part of the Big Valley in historical references and is included in the Kelseyville Planning Area, we believe that it should be recognized as a distinct and separate viticultural area based on soils, geology, and topography. This petition has broad support of both the grower community and the Rosa d‘Oro Winery located in the proposed area and other Lake County wineries. The proposed boundaries for this area bisect vineyards along the northern boundary that is shared by the proposed Big Valley and the proposed Kelsey Bench. These vineyards are owned by Devoto Vineyards, and Hanson Ranch Vineyards. A letter confirming their understanding and approval of the proposed boundary line has been secured from each grower and is included with this petition in Appendix Exhibits 32 and 33. History of Agriculture and Viticulture In the Kelsey Bench Lake County and the proposed Kelsey Bench – Lake County area has been a hub of agricultural and viticultural activity since it was originally settled in the mid 1800’s. Local history shows that many families settled around Kelsey Creek and other areas of the proposed Kelsey Bench area. As with other settlements in Lake County, agriculture was a primary source of income. Pears, walnuts, prunes, and winegrapes were among the crops grown on farms in this area. Old walnut orchards are still in production today along Bell Hill Road and Kelsey Creek. Evidence of the early settlement of the area includes the following about the Rincon School: “Rincon School District was formed from the Kelsey Creek School District, probably between 1861 and 1867, after Lake County became a county, since it is not mentioned in the Napa County records. The first little schoolhouse was 2 1/2 miles south of Kelseyville, located between Kelsey Drive and Kelsey Creek. After a few years a good school was built on the west bank of Kelsey Creek, 2 miles south of town. The school district extended from one mile south of Kelseyville, southwest 2 Kelsey Bench – Lake County AVA Petition to the county line, southeast to Mt. St. Helena, and back to Mt. Konocti.”1 Lake County history records three vineyards that were planted in the early 1900’s on properties located in the proposed Kelsey Bench – Lake County. According to the writings of Henry Maudlin as well as Ernest P Penninou, John J Staheli owned a 25 acre zinfandel vineyard located on a property a mile and a half south of Kelseyville on the west side of Kelsey Creek. Local resident Barbara Schnabl was interviewed in researching the history of this area. She stated that her father, Fred Gross, worked in the Staheli vineyard from 1909 until he left the area to attend college in 1912 or 1913. In an account written by Ernest P Penninou in 1955, it was noted that Staheli moved from Iowa to California in 1904 and in 1905 purchased the vineyard of William Johnson. In 1910, Mr. Staheli added a stone winery near the vineyard with a storage capacity of 4000 gallons. Although he closed the winery in 1912 due to the low price being paid for wine, he continued to farm the vineyard. The original property owned by Staheli is now divided into multiple smaller parcels. Wine grapes are still grown on some of the properties. Although much of the original vineyard has long since disappeared, some of the original zinfandel vines are still producing in a vineyard located on property owned by Burt Harlan, another long time Lake County resident. Penninou’s account also refers to a 35 acre vineyard owned by Fred Stokes located a mile and a half south of Mr. Staheli’s property on Kelsey Creek. In the history written by Henry Maudlin, this vineyard was said to be owned by Albert Brock Carey of Fulton and farmed by Fred Stokes. The vineyard was planted in 1910 and later pulled out in 1950. The Catfish Vineyard located on Bell Hill Road was also planted in 1901. This vineyard is still in commercial operation and owned by Steele Wines. According to Steele Wines, “Catfish Vineyard is truly an old-timer, planted in 1901. The vineyard is located on the Bell Hill bench of Lake County just south of Kelseyville. The vines are head pruned and stand on their own roots. Steele Wines purchased the vineyard in 2000 and we have been working to rehabilitate the old vines since that time. We have pruned the vines back so that each vine has fewer shoots and therefore fewer grape bunches and we have planted new vines where the 100-year-old vines have expired. A vintage consuming process but well worth the effort. The small, concentrated berries from this century-old vineyard offer just that, concentrated flavors. Catfish Vineyard Zinfandel is actually a field blend of a number of varieties, including small amounts of Carignan, Alicante Bouche, Cabernet, and several other varieties – even some white grapes. Having more than one variety assured the old-time vintners that they would have some grapes to harvest regardless of the spring frosts or autumn storms. The grapes from Catfish are not separated; the wine is vinified just as it grows. The vineyard was planted during the influx of Mediterranean 1 Lake County CAGenWeb Project, Schools, Teachers, & Students, Rincon School www.cagenweb.com/lake/Rincon%20School.htm 3 Kelsey Bench – Lake County AVA Petition th 2 immigrants into Northern California at the turn of the 20 Century.” Catfish Vineyard is also registered with the Historic Vineyard Society at www.historicvineyardsociety.org. The photograph below shows vines from the century old Catfish Vineyard today. Figure 1 – Head pruned vine at the Catfish Vineyard Vineyards and viticulture disappeared in the County with Prohibition, with pears and walnuts becoming the most predominant crops. In the early to mid 60’s, grapes were planted in the area once again. The internet site for Nova Wine and Grape Brokers states that their old vine zinfandel vineyard located on Gold Dust and Staheli Drives was planted in 1960.3 Appendix Exhibit 4 contains a copy of the home page for the Nova Wine and Grape Brokers website. Vineyards continued to be planted in this area in the 1970’s and beyond. Early vineyards used root stock that was not phylloxera resistant and have been replaced since the original planting. Both red and white grape varieties have been planted in the area although as noted in an article from Wine Business Monthly (03/15/2007), “The Kelseyville Bench is a distinct area 1600 feet 2 Steele Wines, Zinfandel Catfish Vineyard 2008, www.steelewines.com 3 Nova Wine & Grape Brokers, The Nova Zinfandel Vineyard, www.novawinegrapebroker.com 4 Kelsey Bench – Lake County AVA Petition above sea level, better for red grapes.”4 The current agricultural landscape of the proposed Kelsey Bench is predominantly walnuts and grapes, with cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and zinfandel being the most planted red varieties. Name Evidence The name Kelsey Bench was selected as the name for the proposed area to reflect both the history of the area and the topography. Name evidence includes information on early settlers with the surname Kelsey, geographical names that include the name Kelsey, business and government entities that use Kelsey as part of their name, and finally both historical and present day evidence that supports using the word bench to describe the topography of this area. Andrew Kelsey was one of the first settlers of Lake County. In 1847, Kelsey and Charles Stone bought land from Salvador Vallejo and built the first adobe home using forced Indian labor. Historical accounts state that their treatment of the local Indians was harsh. This caused a great deal of resentment among the local Indian population. Kelsey and Stone were murdered by the Indians in 1848. Their remains are buried on the site of California Landmark 426, Site of the First Adobe Home, Lake County shown in Figure 2 below.
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