Brassfield Estate Winery is a certified sustainable vineyard and winery operation in the High Valley American Viticultural Area in Lake County, California. The 100% estate grown, produced and bottled winery was established by Jerry Brassfield in 1998. Brassfield, who grew up in Porterville, California on an alfalfa farm, founded GNLD, a vitamin and nutrition supplement company.[1] In 1973, he acquired 1,600 acres (650 ha) in the High Valley region of Lake County, California, which he expanded through successive acquisitions, totaling about 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) which include the dormant Round Mountain volcano which created High Valley.
| Brassfield Estate Winery | |
|---|---|
 Brassfield Estate Winery, High Valley American Viticultural Area | |
| Location | Clearlake Oaks, California, US |
| Coordinates | 39°02′46″N 122°42′34″W / 39.04611°N 122.70944°W |
| Appellation | High Valley AVA |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Key people |
|
| Known for | Eruption, Serenity |
| Varietals | Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier, Grenache, Pinot gris, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Pinot noir, Merlot, Zinfandel |
| Distribution | United States, Canada |
| Website | www |
An estate in a neo-Tuscan style was built on the Serenity Ranch on the floor of High Valley. As of 2023, the winery had approximately 500 acres (200 ha) under vines, a 1,000-acre nature preserve, and a mile-long network of caves.[citation needed] The winery's annual production capacity was around 60,000 cases, or 140,000 US gallons (5,300 hL) in 2022.[2]
Brassfield manages several estate vineyards which range in elevation from 1,800 to almost 3,000 feet in elevation and varied volcanic soil composition: their Monte Sereno vineyard is planted in Franciscan shale at 2,100 feet, the Volcano Ridge vineyard lies at similar elevations in volcanic sands and tephra soils, their Perspective vineyard is on Franciscan shale at 2,900 feet and planted with Syrah and Viognier, and the High Serenity vineyard at 1,800 feet (550 m) on valley soils allows for growing cooler climate varieties like Pinot noir.[3]
In addition to single varietal wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Malbec, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Pinot gris, Sauvignon blanc, Petit Verdot, Viognier or Zinfandel, Brassfield produces two signature blends: their red Eruption, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec, Petite Sirah, Mourvèdre, Grenache and Zinfandel from their Volcano Ridge vineyard; and Serenity, a white blend of Pinot gris, Sauvignon blanc, Viognier and Gewürztraminer grown in gravelly valley soils.
The company was a key petitioner in the process to get High Valley, in eastern Lake County, recognized as an American Viticultural Area in 2005.[4]
References
edit- ^ "Direct selling Legend".
- ^ "Judge's Breakfast focuses on wine tourism". Lake County Record-Bee. 30 June 2022.
- ^ "Red volcanic soil is real gem for Lake County vintners". SF Gate. 10 April 2015.
- ^ "High Valley Petition" (PDF). Tax and Trade Bureau.
External links
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