In the 1990s, Buena Vista was turning out 300,000 cases of ho-hum wine. They certainly were not on the pinotphile’s radar. Their best wine had become a Sauvignon Blanc made from grapes in Lake County, not from their extensive vineyard holdings in Carneros.

Today there is a dramatic remaking of the brand. Beam Wine Estates (now under the Constellation Brands umbrella) has contributed the corporate financial backing that has made it possible. The winemaking facility was built in the 1970s, one of the first wineries in Carneros. It has been completely modernized and now contains 62 5 to 10 ton open-top fermenters which have been installed in the former barrel room. This gives the winery the capability to have all of the wine from the estate, which arrives usually over a two week period, fermenting in unison. The estate Ramal vineyard is undergoing replanting with different rootstocks and clones matched to suitable sites on the estate property. The East Ramal Vineyard has 3 to 9 year old vines of Chardonnay, Syrah, Pinot Gris, Merlot, and Pinot Noir. The West portion of Ramal Vineyard is mostly all new plantings, expected to deliver fruit in 2006 for the first time. Here there is Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, and Pinot Noir. The vineyards are pictured and Clonal Maps of the vineyard are depicted on the next pages. Pommard is the workhorse clone here with other clones adding interest such as 115 (spice), 667 (structure), 777, 828, 583 (cherry) and Swan. They all contribute something to the mix. There are a total of 167 different blocks on the property, in essence, many different small vineyards within a large vineyard. Out of a total of 1,000 acres, 800 are planted or replanted and the last phases of replanting will be completed in 2008. Sophisticated viticulture technology is now employed including airplane-view (called “Vine View”) infrared mapping of vine vigor which can be used to guide irrigation.

Jeff Stewart arrived at Buena Vista in 2003 after crafting cool-climate varietals at La Crema Winery in the Russian River Valley for five vintages. Prior to that, he made wine at Robert Keenan, Laurier, De Loach, Mark West and Kunde. Noted winemaker Chuck Ortman was one of his earliest mentors. Jeff is like a big friendly bear - a burly guy with a winning smile and an unrelenting enthusiasm for his work. His mantra is balance and he says, “As with many winemakers, I believe in balance, both in the vineyard and in the wines. I like to see power and elegance working together.” In early 2004, management made the decision to discontinue the previous California Classic and Grand Reserve lines of wines, and reduce production to 45,000 cases. The two new lines of wines include: The Carneros Series, varietal bottlings of Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Syrah ($19-$21) and The Estate Vineyard Series (EVS) of limited release wines featuring select clonal material and/or blocks from the property ($37). New packaging and labeling create a modern and sophisticated tone. Buena Vista Carneros Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs have widespread retail distribution and may be purchased on the website. The historic Buena Vista tasting room is located a short distance from the winery in the town of Sonoma. The winery is not open to the public. 800-926-1266.