VESPER VINEYARDS

PEOPLE

Grower and winemaker Chris Broomell’s family has been farming in the San Pasqual Valley AVA (San Diego County) for five generations. But it wasn’t until after World War II that they turned to fine wine grape growing when an Australian relative suggested dry farming in times of drought. Broomell and his wife and U.C. Davis-trained enologist Alysha Stehly, who co-owns the winery, grew up on other ends of Vesper Rd. in Valley Center, hence the name of the winery.

VINEYARDS 

Vesper sources its fruit from roughly 35 acres across northern San Diego while the winery is located in Valley Center proper. All are farmed using organic practices, including a few vineyards where biodynamic practices are employed.

WINES

The Sunrise Ranch Grenach Blanc 2016 has surprising freshness for a wine grown so far inland. But as Chris and Alysha will tell you, they source the fruit for this wine from a vineyard that’s cooled daily by ocean breezes that arrive via the canyon. It showed racy white and stone fruit in the mouth with electric acidity that bodes well for its aging potential. The couple calls the McCormick Ranch Carignan 2013 (Great wine) their flagship wine. First bottled in the 2009 vintage, they were ahead of the game in predicting the popularity of Carignan, as they are eager to point out. This wine delivered delicious red fruit that seemed to burst in the mouth and it had the hallmark vibrant acidity. The Tie-Dye Lollipop 2016 is made from co-fermented Carignan and Grenache. The big tannin in this wine will appeal to the classic California wine drinker but its buoyed by an acidity that new wave folks will appreciate just as much.

FERTILIZERS manure

PLANT PROTECTION biodynamic preparations

WEED CONTROL mechanical

YEASTS spontaneous fermentation

GRAPES purchase 100%

CERTIFICATION none