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Business Real Estate Behind the Scenes of Marin County's Wine Production
| Behind the Scenes of Marin County's Wine Production |
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| Written by Jim Haslet |
| Monday, 20 October 2008 07:41 |
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From a topographic standpoint, Marin County is situated in just the right geographic location to reap the benefits of lower summer temperatures and more winter precipitation than its immediate neighbors to its north, Sonoma and Napa counties. Combining such weather patterns along with its terrain and rich fertile soils, Marin County's grape-growing season is extended beyond its neighbors because the fruit take longer to ripen. This results in a wide variety of wines that are more balanced, have a superb natural tang and maintain a lower alcohol level, usually under fourteen percent. Because of its awesome landscape, its irregular climate, its viticultural tendencies and the high quality wines its wine industry produces due to its extended growing season, Marin County has been said to be much more similar to Burgundy, the world renowned giant of French wine country, than it is to Sonoma and Napa, the wine country of Northern California. And like Burgundy, Marin County produces the elegant Merlots, the Pinot Noirs and the Riesligs. Marin County is endowed with a mixture of soils that has just the right amount of fertility and nutrients to sustain grapevines, its unique terrain and its weather patterns provide Marin County's wine industry with the great potential to produce a diverse range of wines, particularly the cool climate varieties that include the Pinot Noirs, the Rieslings and the more elegant Merlots. The vineyards that were started up by the San Rafael Mission to be used as therapeutic work for the Native Americans who did not take well to the Spanish rule were captured by General Mariano Vallejo. Vallejo promptly banned the Mission's religious attachments, commended that the vineyards be dug out and replanted on his own property in the neighboring county of Sonoma. This action, of course, brought Marin County's viticulture to a near standstill. Vallejo's actions and the Prohibition in the 1920s significantly slowed the budding wine industry of Marin County but what truly brought it to a full stop was the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937. With Marin County being conveniently reached via the new Golden Gate Bridge, all eyes turned away from its vineyards to its lands and housing. Currently, viticulture and the wine industry in Marin County have been resurrected and are kept alive and growing slowly by twenty five winemakers who are producing premium wines while safeguarding a piece of the County's history. Nevertheless, viticulture in Marin County continues to be eclipsed by the giants of the California wine country, Napa and Sonoma. The Marin County Grape Growers Association has helped by encouraging and motivating its members to persist with their industrial endeavors. They meet every other week to acquire news about the industry, to brainstorm, to discuss and to inspire. Marin County boasts approximately 200 acres of vineyard while Sonoma County has over 40,000 acres. It is obvious that viticulture in Marin County is indeed very small but it produces wines that are huge in quality. About the Author: We'll help you find Marin County Real Estate and homes for sale in Marin County and much more. Kindly provided by MoneyHunter.org You are welcome to use this article on your own website, if you include the link just before this text. |
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