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Preserving the Past: A Worthy Mission

Bedrock2015s.jpg Morgan Twain-Peterson is preserving and bottling California’s viticultural past. His mission with Bedrock Wine Co. is to produce California wines from historic, old vines. Most are field blends that represent the whole vineyard, its age and history, instead of a particular variety. Not only does he want to preserve the old vines, he also believes they produce wines of superior quality (which it is hard to argue when you taste!).

In an article with Town & Country in November 2015, Morgan is quoted saying: “Two important things give them an edge,” he says. “One is that they’re more established plants and produce yields of greater fruit concentration. There is also a Darwinian element. If a vineyard has lasted through two world wars, Prohibition, and any number of other things, it must be special, or it would have likely been ripped out.”

Twain-Peterson is working with other winemakers (Mike Officer of Carlisle Winery, Tegan Passalacqua of Turley Wine Cellars, David Gates of Ridge Vineyards to name a few) to save California’s old vines. Together, they have formed a group called the Historic Vineyard Society that aims to identify, register and save heritage old vines. These vines and vineyards are producing wines that are completely original and completely California. The wines are not trying to emulate any other wines from any other region. As Antonio Galloni put it in his Vinous January 2015 review, “They [wines] are quite faithful to a sense of place.”

Bedrock’s fall release is now in stock at Cream. The wines are simply stunning.

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