Discovering San Benito County’s Vineyard Treasures at Crave Wine Company

March 8, 2024 – When Frenchman Theophile Vache came to the hills of Hollister from San Francisco in 1849 looking for vineyard land, he was taken by the limestone hills that are today part of Eden Rift Winery (formerly Pietra Santa). He initially planted Mission and Riesling, then returned in 1861 with cuttings from his home country, including Black Pinot Noir, Trousseau and Trousseau Gris. 

Due to the popularity of the New Idria Mine, newly-established San Benito County became a hotbed for grape growing and attracted many vintners. The sandy soil was ideal for own-rooted vines, because the phylloxera louse does not like sand. As a consequence, many gorgeous old vines still remain in vineyards like Enz, Calleri, Siletto and Wirz. 

Maybe we should call it Sand Benito County? In any case, blessed be the sand. 

The wine industry goes in cycles. There was once a great fondness for Mission grapes, and now you can hardly find it. At one point, Chenin Blanc was everywhere: now, it’s mostly isolated to a few spots in Anderson Valley and Clarksburg. Remember when Green Hungarian was a thing? 

In the early 20th century, many of the original San Benito area winery owners sold their properties to larger beverage companies, which gave rise to Almaden Winery. Located outside Hollister, adjacent to both DeRose Winery and Eden Rift, it was once the largest commercial winery in the U.S. The mysterious winery, with its vast array of caves, was instrumental in providing wine and other spirits during Prohibition. One of the towns connected to these caves is Hollister.

When I took the Wild Wine Women on a field trip to downtown Hollister in mid-February to visit Crave Wine Company—Mike Kohne and Maura Cooper’s excellent wine bar and shop—we were told that underground tunnels still exist beneath the town, part of an illicit bootlegging operation. We felt like we’d been admitted to a secret society. 

However, we did not have to go subterranean to taste some of the wildly popular oddball varieties in San Benito, like Cabernet Pfeffer, Riesling and Negrette. Instead, winegrower, Nat Wong, a 5^th generation Chinese American winegrower, who also manages the famed Siletto Vineyard, gave us a fascinating taste of history in eight very different glasses of wine. 

Nat’s personal label is Blade & Talon, and one look tells you volumes. A striking line drawing of a falcon sits in an illuminated circle with an intense backward glance. A rare bird among his peers, the Tres Pinos resident is also a falconer and ornithologist by trade. 

He’s got an incredibly diverse lineup of wines, from Falanghina to Ruché, one of Randall Grahm’s favorite varieties. He’s also somewhat of an authority on the history of San Benito County, and was quick to share that a lot of Chinese immigrants to California not only built railroads, but they also planted many vineyards in the Sacramento Delta area. They also planted rice, but that’s another story. 

Let’s take a quick sip through the eight wines we tasted, all of which hail from San Benito County and can be purchased at Crave Wine Bar & Shop.

First up was Nathan Kandler’s 2019 Precedent Wirz Vineyard Riesling, Cienega Valley ($29.99). Nathan is the longtime winemaker for Fogarty Winery, who makes mostly old vine gems under the Precedent label. This beauty’s intense floral notes of jasmine dazzled the group, and rewarded each sip with its delicately persistent flavors of mandarin and stone on the mineral-rich palate. A stunning wine. 

Then came a Maître de Chai 2021 Wheeler Vineyard Chardonnay ($31.99). Made by Marty Winters and Alex Pitts—two chefs with experience at places like Cyrus, Quince, French Laundry and Meadowood—at their winery in Berkeley. This wine has aromas of citrus and clean slate along with slick flavors of crisp Asian sand pear. Done in neutral oak, the wine balances the powerful acidity with a fabulous texture of raw silk. Wheeler Vineyard is outside Tres Pinos and was planted in 1974. 

When we got to the 2022 Ryme Siletto Family Frappato ($35.99), the group pretty much swooned. This cheery, ripping fruit bomb varietal that originated in Sicily, may be hard to farm, but it’s easy to love, with its insane berryliciousness, composed of blueberry, strawberry and raspberry, and a nose of rose petal and orange peel. So insanely fun! Wong told us there are barely 20 tons of Frappato being crushed in California today. “We’re the first county to drive Frappato to be listed on the California Grape Crush Report,” Wong told us. Ryme is based on Forestville, in Sonoma County, but Megan Glaab, who is married to Ryan Glaab, is the daughter of Ted and Cindy Walter who own Passionfish restaurant in Pacific Grove. Ryme is the first two letters of their first names. The two winemakers, who met in Australia, love to make “his” and “hers” versions of a different varietal each year. 

The fourth wine, the 2022 Blade & Talon Calleri Vineyard Ruché, ($34.99), blew us all away with its aromas of rose and geranium, and unique notes of clove, cinnamon, red plum and a touch of cumin. I can see why Randall Grahm is so fond of this variety, which originated in the Monferrat region of Piedmont, in northern Italy. Calleri Vineyard is being farmed by the Siletto family under a long-term lease. 

Many a winemaker has been seduced by Trousseau, which is also known as Cabernet Pfeffer. The fifth wine, the 2021 Adroit Siletto Vineyard Trousseau ($31.99), exhibited that wonderful spicy nose, accentuated by white pepper. This grape makes a fabulous alternative to tannic Cab Sauv during warm, I mean stinking hot, weather. 

The 2022 Donkey & Goat Calleri Vineyard Negrette ($37.99), was polarizing, to say the least. Negrette hails from southwest France, and was previously called Pinot St. George in the United States, until the BATF put a stop to it in 1997. This wine sports an earthy and floral dichotomy in the nose that can only be described as funky, but the texture is quite plush. Donkey & Goat touts itself as a “natural winery,” and its website says that this grape was brought to the San Benito area by the Knights Templar, which is an intriguing thread to chase. 

Next up was the brilliant 2022 Blade & Talon Circle S Vineyard “Lucky Tiger” ($29.99), a fetching blend of 57 percent Cab Pfeffer and 43 percent Mourvedre, that clocks in at 11.5 percent alcohol. My entire group of wine women flipped over this exotic wine, made by Nat Wong, with a bright red and gold label that was patterned after his grandmother’s festive dinnerware. Perfect for celebrating the Lunar New Year, this wine has captivating aromatics of white and black pepper, salami and earth, is something you can easily drink with hearty, spicy fare.

We finished with Ian Brand’s 2019 I Brand Enz Vineyard Old Vine Mourvedre ($45.99), showing the dark earth and broodiness of this varietal. 

Not only did we feel like insiders getting the royal treatment from Nat Wong and Crave owners Cooper and Kohne, but we also enjoyed a feast of wholesome food from 4th generation farmer, Becky Herbert, who has a CSA called Eat With The Seasons. 

Along with produce, the CSA includes optional eggs, meats, and pre-made items like soups and chicken salad from her Farmhouse Café, which is handily located across from Crave Wine Bar on San Benito Street, where she offers healthy lunch options on Fridays. She prepared for us a a perfectly dressed beet and Cara Cara orange salad (dynamite with the Riesling and Frapatto), a seriously great kale and quinoa salad, her famous chicken salad sliders and super tasty turkey piccata sandwiches with capers and gouda on sourdough. 

Becky would be happy to arrange picnic lunches for groups through her catering arm, FarmHouseFoods. That link also provides more info about her CSA options and pickup locations.

Crave Wine Bar and Shop, at 616 San Benito Street, across from the not to be missed Heavenly Bakery with its awesome pies and cakes, is open is open Wednesday through Saturdays, from 1:30pm until 8pm (8:30 on Fri and Sat) and Sunday from noon to 6:30pm. 

Cooper and Kohne will happily ship you whatever you like. They also have a wine club, and looking around at their vast international as well as domestic selections, it promises to deliver a tasty education in every shipment.