Sutter Buttes winery expanding operations

Bright green leaves burst from the vines and untamed grape clusters ripen red and sweet — wonderful indicators of winemaking to come.

Nestled at the base of the Sutter Buttes, Reece Cordi's vineyard has affirmed in just one year's time that the soil that grew the nut farmer's almonds so well for decades is also prime for grapes.

"The 1-year-old vines have absolutely proven that — they have gone crazy," he said.

After planting five acres of cabernet sauvignon, primitivo and zinfandel in 2009, the winery expanded its footprint by another 10 acres this month with the addition of malbec, tempranillo, negroamaro, grenache blanc, roussanne and dolcetto varietals.

Each vine is nestled into the soil by hand and will grow unrestrained until winter, then be pruned to almost nothing. The second burst of growth will be trained onto wires to guide the vines' shape and the first year's crop of clusters will be clipped early and often to focus growth energy into the vines.

But Cordi will not have to wait long for wine.

His first set of vines could produce a harvestable crop as early as 2011, which means he has to get busy converting a former almond dryer on his property into a winery.

A county use permit allows Cordi Winery to produce 100,000 gallons of white wine and 40,000 gallons of red, which amounts to about 40,000 cases of wine.

But the budding vintner doesn't anticipate reaching those volumes any time soon. The first year will probably produce 1,000 cases.

"We're really not trying to push this too fast," Cordi said.

He still has a lot more research to do on the basics of growing grapes and making wine.

"That's my new vocation," Cordi said. "To read as much as I can and learn as much as I can."

His education started with picking varietals for planting.

Cabernet, zinfandel and its Italian cousin, primitivo, are mainstays in the California wine industry. His other selections are more experimental varietals that should thrive in the valley heat.

Although warm temperatures were a deciding factor, they are also one of the most worrisome. Cordi is counting on evening winds and a wide vine canopy to keep his fruit cool and protected.

Irrigation will be minimal. The water table should be high enough to support the vineyard once it is established, and a little stress intensifies the flavor of the grapes.

"It's about quality, not quantity," Cordi said.

Venture into vines

Cordi's viticulture dream dates back more than three decades, but the actual jump from almonds to wine was spurred by the January 2008 storm that flattened some of his orchards.

The devastation was a blessing in disguise.

It caused a temporary loss in income, and led to a battle with neighbors and county officials who were concerned about approving a winery in midst of nut orchards. But Cordi was granted approval for his project last summer.

He said he is proud to help return grapes to Sutter County — the propagation site for the Thompson seedless variety more than 135 years ago.

Eleven acres of his almond orchards remain, and he is already considering replacing half of them with more grapes.

"We'd like to put him on a planting sabbatical for a few years," said his daughter Juleah Cordi, laughing.

Her father is more than a little enthusiastic and eager for his latest venture, she said. Now that the new vines are planted, he'll be out there every day walking around, checking on them and even talking to the plants.

"They are his babies," said Juleah Cordi, 22.

Like her father, she has also found joy in the grape-growing challenge.

"With almonds, it was pretty much harvest, water, prune," she said. "With winemaking, there is more of a science to it and an art."

August is a little late to be planting, at least a month later than desired, but Cordi has his thoughts on the future.

"It's exciting. It's new business. It brings something new to Sutter County," he said.

A few people have dabbled with vineyards around the Sutter Buttes over the years, but only in small acreage and none with plans for an on-site winery.

Wine may be the next big thing for Sutter County, just as kiwis were so many years ago and olive oil is becoming, said Mark Brown, the county's assistant agriculture commissioner.

Regardless of the crop, it's nice to see farmers embracing variety, he said. As the region tries to boost its agritourism, wine and vineyards are sure to be an attraction.

"It's one of those things that people like to see on tours," he said. "The grain farms are not quite so sexy."

Sutter Buttes success

Phil LaRocca, owner and vintner of LaRocca Vineyards in Forest Ranch, is someone who predicted wine success from Sutter Buttes soil more than 20 years ago despite doubts within the industry.

"We had some farm advisers come up and they said, 'Nah, it's too hot for chardonnay,'" he said.

But LaRocca was not convinced and decided the fog on the mountain's west side would keep his vines cool enough. He gave valley winemaking a go, selling organic grapes to legendary winemaker John Parducci, later to Fetzer's Bonterra and today under his own label.

"We won quite a few medals off it," he said, of the 100 acres of chenin blanc, chardonnay and zinfandel he has grown in the Buttes.

Today, only about 50 acres of chardonnay vines remain. But the valley heat and soil remain favorable to other varietals, too, he said.

His experiments in cabernet, merlot and bordeaux did not fare as well. But Rhone varietals, syrah and zinfandel thrive in the Mid-Valley.

"To see other people come into the area is a boon for all of us, for all the wineries," he said. "It's great to educate people on the beneficial aspects and enjoyment of drinking wine."

His daughter agrees.

"It's definitely not like Napa Valley, where you have tourists coming from all over, but it's a start," Phaedra LaRocca said. "And the wines are great."

CONTACT Ashley Gebb at 749-4724 or agebb@appealdemocrat.com.