Local Sonoma Winemaker Turns 78, and So Does His Vineyard

SONOMA, California (October 2, 2024) – Ray Kaufman, the local winemaker who worked alongside proprietor Patrick Campbell for 23 vintages at the prestigious Laurel Glen Vineyard in Sonoma celebrates a birthday this month. The Don Eugenio Vineyard in famous La Consulta, Argentina, owned by Kaufman, shares that birthday. The 78-year-old winemaker uses organically farmed grapes from his self-rooted 78-year-old vines to make Adelante single vineyard Malbec, a delicious wine that remarkably sells for under $20.

The Don Eugenio Vineyard was planted in 1946 by Eugenio Gioachini, an Italian immigrant. Gioachini built a house and barn on the property, where he and his wife raised four daughters and a son. He tended his vineyard with little help, selling his grapes to various wineries in La Consulta until his death at 90. Kaufman and a small group of investors purchased the vineyard in 2007 from the family that planted it. Sadly, the vineyard had been overcropped and unattended. Kaufman’s group set about improving the vineyard while keeping the original vines.

Kaufman believes in the adage that wine is made in the vineyard, so he got to work on improving grape quality at the 18-acre La Consulta Vineyard. Kaufman changed the canopy management to a mixture of Guyot and Cordon, keeping the vine canopy open due to the spectacular, but unpredictable weather swings of La Consulta. The Cordon trellising intensified the fruit character of the grapes, while preventing mold and keeping the grapes at a cooler temperature. Following the variations in soil composition and water retention, he divided the vineyard into sections and adapted the trellising methods to each section to maximize quality.

While working on the vineyard, Kaufman sold his grapes to other producers. By 2012 he felt his hard work had resulted in enough quality improvement to produce the first commercial bottling from Don Eugenio Vineyard when he introduced his Adelante brand. Maintaining minimal intervention in the winemaking allowed the vineyard to shine through. Kaufman’s grapes receive a three-day cold soak, use native yeast, and each vineyard section is fermented separately. Primary fermentation is followed by natural malolactic fermentation. Upon completion, the wine is aged for 12 to 18 months with 60 percent in French oak barrels and the remaining 40 percent in stainless steel tanks. Kaufman does a final blend before bottling to ensure each vintage of Adelante Malbec maintains consistency.

Kaufman says, “I am aiming for balance over power, along with concentration that stands up to and compliments a wide array of foods. My goal is to make a Malbec that reflects the character of this 78-year-old vineyard and present it to the public at a price they can afford.”

Ray Kaufman has led a diverse life. In addition to his 40-year winemaking career, he worked as a credentialed teacher, lived in Asia, sailed the South China Sea and South Pacific, and developed a California wine export company that shipped wine from more than 50 wineries to 15 countries around the world. When given the opportunity to make wine in Argentina, he discovered Malbec, and never left.

Don Eugenio Vineyard is located in La Consulta, one of five appellations in the Uco Valley of Mendoza. At 3,200 feet elevation, the vineyard sits on the lower reaches of the Andes mountains. Don Eugenio Vineyard is watered by irrigation canals emanating from the Tunuyan River, which is fed by Andes snow melt.

Adelante Malbec is produced following the same attention to detail as wines from other highly regarded regions around the world. Conversion to an organically farmed vineyard, low yields, berry selection in the vineyard and winery, and small lot fermentation produce a complex, rich wine. Special attention to a single vineyard selection from ancient vines makes Adelante Malbec unique in its price range. Kaufman’s group purchased their Don Eugenio Vineyard in 2007 from the family that planted it in 1946. They are committed to preserving and improving what they found.

Source: https://wineindustryadvisor.com/2024/10/02/local-sonoma-winemaker-turns-78-so-does-his-vineyard/