Jonathan Lachs Archives - Wine Country Getaways

Green Manure Cover Crop Cedarville Vineyard – Zinfandel

Around this time of year, it is easy to spot the vineyards that are practicing sustainable and organic farming. The telltale signs are the rows of green plants growing in between the vines. These are called cover crops or green manure. Their purpose is to provide nitrogen to the soil, so the vineyard growers do not need to add chemical fertilizers. I aways wonder why this is not a practice among all vineyard managers and growers. We made our annual trip to Amador and El Dorado Counties last week. For the 12th year in succession, we visited Cedarville Vineyard in the Fair Play AVA. We always thoroughly enjoy a visit with the husband-wife team of Jonathan Lachs and Susan Marks. They met at the U.C. Davis Enology program and have been a great team since, producing delicious Cedarville Vineyard wines. They planted their vineyards in Fair Play in 1997 and in 2010 switched over to organic farming. A large part of their organic farming is the use of green manure. Janelle and I were astounded at the lush growth of cover crops thriving at Cedarville, and in particular amid the rows of the head-pruned Zinfandel. I recorded this short video of Jonathan explaining the use of the green manure. Not only does it provide fertilizer to the soil but, in these drought conditions, the manure also enhances the moisture retention in the soil. Watch and listen to Jonathan as he clearly describes the use of the cover crops and what plants make up his mix of green manure.

Cedarville Vineyard is one of 19 wineries in the Fair Play area. It is open by appointment, so call ahead if you don’t want to miss tasting Cedarville wines. Several other Fair Play wineries have visiting days and times, so you can make a day of tasting and enjoying the Fair Play AVA. Check the Fair Play Wine Route for additional winery information. We like to stay in Sutter Creek, so it is about a 45-minute drive northeast to Fair Play. The ride up to Fair Play is stunning this time of year.

Organic Cedarville Cabernet Sauvignon

Cedarville Vineyard

In 2002 we were visiting the Everett Ridge Winery on West Dry Creek Road in Sonoma County. There we met an assistant winemaker. We mentioned that we were leaving the next day to head up to the Sierra Foothills near Plymouth. Without hesitation he told us not to miss Cedarville Vineyard in the Fair Play region. We followed his advice and have been back to Cedarville Vineyard each year since then.

Cedarville Vineyard is one of our favorite wineries in the entire California wine region. The winery is owned and operated by the husband-wife team of Jonathan Lachs and Susan Marks. The two met in the winemaking program at U.C. Davis. From there it was a long work stint for both in the Silicon Valley in the high tech world, so that they could eventually afford to buy land in the Fair Play area. They purchased the property in 1995 and would travel each weekend from San Jose to tend to the vines and begin work on their winery, until it was ready for full-time wine production. Their first vintage was 1998.

Jonathan Lachs and Susan Marks

We love coming to visit each year because Jonathan and Susan are the perfect hosts. They are so different than most winery owners. They are eager to see us, along with our group of wine friends. It is a pleasure to hear their enthusiasm as we taste through each of the seven wines they produce. Their vineyards are at 2500 feet altitude in the Sierra Foothills and the soil is granite. In 2010 Jonathan and Susan began a switchover to organic farming of their vineyards. We have always enjoyed their wines, but even more so in the past few years. It is not necessarily the organic farming that has made the wines better; it is the knowledge they have gained from each vintage. They understand their vines better and have fine-tuned their vineyard management accordingly. The Cedarville wines are definitely getting better with age.

Susan Marks with the wine gals on Valentine's Day

Susan Marks center with wine friends on Valentine’s Day

Only one white wine is produced and that is a lovely and enticing Viognier. In the reds, Grenache, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Zinfandel varietals are produced. Two years ago Cedarville introduced a blend called Turnabout’s Fair Play. Very clever! And the wine is fantastic. The Turnabout is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon. We tried a bottle of the 2010. It was fantastic – full flavored and rich with character. Sad to say, only a small amount of the wine was made and it is sold out. The Cedarville Grenache has somewhat of a cult following and often sells out within a few weeks following its release. The only non-estate wine is the Petite Sirah. The vineyard is one that Jonathan and Susan carefully chose for this delightful and elegant wine. It’s one of our favorites in the lineup. In fact, it is our “go to” wine when we cook up some baby back ribs on the barbeque. There is something about our spice rub that matches very well with the Cedarville Vineyard Petite Sirah.

We travel throughout California wine country and we think that the wines of Cedarville are some of the best values to be found. The wines are so well made, and all their wines except for the Turnabout are under $30. Twice a year, we receive from Cedarville a notice of the new releases. Those who purchase early get a discount, plus an additional discount when purchasing by the case. Our wine friends gather and we mix and match wines among us, buying in case lots. We then anxiously await our trip to Fair Play to pick up our wine and chat with premiere winemakers Jonathan and Susan.

If you want to visit Cedarville, check our Sierra Foothills Fair Play Wine Trail for additional wineries to visit and where to dine and lodge. Cedarville is open by appointment only. You will not be disappointed.