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Marin County
Before the Prohibition hit, Marin County had an abundance of vineyards.
The San Rafael Mission brought grapes to Marin in 1817. “There
is a vineyard connected with almost every estate in the county of any
size all over (San Rafael) and in the outskirts are vineyards of the
choicest variety of grapes. Every dweller…who owns a lot of half
an acre, has his own little vineyard,” a Marin County souvenir
booklet from 1893 read. Sadly, the Prohibition completely wiped out the
wine industry in Marin.
The wine boom of the 1980’s in Napa and Sonoma led more Marin farmers
to think about diversifying. More and more vineyards are being planted
in Marin.
Marin’s cool climate is quite similar to that of some major grapegrowing
areas nearby—the Carneros region of Napa, the Sonoma Coast, and
the Anderson Valley of Mendocino County.
It has early bud break and an extremely long, cool, uniquely mild growing
season, usually followed by an Indian summer in September or early October
which helps the fruit get fully ripe. The winters are warm, though the
springs are wet, which causes the vines to produce fewer grapes. Thus
one looks for quality rather than quantity in Marin fruit.
“…Marin wines seem to be deeper and more richly flavored,” Larry Stone, sommelier at Rubicon says
“…the flavor of Marin…Less alcohol, a little more elegance. A little more fineness of palate,” says Jonathon Pey, general manager at Robert Mondavi
“We use Marin as a spice element. It is pleasingly high in acidity and low in potential alcohol,” says Craig Roemer, winemaker at Schramsberg vineyard
Marin fruit is known to be “intense” and “exotic”.
Marin County is becoming the next frontier for Pinot Noir,
in particular, as this variety appreciates the cooler coastal climate.
Fans of Pinot like intense
and unusual flavors, and growers are increasingly planting in Marin,
seeking magical new tastes, with depth and complexity.
