Byington Vineyard

Byington Vineyard is a 95 acre (0.4 km²) vineyard and winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains above Silicon Valley in California as well as 234 acres (0.9 km²) of vineyard near Paso Robles, California.

History

Bill and Mary Byington, in 1958, purchased 95 acres (0.4 km²) surrounded by redwood forests as a family retreat. In the early 1970s, a well-known Santa Cruz Mountains winemaker approached the family, wanting to lease a portion of their land for vineyards. A keen wine collector, Bill was intrigued, and the seed for future vineyard cultivation was planted. Almost 20 years after leaving his family farm in Idaho, Bill returned to his farming roots and planted nine acres (36,000 m²) of pinot noir on the southernmost tip of the rugged Santa Cruz Mountains terrain. Byington Vineyard & Winery was established with its vintage 1987 release. Their Italianate stone chateau is popular for wine tastings and weddings, [cite news | first=Mary Anne | last=Ostrom | coauthors= | title=Dean Byington, businessman and prankster | date=2006-08-24 | publisher= | url =http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:SJMB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=113BAE3B4F30FA20&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated4&req_dat=0D0CB57AB53DF815 | work =San Jose Mercury News | pages =10B | accessdate = 2007-10-05 | language = ] and has been described as the showcase winery in the area. [cite news | first=Jerry D. | last=Mead | coauthors= | title= New Santa Cruz winery caters to the crowds | date=1990-07-18 | publisher= | url =http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:BRZB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=112B5B818803E140&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated4&req_dat=0D0CB57AB53DF815 | work =Daily Breeze | pages =F6 | accessdate = 2007-10-05 | language = ]

Byington has taken advantage of a new opportunity with the recent acquisition of 234 acres (0.9 km²) on the west side of Paso Robles. One of the most promising emerging winegrowing regions in California, Paso Robles is home to a thriving variety of grapes resulting from its varied soil composition and diverse microclimates. The Byingtons will be dedicating the land primarily to Bordeaux varieties, while experimenting with Rhone varieties.

Wines

Currently Byington produces several wine varietals, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Alliage.

Awards

The 1991 Pinot Noir was judged best of show at the 11th annual Santa Cruz County County Fair Commercial Wine Judging. [cite news | first=Laurie | last=Daniel | coauthors= | title=Top award for Byington Pinot Noir | date=1994-08-24 | publisher= | url =http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:SJMB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0EB71D786640E6F6&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated4&req_dat=0D0CB57AB53DF815 | work =San Jose Mercury News | pages =4E | accessdate = 2007-10-05 | language = ]

References

Further reading

*cite news | first=Bill | last=Daley | coauthors= | title=Enticements aplenty at Byington | date=2003-09-04 | publisher= | url =http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:SFCB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0FD5C3DA071CB081&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated4&req_dat=0D0CB57AB53DF815 | work =San Francisco Chronicle | pages =D5 | accessdate = 2007-10-05 | language =
*cite news | first=Laurie | last=Daniel | coauthors= | title=Tending the family vineyard: the Byingtons strive to upgrade their operation in the Santa Cruz mountains | date=1999-01-13 | publisher= | url =http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:SJMB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0EF672B364D5C563&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated4&req_dat=0D0CB57AB53DF815 | work =San Jose Mercury News | pages =5F | accessdate = 2007-10-05 | language =
*cite news | first=David L. | last=Beck | coauthors= | title=Byington Winery readies for opening | date=1990-05-23 | publisher= | url =http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:SJMB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0EB73254A1D0C173&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated4&req_dat=0D0CB57AB53DF815 | work =San Jose Mercury News | pages =7E | accessdate = 2007-10-05 | language =
*cite news | first=Jim | last=Raper | coauthors= | title=Byington Winery, new to the East, is worth tasting | date=1995-10-08 | publisher= | url =http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:NVPB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0EAFF8E077AE18D8&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated4&req_dat=0D0CB57AB53DF815 | work =The Virginian-Pilot | pages =F3 | accessdate = 2007-10-05 | language =

External links

* [http://www.byington.com/home.htm Byington Vineyard]
* [http://www.sanjose.com/attractions/vineyards/ California Wineries]