Dennis Schaefer (DS): You came to Santa Ynez Valley from British Columbia. Could you compare and contrast the two regions, in terms of terroir?

Kevin Willenborg (KW): I believe the most pronounced differences between the regions relate to latitude and climate. First off, the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, being much further north in latitude, has a shorter, yet more accelerated, growing season compared to Santa Ynez Valley. In British Columbia, if you’re faced with a few cooler weeks during the growing season, there are fewer warmer days to make up for maturing the vines and the resulting fruit - this makes for greater vintage variations than what we see here.

Here in Santa Ynez Valley, we get ample duration of warm weather and have the luxury to hang the fruit on the vine even into November. In British Columbia, the temperatures start to cool noticeably in later September and it could be snowing in October/November. Also, here we get a moderate coastal influence that keeps the peak high temperatures to a short duration, along with the cooling effects of the coastal fog. Being somewhat inland and east of the Cascades, the Okanagan Valley has more of a continental climate with some warm, dry days during the summer (100F+ some days) that maintain a longer duration of heat, with some intense solar radiation. The Santa Ynez Valley has a longer, more moderate growing season due to latitude and our coastal climate.

Yet there are some similarities. Average annual rainfall in both areas is somewhat similar and indicative of a dry region - about 15 inches in Santa Ynez Valley and 12 inches or less in the Okanagan Valley - so supplemental irrigation is a necessity but allows for good vine vigor control and balance. Although the geology is somewhat different, the end result is that soils in both areas can range from sandy to clay/loam depending on location in each region. There are warmer and cooler areas in both regions that favor diverse climate varieties from Cabernet to Pinot Noir.

DS: Upon seeing the Firestone vineyards for the first time, what stood out? What impressed you?

KW: The elevated uniformly exposed mesas. Firestone Vineyard gets even sun exposure from morning to afternoon. Sun exposure is crucial to flavor (as well as tannin) development in the fruit. Elevated vineyards naturally, by gravity, drain soil moisture in the root zone of the plant. This allows for better balance and better physiological fruit development as opposed to a continued vegetative growth cycle of the plant. Upon further investigation, I learned that the soils were unusually consistent, with a gravelly clay/loam topsoil and rocky subsoil - well drained and uniform. Most vineyards have soil variation within just a few feet, affecting variation in vine ripening. Here it is remarkably consistent, which allows for even ripening throughout the vineyard blocks. As a winemaker walking the vineyard, I sometimes feel like a kid in candy store.

DS: In what condition did you find the Firestone Estate vineyards, when you arrived?

KW: When the vineyard was initially planted in the early 70’s, it was set-up as most vineyards of its time: 12 foot row spacing, sprawl and overhead sprinkler irrigation, with the varietal clones in use at the time. Some of the blocks were performing quite well and needed just some fine tuning while others were underperforming for one reason or another. The blocks that were performing fine were growing almost too well – green and healthy for the vine but perhaps not as good for the fruit development. The Firestone family was becoming quite aware of this at the time and knew some changes needed to be affected at the time I came on board.

DS: Did you have some immediate ideas about changing some of the things in the estate vineyards, or did you take a more "wait and see after your first harvest" attitude about any changes or modifications?

KW: I often tell people I arrived here at about the right time - I saw the changes that needed to happen and the Firestone family was open to making those changes. Right away, we began to open up the vineyard canopies (trellising, shoot-thinning, and leafing) to allow for sun exposure into the fruiting zone. I knew I needed help as well. We hired and brought down Eric Davidian from Napa Valley, who was working for a boutique vineyard management firm there. I didn’t need to explain much to Eric as he could see what we needed to do as well. We went further into crop reduction and tighter irrigation controls to better balance the plants.

I remember walking the vineyard incessantly that year, trying to get a feel for the performance of each block and making picking decisions based on fruit taste and development. I wanted to have a good picture of each block during the growing season for when I would later taste the wine grown from it. From the 2001 harvest wines, we evaluated the wines from each block to make an initial determination about site suitability of variety and overall block performance. We found that Cabernet Sauvignon, with good vineyard management, showed good fruit flavor and depth with no noticeable vegetative characters. (This was important because there was much controversy at the time on whether Santa Ynez Valley was suitable for Cab.)

While many other varieties also did well, Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah showed to be clear standouts. We made the decision to subsequently cull some blocks that were either underperforming or where the variety wasn’t suitable to that location. The next year we started a replanting program to focus on the most suitable varieties with better trellising, clones, and rootstock. That process has continued for the last 6 years. We continued to open up the canopies and focus on better irrigation practices to balance the vine with an emphasis on achieving better physiologically ripe (not overripe) fruit. We continually work to refine this every year.

DS: In the beginning, Firestone planted a lot of Chardonnay on the Estate. I'm betting that there's not much planted there now and that you get the bulk of your Chardonnay from the cooler Santa Maria Valley. Can you comment on why the conditions are not right for Chardonnay at your location.

KW: We have pared back Chardonnay in our Estate vineyard and sought Chardonnay from cooler areas within Santa Barbara County, such as Santa Maria Valley and Santa Rita Hills. Over the last 6 plus years, we have made the strategic decision to replant a good portion of the Estate managed vineyard to varieties that are best suited to our location. Although I can make the case with our warmer, rocky site within Santa Ynez Valley for the Bordeaux varietals such as Cabernet and Sauvignon Blanc (as well as Rhone such as Syrah), it is more challenging for Chardonnay.

I will say that the clones of Chardonnay planted on the Estate were good choices, holding their acidity fairly well while producing an almost tropical pineapple fruit tone. However, our preference was to produce a Chardonnay with a more pronounced concentration of crisp apple and citrus characters, along with more minerality and weight. I feel that these attributes of Chardonnay are better attained from the cooler areas within Santa Barbara County, where the fruit retains better acid since we’re able to hang the fruit longer into the season to develop the rich fruit profile and enhanced palate weight. We think this to be more the style in keeping Chardonnay with world-class wines.

DS: According to your ex-boss, Adam Firestone, Sauvignon Blanc is really the signature or flagship varietal of the estate. The thinking is that it is the perfect varietal for mid-Santa Ynez Valley conditions. Why and how so? Why is it better in mid-Santa Ynez Valley than, say, the eastern edge of Santa Ynez Valley?

KW: No question in my mind that Santa Ynez Valley, and Firestone Vineyard in particular, can grow Sauvignon Blanc that captures the rich tropical fruit tones of guava and passion fruit along with the citrus tones of grapefruit, while retaining the bright acidity. First, we have a long, moderate, coastally influenced growing season that allows for adequate hang time and for the fruit to develop these fruit tones. Secondly, we get good solar radiation throughout the day (coastal fog typically burns off early to mid-morning) and - with proper sun exposure on the fruit - the grapes can produce the more enhanced tropical fruit tones.

Our location in the North Central part of the Santa Ynez Valley is elevated upon gravelly mesas just below the San Rafael Mountains. I consider this area to be in the 2nd warmest area in Santa Ynez Valley, with the warmest location being to the east end of the Valley. Both areas cool down at night to similar temperatures, typically in the 50’s during the summer, yet the eastern end of the Valley typically allows for higher peak temperatures during the day. Sauvignon Blanc ripens well enough there, however there is more potential for sunburn if you expose the fruit and the acidity can respire a bit more. Also the area in vineyard over at the east end of the valley has more clay in the topsoil which can make Sauvignon Blanc potentially more vigorous, with more fruit shading if you’re not careful.

DS: Before you came to Firestone, I remember very little about the Syrah. Since your arrival, it's become a great performer. What are the estate conditions where the Syrah is grown? Did you make any changes, either in the vineyard or the winery, regarding how you treat Syrah?

KW: It may sound counterintuitive that a similar argument to that which applies for Sauvignon Blanc, a Bordeaux varietal, also applies to Syrah, a Rhone varietal. The long growing season in our moderately coastal climate with appropriate sun exposure allows for dark fruit flavor development with decent acid retention for Syrah. What’s more, Syrah berries can shrivel and desiccate closer to ripening with a longer duration of heat in other growing areas that make for jammy, sometimes raisiny or port-like characters. Here, if we do the right things in the vineyard, we can easily keep the berries intact and have them naturally produce the darker fruit flavors sought from the variety, without the over-ripe characters. Canopy and irrigation management play a crucial role with Syrah as it can be extremely vigorous in the spring and wants to shut-down or defoliate in the fall. We work with this to balance the vine and allow for it to fully mature the fruit.

Our winemaking style is to allow for the true potential of the vineyard to produce the characteristic varietal flavors and then shepherd it into the bottle. Syrah has a tendency to be reductive, producing off odors, in the winery - we have to allow for the wine to breath or introduce air during winemaking and cellaring to balance.

DS: Cabernet Sauvignon has also taken a leap in quality since your arrival. Some of the old Firestone Cabs had some greenness or overtly herbal qualities that were distracting. Were you aware of that? If so, what steps did you take, either in the vineyard or the winery?

KW: I did note some of the herbaceous tones of Cabernets in this area early on, not just with Firestone but some other regional Cabs as well. During my first growing season at Firestone in 2001, we went straight to work on canopy management and continually refined irrigation practices to balance the vine, reducing vegetative growth, and allowing for more sunlight into the fruiting zone. This had the effect of respiring some of the vegetative tones while enhancing some of the berry fruit tones. There were a few underperforming blocks that we noticed the first year I was here and we kept the wine from those blocks out of the blend. We ripped out these three underperforming blocks of Cabernet over the next couple of years and replanted with some newer blocks of Cabernet on low vigor rootstocks. In winemaking, I started fermenting at higher temperatures and incorporating a bit more air during fermentation and aging.

DS: The Firestone vineyards have some age on them. Have you embarked on any replanting or grafting since your arrival?

KW: Over the last 6 plus years, we’ve ripped out close to 200 acres of the roughly 500 acres we’ve farmed. There are still some vines originally planted in the early 70’s that are in decent health and produce some great wines. In fact, one of our best blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon was part of the original planting.

DS: With the Foley Wine Estate Group, it seems likely that you will have access to additional capital. If you had a "wish list," for the vineyards and winery, what would be on that list?

KW: We have most of the tools we need in the winery and a good team in place. By and large, my wish list would revolve around vineyard needs - tools to better balance the vines, such as soil probes to continue refining irrigation procedures, and aerial vineyard photography flown routinely. Also, continuing to integrate more Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet as they grow so well here. Bill (Foley) is upbeat on these varieties, as am I, and I am happy to say we are already addressing these concerns.

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Photos by Dennis Schaefer; top photo courtesy Firestone Vineyard