In the spring of 1981, a year into strenuously preparing the rocky earth for future vineyards, John’s resolution was further tested. He received a desperate call from his tractor operator. Bad news. They had reached a patch so rocky that the powerful steel rippers of the tractor were rendered useless. His contractor wanted him to come and see the problems, so John hung up the phone and immediately got in the car. When he arrived the operator asked him to jump up on his D6 Caterpillar, and they drove out on the field of un-walkable rock to survey the problems. The operator put down the rippers to show John the extent of rock he would have to deal with.
“ It was Caldwell’s
revelatory moment; the sight and smell of freshly turned earth changed him... As John says, “I had to do it.”
SPECIAL PROFILE
John Caldwell
Caldwell Vineyard
John Caldwell is the original wine industry maverick and the man responsible for “introducing” the most prized Bordeaux rootstock and grapevine clones to California. John not only held the original licensing agreement with the French government for the ENTAV-INRA clones, which are now considered industry standard in the United States, but also wrote the definitive resource book on the subject, called A Concise Guide on Wine Grape Clones for Professionals. Today, with Marbue Marke at the winemaking helm of Caldwell Vineyard, John and Joy Caldwell produce 27 different clone (and varietal) specific wines from their 123-acre estate in Napa Valley’s Coombsville appellation. The Caldwell story begins as one of entrepreneurship and serendipity. Having already built a mini empire of shoe stores in the Bay Area, in 1974 he invested in a
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piece of property east of the town of Napa in sleepy region called Coombsville. His intent was to subdivide the land for homes just as housing prices were increasing in the wake of the interest in Napa Valley wine that was sparked by the famous “Judgement of Paris Tasting”. As fate would have it, soon thereafter Napa County imposed a moratorium on development. John was stuck with 53 acres of rocky south Napa hillside. At the time Coombsville was relatively unchartered territory for grape growing (Coombsville wouldn’t receive its AVA designation until 2011), but the booming wine industry was still his best shot at getting some return on investment. In true John Caldwell fashion, he took a gamble and committed to see it through. In 1980 John set out to turn the property into high quality grape producing land.
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As John tells it, he saw the daunting rockfilled ground, but he also saw the fresh earth turned in the wake of the tractor. It was Caldwell’s revelatory moment; the sight and smell of freshly turned earth changed him. From then on, this moment of stunning instinctual realization would provide the emotional foundation for what is now one of the valley’s premiere wineries, Caldwell Vineyard. From that day forward John was more than an entrepreneur. He was also a farmer. The land opened up to him, and the two have lived harmoniously ever since. John Caldwell may be a legend for his short stint as a vine smuggler, but it is this lesser told event that made such audacities possible. The tales are true, he smuggled French vines out of Canada. He swallowed incriminating receipts in a freezing Canadian border control interrogation room. John Caldwell risked his freedom and fortune to bring to his land the highest quality grapevine clones available. As John says, “I had to do it.” If you’ve ever tasted Caldwell Vineyard’s wines, the flavor of that love rings loud and clear: the land continues to give something truly special to John in return. True to its roots, Caldwell Vineyard embraces the uniqueness of the fruit and under the expert care of winemaker Marbue Marke, let’s those expressions from the harvest drive the resulting wine. John and his wife Joy continue to grow the winery’s acclaim. Caldwell Vineyard now boasts one of the valley’s most impressive caves and most entertaining tours.
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