By Kelly Garrett
This story first appeared in Vine Times magazine.

Since the Santa Cruz Mountains region got its appellation 20 years ago, more than three dozen little wineries have shown the wider wine world what the area's sea-influenced terrain and homespun craftsmanship can do for a grape. But John Shumacher, owner of Hallcrest Vineyards, has been digging into something richer than the distinctive soil to mine the mountains' spirit.

For one thing, he's tapped into the hallowed history of those hills. Perhaps more important, he's paid attention to the sociology of the place, honoring the healthwise instincts of its inhabitants and their preference for things natural.

The Result
Shumacher has emerged as something of a pioneer in organic winemaking. It's not just that he uses organically grown grapes; plenty of wineries are doing that these days, including some big ones. Rather, by sticking to organic principles throughout the post-harvest process-from crush to cork-Shumacher has created true organic wines of decent quality. This part of Hallcrest's operation is called the Organic Wine Works, and its existence is certainly noteworthy at a time when the word "organic" (not to mention the word "quality") is tossed around rather loosely.

First the History
The property Shumacher took over in 1987 was the original Hallcrest Vineyards. It spreads out modestly along some especially beautiful acreage near the mountain town of Felton, several miles up the San Lorenzo River from its Monterey Bay mouth, just east of the Ferris wheel at the Santa Cruz Beach and Boardwalk. Hallcrest was founded in 1941, which may not sound all that historic in a region with a winemaking past dating from the 19th century. But, remember, no original Santa Cruz Mountains winery survived Prohibition. So we're talking prototype here.

Chafee Hall, Hallcrest's eponymous creator, managed to squeeze some pretty good Cabernets and White Rieslings out of his mountain vineyard-good enough for the lists of such elite San Francisco and New York establishments as the Top of the Mark, the Fairmont and the Waldorf Astoria. Success won for Hall a local-hero status, no small feat for a pioneer who toiled in less enlightened times when most people figured enology referred to the offensive statistics of a Yankee named Slaughter.

Nearly a quarter century passed between the original Hallcrest's last vintage in 1964 and its resurrection under Shumacher. Now everything that made the place remarkable at mid-century is back in full swing: the family ownership, the mountain setting, the local recognition, the limited production, the original 1940s buildings, and the Hallcrest name. Sit on the sunny deck outside Hallcrest's tasting room and you're looking out over Riesling vines planted more than 50 years ago by Chafee Hall himself. (Alas, these last of the originals are slated for pulling. For now, Shumacher is buying his grapes from selected growers, a process as demanding and delicate as tending vines.)

What you sip on that sunny deck might be one of the several award-winning 1992 Cabernets sold under the Hallcrest label, each offering glassfuls of the kind of dark drama that's made the burgeoning boutique wine business so ... well, dramatic. Especially recommended is the private reserve produced from that year's Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from Bates Ranch (Santa Cruz Mountains). The official in-house tasting notes point out its nose of sage, mouth of spice and blackberry, and crisp acid finish. Unofficially, it's a sensuous delight.

But, truth be told, Shumacher has concentrated most of his recent efforts on the expanding Organic Wine Works label. Unlike those under the Hallcrest label, these wines can be certified as organic because the grapes are grown without pesticides and processed without chemical additives.

What that means, mostly, is that wines from the Organic Wine Works are sulfite-free. Sulfites are added to virtually all wines worldwide to retard oxidation and discourage bacteria. Simply put, they keep the wine from going sour. They are part and parcel of the taste experience of traditional wines.

The problem is that a certain portion of the population is sulfite-sensitive, reacting badly when exposed. The symptoms might be sneezing, congestion, coughing, even difficulty breathing. Some folks just feel lousy when they drink sulfited-wine, which is hardly in the spirit of things. That's why wine bottles must now carry warning labels about their sulfite content. And that's why Organic Wine Works offers an alternative.

The percentage of potential wine drinkers who are sulfite-sensitive is probably in the very low single digits. Throw in those who prefer organic products as a matter of principle, and you still have little more than a niche market. Which is just fine with Shumacher. "We started the Organic Wine Works because sulfite-sensitive people were being left out of the wine market," he said. "Everybody should have the opportunity to enjoy wine if they want it."

Fit, 40-ish, and free of the aloof airs associated (probably unfairly these days) with the wine cognoscenti, Shumacher is a highly trained (University of California, Davis) winemaker who's well versed in the science of enology. He's needed every bit of that know-how to perfect a process for creating good wines without sulfites. It requires zero contact with oxygen along the way, constant temperatures, meticulous handling, careful monitoring, and extreme cleanliness. The end product holds together well. While you wouldn't want to lay down an unsulfited wine, drink the reds within two years or so and they're perfectly okay.

If sulfites bother you-or if you want to be prepared for sulfite-sensitive guests, the Organic Wine Works has a lot of bases covered. Reds include a '99 Zinfandel, a '98 Cabernet and a '97 Carignane. The new '00s are a Merlot and a Pinot Noir. There's also a red table wine blend with the obligatory alliterative nickname-Radical Red. Whites (which should be drunk sooner) are limited to a '99 Chardonnay and a "Great White" table wine.

Shumacher fills orders for his non-sulfites as far away as Japan. They're also favorites at natural food stores in and around the Santa Cruz Mountains. But don't expect to run down to your corner liquor store to pick one up. "Resistance to unsulfited wine doesn't come from consumers," Shumacher said. "It comes from the retailers." Order through the winery. Better yet, treat yourself to a visit.

Shumacher is as dedicated to sustainable farming and organic processing as he is to quality wine and the heritage of Hallcrest. But he's not expecting an organic revolution in winemaking. Nor is he out to convert the industry. He's at Hallcrest to do what few others have even thought of-making quality wine for those who were once left out of the fun.

****Hallcrest Vineyards, 379 Felton Empire Road, Felton, 831.335.4441.****

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