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Sarah's Vineyard
GILROY
The Sarah's Vineyard estate is a labor of love for winegrower Tim Slater. Tim
took the helm at Sarah's Vineyard when he purchased the vineyards and
winery in 2001. Prior to that, Tim explored many career paths, including being
a DJ, a musician, and a successful micro-machining engineer with a number
of patents. He brought a scientific approach to replanting and modernizing
Sarah's, finely balanced by an artist's sensibility and a traditionalist's love of
the land.
By channeling both his inner mad scientist and his artistic side, the estate
has flourished, growing and producing some of California's finest Pinot Noir
and Chardonnay. "My philosophy is a fairly simple one," says Tim, "bottle by
bottle, vintage by vintage, to capture the 'music of the vineyard.'"
As a hands-on proprietor, Tim is both grower and winemaker, constantly
experimenting in the vineyard and in the cellar. He can also be found in the
tasting room, sharing his latest discoveries with guests. The Sarah's Vineyard
estate occupies 28 acres in the cool climate of the Mount Madonna foothills
of the southern Santa Cruz Mountain range. Here, chilling winds and fog from
Monterey Bay mitigate the sunny daytime temperatures and extend hang
time, creating perfect conditions for growing world-class Pinot Noir and
Chardonnay.
Sarah's is made up of three main vineyard blocks: the original Sarah's Vineyard
plantings that date back to 1978, plus the newer Timcat and Dwarf Oak
sections. And while the Burgundian varieties may be Sarah's claim to fame,
FACING PAGE: Looking south from Sarah's Vineyard into the
Mt. Madonna Foothills of the southern Santa Cruz Mountains.
ABOVE: Sarah's Vineyard entrance off of Hecker Pass
Highway in Gilroy.
Photographs courtesy Sarah's Vineyard
SANTA CLARA COUNTY
