The Kautz Family Strikes Gold

John and Gail Kautz began farming the Lodi hills of Northern California in 1926. By 1948, John Kautz farms was established and in 1990, the Ironstone Winery came in to full fruition. Located in the Gold Rush town of Murphys, Lodi, California, the winery stands as a modernized version of an 1859 Gold Stamp Mill, that includes an onsite Heritage Museum of the historic gold rush era. They have since been credited with an abundance of awards for their winery and extensive portfolio of wines, including the “Grower of the Year” award in 2012 by the California Association of Winegrape Growers. Seemingly, the Kautz family was striking gold with the exquisite grape-growing terroir provided by the beautiful landscapes of Lodi.

The winery is now in their fourth generation of Kautz family tradition, and sustainability is at the forefront for the winery today, just as it has been since day one. Just as John and Gail knew, sustainable winegrowing after all, is the true gold nugget for a family business seeking to continue a successful farming legacy.

Lodi

The Lodi AVA in Central California has eight sub-AVAs, many of which Ironstone Winery cultivates grapes from. While the soils here can differ tremendously, the majority of the soils are sand dominant. The climate is Mediterranean as it’s moderated by several rivers and creeks that run through the land, and most importantly, benefits from the cool breezes from the San Francisco Bay.

Over 100 grape varieties are grown in this AVA. Zinfandel is Lodi’s most significant grape, and this region is recognized world-wide for their old vines, some of which that reach around the 130 year mark. Although Lodi is ideal for bulk wine production, more and more producers are creating quality wines, including Ironstone, who cultivate grapes in their hilly vineyards with their intricate sustainable vineyard practices and who also take a more serious approach to winemaking.

A Couple Cali Classics

Sloughhouse and Alta Mesa are two of the several Lodi sub-appellations where the Kautz family grow fruit for two of their key varieties from their Classic Collection - Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Like many wineries, combining fruit sourced from different vineyards is done to add desired depth and complexity to their full-bodied wines.