Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards
Encyclopedia
Saratoga, California
Saratoga is a city in Santa Clara County, California, USA. It is located on the west side of the Santa Clara Valley, directly west of San Jose, in the San Francisco Bay area. The population was 29,926 at the 2010 census....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and the Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
. The vineyard was renamed Savannah-Chanel Vineyards in 1996 when the Congress Springs Vineyards were purchased by the Michael Ballard family, naming the vineyard after the family's two daughters.
Lawsuit
In 1998 the Ballards were sued by ChanelChanel
Chanel S.A. is a French fashion house founded by the couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, well established in haute couture, specializing in luxury goods . She gained the name "Coco" while maintaining a career as a singer at a café in France...
cosmetics over the use of the name "Chanel" in the winery's name even though it had no relation to their corporation. Rather than fight a long costly court battle, the Ballard's modified the vineyard name to Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards. The new name first appeared on their 1999 label wines. The existing vines and winery itself have been located on the same hill for over a century
Wines
Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards is best known for their Pinot NoirPinot Noir
Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
wines produced from both local and estate grapes. They also produce award-winning Zinfandel
Zinfandel
Zinfandel is a variety of red grape planted in over 10 percent of California vineyards. DNA fingerprinting revealed that it is genetically equivalent to the Croatian grape Crljenak Kaštelanski, and also the Primitivo variety traditionally grown in Puglia , where it was introduced in the 18th century...
wines that are produced from the original estate Zinfandel vines planted in 1910. These vines are the oldest surviving Zinfandel vines in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Pinot Blanc
Pinot Blanc
Pinot blanc is a white wine grape. It is a point genetic mutation of Pinot noir. Pinot noir is genetically unstable and will occasionally experience a point mutation in which a vine bears all black fruit except for one cane which produced white fruit....
, Port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
, Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
and several other varietals are also produced by the vineyard.
Savannah-Chanelle's Garys' 2002 Pinot Noir, from the Santa Lucia Highlands, was named "Best Pinot Noir in California" by the 2005 California State Fair
California State Fair
The California State Fair is the annual state fair for the state of California. The fair is held at Cal Expo in Sacramento, California.- Schedule Change :...
.