About Cinnabar Vineyards & Winery

The Vineyards

With the Pacific Ocean to the west and San Francisco Bay to the east, Cinnabar's "island vineyards" overlook Silicon Valley from the eastern rim of the Santa Cruz Mountains. (On cool, foggy mornings, these ridge top plantings protrude through a sea of low-lying clouds to create the illusion of an island setting.) Cool breezes roll off the bay each afternoon and modify a temperate climate that is ideal for grape growing. The routine pattern of warm, sunny days and cool nights slowly ripens fruit and enhances its structure.

The weathered mountain soils are mostly red clay-loam with layers of shale evident at greater depths. Relatively lean, their excellent water holding capacity minimizes the need for irrigation.

Non-till farming feeds the naturally existing ecosystem and helps maintain a balanced nutritional life cycle. Cover crops preserve good soil structure, promote water infiltration, prevent erosion, and provide a haven for beneficial insects and organisms.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet benefits from lean mountain soils at 1,650 feet of elevation. Hilltop and southwestern exposures provide extensive sunlight and warm daytime temperatures.

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is planted just above the fog line at 1,400 feet above sea level where hilltop and eastern exposures provide regular sunlight. Vines welcome the influence of recurrent morning fog as the air is refrigerated in and around it.

Pinot Noir

Pinot noir lies on a steep slope with northeast exposure. Two clones were planted at 1,200 feet on the coolest portion of the property. Each was chosen for the specific qualities it would contribute to the finished wine.

The Name

In the fourteenth century, alchemists believed they could miraculously transform ordinary metals into silver and gold with the help of the mineral cinnabar. Consequently, this purple-red derivative of mercury was highly coveted by medieval nobility. Time has proven them wrong, but their conviction endured in the heart of Cinnabar founder Tom Mudd. By allowing rainwater to permeate his mountain vineyards and foster extraordinary grapes, Tom captured the magic of alchemy in his handcrafted wines, a tradition that continues today.

The Winery

Founder Tom Mudd’s first career was in science. A Stanford grad, he received a master’s degree in environmental engineering in 1977 and a Ph.D. in civil engineering in 1980. From 1977–82 he was a research engineer at SRI International (Stanford Research Institute).

Exposed to the wine business in the early 1970s, he planted a one-acre mountain vineyard in 1974, and took viticulture and enology courses at the University of California Davis.

Tom made wine under a home label until he founded Cinnabar Vineyards & Winery in 1983. “When interesting research projects dried up at SRI in the early ‘80s,” said Tom, “I decided it was time for a career change.”

Tom’s quest for vineyard property mirrored the scientific methodology he employed at SRI — he conducted a thorough search of parcels suitable to growing quality wine grapes. “I spent a year looking for the perfect site,” he said.

When it was time to plant the Cinnabar vineyards, Tom sought cuttings with a proven record under local conditions. “Our first planting had bloodlines traceable to France’s elite classified growths,” said Tom. “The cabernet sauvignon was derived from cuttings taken from Chateau Margaux while the chardonnay descended from Burgundy’s Corton-Charlemagne.”

Twenty-two acres of estate vineyards were planted in the summers of ‘84 and ‘85. The winery building and three caves were completed in 1987, the latter providing a year-round temperature-controlled environment (58° F.) for aging Cinnabar wines. Eight acres of estate vines were added in 1991.

In the late 1990s, however, most of the pedigree vines were replaced with certified clones and rootstock better suited to the cool mountain conditions.