Victorian home on property will be developed for weddings, corporate events

Published on Page 7 of the August 21, 2013 issue of Morgan Hill Life

By Marty Cheek

Jason-Stephens Winery is having a very good year. Sales growth is more than 300 percent, and through a recent agreement with the San Francisco Wine Exchange, the South Valley vintner just started marketing and selling its wines nationally in 31 states. And this summer, it expanded its enterprise by buying the 378-acre Wine Oaks Ranch on Hecker Pass a few miles down the road from its established winery.

Jason Goelz discusses wine with Michelle McKay. Jason Stephens Winery recently purchased 378 acres. (Photo by Marty Cheek)

Jason Goelz discusses wine with Michelle McKay. Jason Stephens Winery recently purchased 378 acres.
(Photo by Marty Cheek)

The journey to this success began when winemaker Jason Goelz was a college student at Cal Poly with a dream of entering the wine industry and producing exceptional vino. After graduating, he worked for several years in the corporate world as an analyst and consultant for Bay Area companies. But he quickly found he didn’t like wearing suits or attending meetings. His heart was set on getting among the grapevines and producing world-class fine wines.

Goelz met Stephen Dorcich and was impressed with the premium quality of his grapes at the Dorcich Vineyards on Watsonville Road. He started working for Dorcich as winemaker, cellar manager and sales manager. Jason-Stephens Winery eventually emerged. “It’s been a great partnership,” Goelz said. “He puts up the winery, and I buy the grapes off of him. He’s the landlord.”

Goelz is not afraid to try new ideas in winemaking. Jason-Stephens was one of the first wineries in the United States to use a sophisticated automated sorting system that has helped it improve its wine quality, reduce labor costs and ensure that there is no cross contamination in the process. Goelz also developed an innovated process to use ozonated water to rinse the dust off the grapes, killing the natural yeast that’s on grapes to preserve the fruit’s original flavor. Today, sommeliers and wine buyers around the nation praise the quality of the fine wines produced by Goelz.

“I like big, round, soft wines where the tannins are big but they are softer tannins, not astringent tannins,” Goelz said, describing the unique complexity of his wines. “I like wines with acumen that parallel with food and hold up flavors so that you can tell that they are made out grapes and not out of wood. We don’t use a lot of oak in our wines.”

With the boost in sales, Jason-Stephens found the opportunity to purchase the Wine Oaks Ranch, which currently has about 20 acres of chardonnay and syrah vines planted on it. Goelz hopes to plant another 50 acres of grapes. The rest of the property, which includes a nine-bedroom Victorian home built in the 1880s, will be developed for events such as wedding and corporate retreats. “It’s really an amazing property considering how close it is to Silicon Valley,” Goelz said. “There’s just not a lot of property around like this. It’s gorgeous.”

The winery’s Watsonville Road tasting room is a favorite stop for wine lovers who want to focus on a great wine experience and not on gifts and souvenirs. “We want to make it all about the wine,” Goelz said. “We don’t have a lot of trinkets and logoed merchandise. Although I can make some revenue doing that, I decided to focus on the wine. I have a knowledgeable staff. They have a passion for wine and are able to talk about it and understand it and appreciate it.”

CONTACT INFORMATION

Location: 11775 Watsonville Road
Hours: Noon to 5 p.m. daily
Contact: (408) 846-8463 or www.jstephens.com