Hangtime Cellars wines and Hangtime Cellars Single Vineyard Collection wines come from the highest quality Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah vineyards we can find the world over. We source grapes from cool-climate spots throughout California as well as select areas of Burgundy, in France, and the maritime conditions of the North and South Islands of New Zealand.
Carneros, California
The Carneros district at the southern tip of Napa and Sonoma Valleys is strongly influenced by breezes and fog from nearby San Pablo Bay. These conditions ripen Pinot Noir slowly and steadily throughout the growing season, developing wines with bright cherry and berry flavors balanced by fresh acidity and engaging spice. Our Gallery Vineyard—source of our Single Vineyard Collection Gallery Vineyard Pinot Noir—is among the finest Pinot Noir vineyards in the Carneros region. It lies at the base of Prayer Mountain on the property that surrounds Folio Winemaker’s Studio. Cool morning fog and afternoon winds give grapes here a long, even growing season.
Dry Creek Valley, California
Located in northern Sonoma County, the long, narrow Dry Creek Valley lies between the cooler Russian River Valley and the warmer Alexander Valley. Most of the grapes are planted on the Dry Creek river bench, where they benefit from excellent sun exposure and coarse, gravelly soils. Although Dry Creek traditionally has been known for producing California’s finest Zinfandels, it also yields world-class Syrah. Mounts Vineyard in Dry Creek Valley gives us rich Syrah for our Single Vineyard Collection wine.
Arroyo Seco, California
Located in the center of Monterey County, the Arroyo Seco AVA boasts one of California’s longest growing seasons. Literally translated as “Dry Creek,” the Arroyo Seco canyon was created years ago by the Arroyo River. Today, alluvial, gravelly and sandy loam soils coupled with the cool breezes from Monterey Bay offer ideal growing conditions with extended hangtime. Our Force Canyon Vineyard in Arroyo Seco has steep canyon walls that offer excellent drainage for wines of rich concentration—a perfect location for growing our Single Vineyard Collection Force Canyon Pinot Noir.
Santa Barbara County, California
Santa Barbara County has a 200-year history of winemaking and grape growing, enjoying a renaissance of new vineyard plantings in the 1960s. Unique geological conditions and a superior cool climate make the area a prime location for growing Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah. The valleys within Santa Barbara County, including Santa Maria Valley and the Santa Ynez Valley, run east to west instead of the more common north to south orientation. The unique east-west layout draws a breeze off the Pacific Ocean, tempering the warm days with very cool evenings for extended ripening periods.
In 1982, the eight-mile-long Edna Valley, which runs east-west, was designated an American Viticultural Area. The Los Osos Valley channels cool Pacific breezes straight to the mouth of the Edna Valley, bringing frequent fog and a remarkably mild climate that gives the region one of the longest growing seasons in California. Frequent summer fog and afternoon winds act as a natural cooling system, keeping the valley's temperatures far below those found in some of the more inland growing regions of the Central Coast. These climatic conditions are ideal for growing grapes for our concentrated Central Coast Chardonnay.
Burgundy, France
Burgundy, famous for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, lies along the fertile Rhône and Saone river valleys southeast of Paris. Overall, Burgundy is cooler than Bordeaux, with a prolonged growing season that allows grapes to hang on the vine for extended periods of time, developing a balance of rich fruit complexity and acidity. Many vineyards in the north lie on plains sheltered from westerly winds by the foothills of the Massif Central, the mountain range that cuts down the center of France. Warmer weather in the south allows vineyards to creep up the mountain slopes and to fan out unprotected in the direction of the Saone.
Growers in Burgundy have been cultivating Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for more than 2000 years, and have profound intuition for how to work with the region's constantly changing conditions to produce the finest wines. We source grapes for Hangtime from grower partners who know exactly which vineyards to highlight from each vintage, ensuring the most vibrant varietal expression.
New Zealand
The North and South Islands of New Zealand lie southeast of Australia. Both have moderate, maritime climates, but the North Island is the slightly warmer and rainier of the two. Chardonnay is widely planted on the North Island, where warm sun is tempered by cool ocean breezes, giving clusters long hangtime on the vines for wines of great richness. The South Island produces Chardonnay too, and the cooler climate brings out the variety's bright citrus acidity. Pinot Noir develops beautifully in the cooler conditions of the southern tip of the North Island and in the Marlborough and Central Otago regions of the South Island, taking on rich fruit character and lively tannins.