Gamba Vineyards and Winery
The Gamba Estate Vineyard
~Guided by the family heritage of over six generations of winegrape growing-
it is a firm belief at Gamba that wines are made in the vineyard.
Every Gamba Zinfandel is an individual expression of the vineyard with each unique vintage.
The limited production, hand crafted wines are a tribute to the art of farming, as much as they are to generations of old world,
traditional winemaking. As the few remaining old vine vineyards slowly continue to disappear from the landscape,
Gamba holds dear and strives to preserve what is quickly becoming a limited commodity
- truly Old Vine Zinfandel.
Agostino & Paulette Gamba
The Gamba Estate Vineyard ~
Gamba Vineyards is a small, family owned vineyard and winery business in Sonoma County, California. The over century old 27.5 acre Gamba Estate Vineyard parcel rests on th Eastern edge of the beautiful Russian River Valley Appellation, on gently rolling benchland above the valley floor. Planted to Zinfandel in 1900, the Gamba Estate Vineyard consists primarily of Old Vine Zinfandel, as well as small separate blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon. With ideal Southern exposure, the vineyard is bathed in sunlight during the growing season. On average the yield is small, in part due to nature, but also by design-approximately one half ton, and occasionally up to one ton per acre is harvested, depending on the vigor of vineyard block and severity of pruning.
The vines are organically dry farmed. The dry farming method relies solely on yearly rainwater to irrigate the vineyard. This method will generally decrease tonnage, however, in exchange, the remaining fruit clusters achieve a wonderful concentration of flavors. The vineyard has been farmed since its beginnings using the dry farming method, as well as other labor intensive, traditional methods. Each vine is cleared of ground cover at its base by hand. The Gamba's still own the original horse plows for discing rows, although now they employ the use of modern equipment to turn the soil. The vines are pruned, thinned and harvested by hand. Italian prune trees were planted years ago, and more recently lavender, to attract predatory insects to drive out unwanted pests. Roses were planted to give an early indication of powdery mildew that may develop early in the season. The Gamba family has used organic methods to counter any adversity faced in the vineyard, as it has been done since 1900. To this day, they do not use herbicides or any pesticides in the production of their winegrapes.
The desirable soil in the vineyard is known in the area as "Huachica" loam, named after the original native inhabitants of the area the vineyard occupies. This soil is excellent for farming, with ideal ratios of sand, clay, stones and organic matter in the ancient volcanic mix, seemingly custom made by nature for winegrapes. Light in color with low to moderate water retention and good drainage, the soil is sprinkled with small stones, all making for desirable winegrape farming. The Russian River Appellation location not only provides the ideal soil composed of stoney ancient volcanic ash, but also an excellent overall climate for winegrapes. Warm days and cool nights, and light breezes from the Pacific, all have positive affects on the growing season. The day heating and nightime cooling cycle plays an important part of why Northern California is a world class wine producing region. The microclimate on the Eastern edge of the Russian River Valley, specifically where the Gamba Vineyard is located on the Fulton benchland, provides enough heat units to ripen the grapes, and enough natural cooling influences from the Pacific Ocean to allow for extended hang time, to provide additional concentration and optimal maturation for our winegrapes. The vineyard enjoys views North into the Russian River Valley. To the Northeast, stands the majestic Mount St. Helena. To the West, lie rolling vineyards to the foothills that are the home of the great Redwoods, with the Pacific Ocean beyond. On cloud free days, the top of Mount Tamalpais near the San Francisco Bay can be seen reaching skyward in the distant Marin County to the South.
Gamba Family Farming History ~
The Gamba family has been farming winegrapes for over six generations. The family roots are of Italian origin. Agostino Luigi Gamba Sr. was born in the Northern village of Millesimo, near Savona in the Northwestern area of Italy. Elizabetta Gamba was born in Sicily, in the small picturesque fishing town of Trapani, near the southern most portion of the island. While Elizabetta's side of the family was known for their exquisite Sicilian style cuisine, it was his father's side of the family with the long history of farming. The Gamba family grew several crops in Italy, among them chestnuts, olives, hay and of course, winegrapes. Agostino Sr. aquired his knowledge of viticulture and winemaking from his grandfather, Luigi "Gi Gi" Gamba, in the family vineyards not far from the foot of the Dolomite mountains. His experiences growing up instilled in him the love of the land, and when he came to America as a young man, he wanted to continue the life he knew in the old country.
Settling in the San Francisco Bay Area, he soon ventured north to Sonoma County, a place that remarkably resembled the surroundings where he grew up in Northern Italy. He soon met several friends in Sonoma County, among them Ceasare Barbieri, a well respected grower in the community. Agostino Sr. purchased the future Gamba Vineyard property from Mr. Barbieri in 1947. Along with the property, many antique farm implements were included in the deal, including a wooden spoked flatbed Ford model-T truck that for many years served to haul winegrapes during harvest season. The equipment and Model-T remain on the property today, although now they rest quietly in the aging barn on the property.
Agostino Sr. and Elizabetta became good friends with the Barbieri's, and for many years enjoyed Italian style family picnics on the property together. The Barbieri's continued working with Agostino Sr. for several years in the vineyard Mr. Barbieri planted a half century before. As the years passed, Agostino Sr. and Elizabetta raised a small family. They enjoyed working in the vineyards and teaching their young family about the many aspects of vineyard care through each season. Agostino Jr. worked along with his father for several years, beginning as a young boy in the vineyards, learning to respect and care for the land under his father's guidance. Agostino Sr. continued to work the vineyard land he loved until his passing in the early 1980's.
The Gamba's turn of the century barn among the vines
