Founders Bill and Nancy Greenough.

Heritage zinfandel vines planted in 1880 were brought back to life in 1974

—In the fall of 1974, budding young vintner Bill Greenough marched into an abandoned century-old vineyard in the remote reaches of California’s Arroyo Grande Valley, restoring three acres of untamed Zinfandel vines planted in 1880 with a pick and shovel.

Today, as Saucelito Canyon Vineyard and the Greenough family celebrate the 50th anniversary of that pivotal season, these same vines are set to once again yield a bountiful harvest. The original vines at Saucelito Canyon are among the oldest in California, and are the oldest in San Luis Obispo County.

“The roots of our old vines now reach back 144 years, and 50 of those years have now been under the care of our family,” said second-generation winemaker Tom Greenough, who has been making Saucelito Canyon wines for 17 years. “It’s incredible that my father’s simple act of restoring these vines is still resonating today.”

Anniversary Wine Bundle Special

In celebration of this milestone season, Saucelito Canyon is rolling out its commemorative 2022 vintage red wines, marking 40 years since the first release of the iconic Saucelito Canyon Estate Zinfandel from the 1982 vintage. The estate-grown wines from 2022 all bear a special “40th Anniversary” designation on the label.

The 40th vintage milestone wines are available as a special five-pack starting on September 5 online at saucelitocanyon.com and at the tasting room in Edna Valley in the SLO Coast AVA. The pack includes the 2022 vintages of the Estate Zinfandel, Heritage Zinfandel, Dos Ranchos Zinfandel, Elodie Red Blend and Sauvage Bordeaux-Style Blend. The pack is $195, representing a $50 savings off of the collective retail bottle prices.

Deeply Rooted

The old vines at Saucelito Canyon were planted in 1880 by an English homesteader named Henry Ditmas, and they continued producing wines for several decades. However, they were abandoned after Prohibition and lost to history until Greenough purchased the old Rancho Saucelito more than 30 years later.

“I cleared the brush, hacked off the dead wood, dug into the root zones and trained the old vines back to life,” said Bill Greenough, who turned the winemaking reins over to his son starting in 2009. “At the time, I just wanted to become a winegrower. The idea of making my own wine came later.”

Within a few years, the old vines were producing a viable crop. Greenough also planted additional blocks and later built a small winery, which launched its first wines starting with the 1982 vintage.

Ever since, Saucelito Canyon Vineyard has remained a Greenough family affair, with two generations now producing a diverse range of limited-production wines while maintaining the winery’s heritage of estate-grown Zinfandels.

Bill Greenough and his wife Nancy remain actively involved in the winery, while Tom Greenough and his sister Margaret Greenough M.D. are leading Saucelito Canyon into the future.

“This has been a rewarding journey for me and my family—one that I could have never foreseen,” said Bill Greenough, who turned 80 this year. “I am incredibly proud to be celebrating 50 years of growing Zinfandel in the canyon.”

Saucelito  Canyon Vineyard is located at 3080 Biddle Ranch Road,
San Luis Obispo. For reservations and more information visit saucelitocanyon.com.