Goodbye, Pint Noor – Hello, Patient Noor? Hybrid grapes are changing the future of California wine

In the summer of 1985, Adam Tolmach began to realize that something was rapidly killing the prized estate vineyard he had planted just a few years earlier. Every time the Ojai winemakers relocated, the vines died quickly.

It soon became clear that his vines—mostly Syrah, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel—were victims of Pierce’s disease, a deadly bacteria spread by insect vectors that had emerged as a serious threat to California’s wine industry.

As winegrowers face an ever-growing list of threats, exacerbated by climate change, a future where vineyards can grow without relying on chemicals, agricultural changes and rethinking of what wine will look like and taste like.

Where Tolmach once planted grapes with household names, he planted new varieties like Ambolo Blanc, above, among hybrids developed by Dr. Andrew Walker at UC Davis as part of a project to develop grapes resistant to Paris disease.

Industry insiders say the future will almost certainly include what are known as “hybrid” grapes in vineyards around the world. Tolmach, which has helped establish the Central Coast as a trusted source for world-class wines, is a pioneer leading the way.

Where Tolmach once grew grapes with household names, in 2017 he planted new-breed varieties that no wine drinker had ever heard of: two reds, Passeant Noir and Walker Red, alongside two whites, Ambolo Blanc and Caminant Blanc. Now it is bottled as Tolmach “Estate Red” and “Estate White”.

These are the literal fruits of decades of research led by now-retired Dr. Andrew Walker of the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology. Specifically bred for resistance to Pierce’s disease, the hybrids – which were officially released just six years ago – are the result of a cross between a European species, Vitis vinifera, and a North American wild, Vitis arizonica.

“These new hybrids point the way for the future of wine and our ability to make it more sustainably,” Tolmach says.

“They’re not about imitation; they’re about expression. Free from the constraints of delicate and high-maintenance varieties, we can grow these grapes organically, without spraying or defoliation. This means healthier vineyards, more vibrant soils and wines that are shaped more by terroir than by chemistry or convent.”

Tolmach’s grandfather bought property in 1933 in the unincorporated community of Oakview below Ojai. This is where he lives, makes wine and personally cultivates a small vineyard.

Improving hybrids

When you enjoy a glass of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah, you are drinking Vitis vinifera. While this species is responsible for some of the largest wines on the planet, it is highly susceptible to disease, pests and mildew in North American vineyards. Successful propagation here often relies on the use of chemicals and strict farming practices.

Hybrids able to withstand these stresses have been used for hundreds of years, especially in areas like Virginia, Vermont and the Finger Lakes, where mud presents a constant challenge. But it is not resistant to Pierce’s disease, and has failed to gain much attention with consumers. Their flavors and aromas can be accentuated by the low percentage of Vitis vinifera, the grape variety responsible for the complexities that define the world’s greatest wines.

Paseante Noir grapes are tested for sugar and pH levels.

The grapevine breeding program at UC Davis is now led by Dr. Luis Diaz García, who says significant advances in breeding will help hybrids pass the easier pill for consumers.

“The negative reputation of some hybrids, especially those developed in the early 1900s, is often due to their low vinifera content. With current hybrids now at 90% to 95%, there is no significant difference in quality compared to pure vinifera varieties. As time goes on, the quality of fruit and wine increases in percentages of each generation.”

Sudden water

Tolmach did not know how these grapes would work in the vineyard. “The interesting thing is that the white variety we’re growing had red parents. That means with hybrids you can really get something different; it’s a bit like children, you don’t really know what you’re going to get.”

Diaz-Garcia says Tolmach is swimming in uncharted waters. “As breeders, we cannot test this grape under every possible climate, soil type or vineyard management system. And given how important terroir is to grape and wine production, there is still much to learn.”

Pierce’s disease killed many Tolmach grape vines in the 1980s. After it lay dormant for years, Tolmach began growing a newly developed hybrid grape in 2017, specifically bred for resistance to Pierce’s disease.

Tolmach says he is happy with the early return. “Every vine, except about five, is alive, healthy, and productive.” After years of working with Pinot Noir (a low-yielding variety) “I was surprised at how productive these new hybrids are. They grow very vigorously and require a lot of manual labor to keep under control.”

For Tolmach, the unknown did not end in the vineyard. “It’s been a complete mystery how we develop it. I think it takes at least five years and maybe actually like 10 years just to get a feel for what you’re doing.”

He also says that he needs to free himself from some old ideas. “I had imagined a certain type of wine, and I needed to let go of the imagination and let the grapes speak to me.”

How do they enjoy it?

A recent tasting of all five bottling vintages with a panel of Los Angeles wine experts made it clear that the grapes have spoken to Tolmach. Notably, one topic that was never broached was whether the wine tasted like a “hybrid.” They tasted like great wine.

“I think these wines should be presented as real wines. No apologies, no hedges, no equals, no explanations,” says Taylor Parsons, a Los Angeles sommelier and consultant. “This is a great winery at an extraordinary historical moment trying to find a way to continue doing what it does for the future.

“So why isolate these hybrids, or mark them as something less than innate?”

Tolmach samples only Ambolo Blanc from the seventh harvest of its hybrid grapes.

Wine is a place where consumers follow the herd rather than express their independence. “In a lot of other agricultural practices, people reward new varieties that come out, new tomatoes or whatever,” Tolmach said. “But for wine, we prize these ancient varieties. The problem is that as diseases develop and the climate changes, they’re not always the best thing for a particular place. But it’s hard to leave Pinot Noir.”

With limited production, most of these new wines are sold at his hometown Ojai tasting room or through the Ojai Vineyards website. A few restaurants carry wine, including the newly opened Hotel El Robler, just a few blocks from the tasting room.

Production is constantly increasing. In 2020, Tolmach purchased Fe Ciega, a vineyard about 60 miles northwest of his home site. While Ojai is hot and dry, the Santa Rita Hills are shaped by Pacific Ocean air that flows through a valley, creating one of the most unique growing climates on the Central Coast.

“I think these wines should be presented as real wines. No apologies, no hedges, no equals, no explanations,” says Taylor Parsons, a Los Angeles sommelier and consultant.

The region has become a source for prized bottles of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah. When Tolmach discovered an outbreak of Pierce’s disease among the Chardonnay vines at Fe Ciega, he chose to replace them with an additional Paseante Noir cultivar.

“It looks very promising in terms of quality; we’re very happy with it,” Tolmach says. A small amount of fruit collected to date has been blended into the estate red. This year, he expects a bigger season, although he has not yet decided how to use it.

Pierce’s disease is no longer confined to Southern California, and its spread in vineyards to the north indicates an alarming increase. Pierce was not created by climate change, but the way it behaves is changed by it. “The warmer the winters and the warmer the nights, the more Pierce’s disease bacteria will dominate the plant and the plant will eventually die,” says Caleb Mosley, executive director of Napa Valley Vineyards.

“As the climate warms and disease pressures increase, these vines offer an environmentally benign approach, rooted in intensive breeding work, not genetic shortcuts,” says Tolmach. “The wines they produce are honest, structured and precise. They are new sounds, yes, but based on the timeless idea that wine should taste like where it comes from.”

David Rosoff is a Los Angeles-based sommelier and wine writer.

Adam Tolmach’s “experimental” vineyard, in its seventh season.