Cantiga Wineworks is, in a sense, a "virtual winery" in that it is a winery without a home. Run out of the home office of its Managing Members, Rich and Christine Rorden, the administrative base moves where they move. The winery's production, however, is currently based at Kirigin Cellars, an historic winery in Gilroy, California that offered custom crush space to Cantiga this past season.

The search for an ideal property for Cantiga Wineworks is one that has occupied much of the Rordens' energy over the past two years. After all, the choice of location is not a decision to be taken lightly. An ideal spot for a winery is not only one in which the climate, soil composition and land contours are suitable for growing premium grapes; it is also one that is easily accessible to the public, aesthetically pleasing, and within easy driving distance to an established wine touring route.

The Rordens' original choice of location was the Santa Cruz Mountain region. Home to such prestigious wineries as Ridge Vineyard, the Santa Cruz Mountains have a long history of outstanding boutique wineries with a spirit of innovation. The tiny mountain vineyards characteristic of the region produce low yields of very concentrated, high quality fruit. However, the terrain and the rapid encroachment of real estate development drastically limit the amount of farmable land; and what land remains is hardly affordable to most.

After many months of searching for property in the Santa Cruz region, the Rordens decided that it was time to look to new frontiers. California possesses many outstanding wine regions, each with a distinctive character. The wine industry in Napa and Sonoma, although producing some world class wine, is by now thoroughly saturated. These two are the most famous wine regions in North America, and the cost of land reflects that fact. Paso Robles on the Central Coast is now just coming into its own as a highly sought-after region, but its recent rapid growth resulting from its new-found popularity has led to soaring real estate prices. There are plenty of other regions worthy of consideration, but the one that has caught the Rordens' attention the most is the Sierra Foothills.

At the base of the Western slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains lies a tiny wine region with a rapidly growing reputation. Although the area has a long history of winemaking dating back to the Gold Rush, it is just recently receiving the attention it deserves—and it is growing. The soils and mountain climate yield grapes of intense flavor and excellent quality. And the gently rolling land is still quite available and affordable. The wineries, mostly family-run boutique operations, have become abundant enough to draw a fair amount of tourism. The atmosphere is friendly, modest, and low-key yet possessing the vitality of growth.

In the coming months, Cantiga Wineworks will be relocating its offices to the town of Placerville, located in El Dorado county, the heart of the Sierra Foothills wine region. There, with luck and a lot of hard work, the company hopes to find a magnificent site for its future vineyard and winery.

Will they succeed? Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion in the next newsletter.