Ironstone Vineyards facts for kids
Ironstone Vineyards is a large winery in California, United States. A winery is a place where grapes are grown and turned into wine. Ironstone Vineyards makes many popular wine brands, like Obsession Wines and Leaping Horse Vineyards. They sell their wines in the U.S. and in over 40 other countries, including the United Kingdom and Canada. Over the years, the winery has used different names for its products, such as "Ironstone Vineyards" and "Ironstone 4th Generation Family Growers."
Contents
Growing Grapes in California
Ironstone Vineyards gets its grapes from two main areas in California: the Sierra Foothills and the Lodi appellation. The Lodi vineyards cover about 7,000 acres (28 square kilometers).
The Kautz Family's Grape Growing History
John and Gail Kautz are the founders of Ironstone Vineyards. They were among the first to plant certain types of grapes, like Chardonnay, in the Lodi area. The Kautz family grows many different grape varieties, including Cabernet Franc, Symphony, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot.
Ironstone Vineyards is a family business. John and Gail Kautz work with their sons, Kurt and Jack. Kurt Kautz is the chief financial officer, and Jack Kautz is a director.
Bear Creek Winery and Family Business
The Kautz family also owns Bear Creek Winery, which started in 1934. This winery is very large, able to hold about 12 million gallons of wine. This makes it one of the biggest wineries in the United States. Jack Kautz is a partner at Bear Creek Winery. He helps market the family's wines across the country.
In 2015, Jack Kautz asked the Calaveras County Planning Commission to stop a Verizon tower from being built near the winery. Also in 2015, John and Jack Kautz gave $25,000 to help the Murphys Fire Protection Service.
Visiting Ironstone Vineyards
The Ironstone Vineyards facility is located in Calaveras County, near Murphys, California. The main building is seven stories tall and looks like an old gold stamp mill.
The Crown Jewel Gold Specimen
Inside the Jewelry Shoppe at Ironstone, you can see a very special item. It is the largest piece of natural crystalline gold ever found. This gold specimen weighs 44 pounds (16.4 kilograms) and is called Ironstone's Crown Jewel.
Events and Concerts at the Winery
Ironstone Vineyards hosts many events throughout the year.
- The Obsession Weekend celebrates the release of new wines.
- In March, there is a large daffodil flower show.
- In September, the Coucours d' Elegance car show takes place. This event raises money for California youth agriculture programs.
Ironstone also holds annual concerts. Famous performers who have played there include the Russian National Orchestra, Dave Koz, Robert Cray, and Michael McDonald.
See also
- List of contemporary amphitheatres
