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  A Host of Golden Daffodils "Is it a winery or a destination," a wine snob asked one day, sniffing disdainfully. The answer, when one is speaking of Ironstone Vineyards in the small Sierra Foothills community of Murphys, is, "It is both, and that's just the way John Kautz, patriarch of the founding family, planned it." It was on a warm June day in 1990, that I first met John Kautz. After a ride around the hillside vineyards, we had walked out to the edge of an excavation opposite a rock wall where drilling and blasting had begun for the winery's aging caves. Pointing in various compass directions he described his dream. "There, on the north slope," he says, "there will be a natural amphitheatre, stretching from a pond and grove of native trees to the edge of the apple orchard. There will be a lake and a wildlife sanctuary, a covered bridge, places to stroll, lawns for spreading a picnic, and above it all a mega-winery, producing ultra-premium wines at affordable prices." Four years later the main elements of the dream had become a reality. The main building, which houses the winery, the hospitality center, tasting room, delicatessen, Alhambra Music Gallery and culinary arts demonstration kitchen, is seven stories high, modeled after an 1859 Gold Stamp Mill. The building steps down through three elevations, east to west, with the winery and 10,000 sq. ft. of caves at the westernmost edge. By 1996, the three-story Conference Center had been completed. The top floor of the building is devoted to the Heritage Museum, with relief maps of the gold region, ore samples, historic photos and ancient mining artifacts. The centerpiece of the adjacent antiques and jewelry center is a 44-pound crystalline gold specimen, gleaming under lights in a private vault. A visit to Ironstone is not a quick in-and-out, sip, spit, and buy a bottle of wine experience. It is best to plan to spend at least a full day in the area. Two or three days would be better to allow time to take in the wonders of the winery, and stroll the wooden sidewalks of Murphys, rich in reminders of Gold Rush days. One of the best times to take that trip is right now. Well, maybe not right now, but over the weekend of March 18 and 19, when "A Spring Symphony," one of the major events at the winery, takes place. There is a little word play at work there, since the two-day celebration salutes the spring blooming of thousands of daffodils (the gardeners have planted 17 tons of 650 different varieties of daffodil bulbs in the gardens on the 1150-acre property), and the release of the latest vintage of Ironstone's Symphony wine, called "Obsession." Not a lot of wineries work with the Symphony grape, but when John was first introduced to it, he took a liking to its freshness and fragrance and, since 1998 has provided this two-day showcase for its annual appearance. Besides flowers and wine, the weekend salutes art and food, with awards for winning recipes in the culinary competition, and the unveiling of the winning art pieces entered in "A Spring Symphony of Daffodils." The grounds are open from 11:00 a m until 5:00 p m both days. Viewing is free, as is the talk offered Saturday at 1:30 p m by Rod Berwick of Tasmania, a world-famous daffodil hybridizer, who is making his first appearance outside his native country. Since his daffodils bloom in September, he has titled his talk , "My View of Seeing Daffodils Upside Down," subtitled, "Enjoying Daffodils with Your Wine." Berwick specializes in breeding miniature (6" high) daffodils. It takes about two years to acclimatize these cultivars, and Tracey Ellifritz, crewmember of Ironstone Vineyards landscape department is working now with about 40 of Berwick's creations. At the "Winner's Circle Dinner," Saturday evening, members of the Kautz family will present the awards in the art and food competitions and the 1999 Obsession will be poured. Winemaker Steve Millier says the Symphony grapes usually ripen in late September. "We like to pick them when they are at about 22.5° Brix," he says. "The bunches are very large with large berries, and the fruit must be crushed in order to obtain good juice extraction. The residual sugar level, just under 2%, is retained by chilling the wine to arrest fermentation." Thirty-two thousand cases of Obsession, which sells for $7.00 a bottle, were produced this year. Reservations are necessary for the Winner's Circle Dinner, and the cost is $60.00 per person. Sunday's gala festivities open at 11:00 a m with the "Spring Symphony brunch," in the Alhambra Music Room, home of the historic 1927 Robert Morton Theatre Pipe Organ. Brunch will be served until 2:00 p m, and reservations are required at $30.00 per person. Reservations, on a first-come basis, may be made by calling 209-728-1251. For information about future events and other amenities offered at Ironstone Vineyards check the website: www.ironstonevineyards.com. Despite its physical size and its quarter-of-a-million case production, Ironstone Vineyards is a family-run winery. John and Gail Kautz are the winery owners, and John is chairman of the board. Stephen Kautz is president, Kurt Kautz is secretary-treasurer and Joan Kautz handles the export business. To reach Ironstone Vineyards from Highway 4, take the Murphys exit and make a left turn at the Murphys hotel, then follow the signs.
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