The Promise of the Land

More than thirty years ago, Gary and Marian Conway (bios) purchased land in Adelaida, west of Paso Robles, and six miles from the art colony of Cambria at the foot of Big Sur. Gary first beheld the idyllic beauty of the area aboard a helicopter moments before it crashed (on the spot pictured above). Emerging from the wreckage, Gary exclaimed to the still stunned real estate broker, "I'm going to buy this place!" This is the stuff of legends; and, indeed, in the ensuing years the land and its supersoils and textbook microclimates are fast becoming legendary.

Adding to the legend, Carmody McKnight Estate Vineyards has been chosen as the only vineyard in the United States to be the subject of an extraordinary joint effort between the State of California, John Deere Global Ag. Services; Motorola, Inc.; Earth Information Technologies, Inc.; and Cal Poly University Earth & Soil Sciences, Food Chemistry, Food Science, Nutrition, as well as Statistical Departments. This project is destined to usher in a new age in agriculture, agronomics, and earth science technologies. link for description

This seminal project is directed by Thomas J. Rice, Ph.D., C.P.S.S., Professor of Earth & Soil Sciences, California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly). Professor Rice explains the extraordinary natural environment of Carmody McKnight and its rare combination of soils, along with the unique microclimates, making it the textbook ideal for the finest grape growing and wine making in the world. see video

In previous years, the Carmody McKnight Vineyards have been the subject of extensive university program research with Cal Poly University due to the rarity of the soils derived from calcareous shale, limestone and igneous (volcanic) rocks as well as calcium montmorillonite -- "the wonder soil." As this confluence of soil constituents are found nowhere else, the Carmody McKnight vineyards are particularly suitable for these innovative technological investigations and agricultural applications. For the first time, the centuries-long quest to understand "terroir" is at hand! The vineyards are the supreme example of sustainability in farming.

Three Carmody McKnight wines, in combination, create the "Cadenza" Meritage which won against all California wines in 2002's most prestigious of competitions - the California State Fair Wine Competition. The winery itself was voted number one on the Central Coast. Yes, supreme quality is ultimately about the soils and the climate; greatness is born in the vineyard. It is an astonishing fact that in the history of the vineyard there has never been the necessity to fertilize (a common regularity in all vineyards); yet the wine, as analyzed in the extensive Cal Poly University study, has been found to be the most mineral and nutrient rich in the world -- a "natural" phenomenon and the ultimate expression of "terroir" or..."vineyard magic!"

The story of this vineyard is fast becoming legendary. It is about the rare soils, it's about the calcium montmorillonite, it's about the volcanoes, but it's also about the story, the winemaking philosophy, and about the integrity. fifteen reasons for the legend

Marian and Gary Conway

In 1995, the Conways produced their first wine in the cellar of their 140-year old farmhouse, following the planting of grapes in 1985. Carmody McKnight, from its beginning, embraced a personal vision and pursuit of the land and its gifts, not bound by commercial restraints, as exemplified in their hand-crafted, artisan, 100% estate blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc along with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and a one-of-a-kind dessert wine, Kathleen. Kathleen also creates an estate sparkling wine brut cuvée ~ méthode champenoise. A rarity in California and six years in the bottle -- hand-riddled by the proprietors!

Carmody McKnight welcomes you to its 140-year old pioneer farmhouse ~ now a gallery of art and wine.