Grower Spotlight: Zoller Vineyards

Photo credit: Karen Pavone

You could say agriculture is in Broc Zoller’s roots.

His father’s career as an agricultural commissioner took the family from Santa Clara County to Siskiyou County and eventually to Las Vegas, Nevada, during Broc’s formative years. Following in those footsteps, Broc set his sights on attending UC Davis, where he studied plant pathology and earned his bachelor’s degree.

Intent on earning a PhD, he continued his advanced studies at Davis after graduation, but a military draft notice temporarily derailed his plans.

After a two-year tour in Washington, D.C., where he served in the Army Chemical Corps/Biological Warfare Division, Broc returned to California to resume his PhD program at UC Davis. There, he met Sharron, a bright undergraduate majoring in Consumer Science and English, who soon caught his eye. Romance blossomed, and the college sweethearts married after graduation.

The couple settled in Yuba City, where Broc accepted a position as an agricultural consultant, and Sharron began teaching at City High School. They started their family there, welcoming their first two children. But fate had other plans.

“My brother-in-law was managing the Kelseyville Packing Company co-op,” Broc recalls. “In those days, there were seven pear packing houses in Lake County.”

Drawn by new opportunity, the couple relocated to Lake County in 1979. There, they welcomed their third child and purchased an old farm property once owned by one of Kelseyville’s pioneer families.

Sharron continued her career in education, teaching U.S. History and English in the Middletown and Kelseyville school districts before moving into many K-12 school and district administration positions, where she served for the remainder of her 32-year career.

Meanwhile, Broc entered into a pear-farming partnership with a client. By 1998, as viticulture began to expand in Lake County, the Zollers decided to try their hand at growing winegrapes.

“At the time, I was able to secure a good contract to plant Sémillon,” Broc says. “But when the contract expired eight years later, so had the demand for that varietal.”

“We knew Lake County was a good place to grow red grapes,” he continues, “but it was obvious there was way too much Cabernet in the world, so we planted the only other varietal that was in demand: Sauvignon Blanc. It was a good decision.”

Embracing the shift, the Zollers grafted Sauvignon Blanc onto the existing Sémillon rootstock, a move that proved successful in securing buyers for their harvest.

In 2007, the couple purchased another vineyard, clearing out the existing vines and walnut trees before replanting. Situated in the contiguous Kelsey Bench and Big Valley AVAs, their vineyard properties thrived.

When asked about the differences in location, Broc explains, “Kelsey Bench has a bit more elevation, and the vines sit sloped on the hillside. The volcanic soil is well-drained, and it’s slightly warmer than the floor of Big Valley, so it yields an earlier harvest. In contrast, Big Valley is still high altitude, though not as high as the Bench slopes. It cools off more at night, so those vines ripen a little later. The water table is also slightly higher, which bears watching since the soil can hold more moisture.”

When asked what makes Lake County wine country special, Sharron reflects, “What we offer here is a more personalized experience. When people visit our local wineries, they often find the owner or the winemaker behind the tasting room bar. Neighboring wine regions are much more commercialized. We, in Lake County, offer a casual, genuine, and affordable wine experience.”

Broc nods in agreement. “People are talking about Lake County wine. It all takes time. We’re not going anywhere.”

Photo credit: Karen Pavone